Food and Drink in Ancient Rome

Food and Drink in Ancient Rome

The ancient Romans consumed a vast range of meals. In the Roman Empire, a person’s diet was determined by their income and place of residence. To feed the sizable population in Rome, the empire’s capital, food was imported from all over.

Food and Drink in Ancient Rome

How many meals did they eat?

A normal day for the Romans consisted of three meals. Breakfast, the first meal, was referred to as the “ientaculum.” It was typically had at dawn and consisted of bread and sometimes some fruit. Lunch was the next meal, referred to as the “prandium”. The prandium was a tiny meal consumed about eleven in the morning. “Cena” was the main meal of the day. In the afternoon, it was consumed.

Typical Food of the Poor

The impoverished in Rome did not consume the same foods as the wealthy, as one might anticipate. Poor people’s staple diet consisted of a porridge known as “puls.” Water was added to ground wheat to make pulses. They may occasionally be given fruit or vegetables to eat along with their puls. Poor people didn’t consume much meat.

Dinner Parties

Compared to the impoverished, the wealthy ate far better. They would frequently host elaborate dinner parties with multiple dishes that lasted for hours. They would eat a wide range of meals, such as cakes, meats, fish, eggs, and vegetables.

Did they sit around a table?

The Romans sat around low tables on couches during formal meal gatherings. They would use their right hand to eat from the middle table while lying on their left arm. The Romans might stand or sit on stools for less formal meals.

Did they use forks and spoons?

The spoon was the primary dining instrument used by the Romans. And they did a lot with their hands. They occasionally speared or chopped food with a knife or other instrument similar to a fork.

Did they eat any strange foods?

We would find it weird to eat some of the things that the Ancient Romans did. They occasionally ate roast peacock, stewed snails, and flamingo tongues at opulent feasts. Dormice were arguably the most peculiar food they consumed. Dormice were occasionally consumed as appetizers and were regarded as a delicacy. A Roman recipe called for rolling the dormice in poppy seeds after dipping them in honey.

What did they drink?

The main drink of the Romans was wine. It was often watered down for daily consumption.

Facts About Ancient Roman Food and Drink

• The government of Rome provided free or cheap grain for the poor called a “grain dole.” This was used by politicians to gain popularity with the lower class.
• The Romans dressed up their meals with various sauces. The most popular sauce was a fermented fish sauce called garum.
• Fish was more common than other types of meat. Oysters were so popular that there were large businesses devoted to oyster farming.
• In addition to the porridge puls, bread and cheese were common staple foods in the Roman Empire.
• Wealthy Romans often had entertainment at their dinner parties including dancers, poets, and musicians.

Read also:Life in City in Ancient Rome