Download By Shelbie Some of the foods we eat today ancient Romans ate too

By Shelbie
Some of the foods we eat today ancient Romans ate too. The basic
food of the Romans would be, bread, wheat. Biscuits, eggs, cheese, milk (not
from a cow,) porridge, stew, honey, fruit, wine, water, spices, and sauces,
along with many other basic foods we still use today.
The Romans had fast food as we do today too! Romans could but hot
food from snack bars from off the street. They could buy foods such as
pies, sausages, and stews.
The Plebeins were the lower class Romans and had very basic food like
a dinner of porridge made of vegetables or when they could afford it they
could have fish, bread, olives, wine, and meat on special occasions. They had
a welfare program called annona. There was also an alimenta or school lunch
program for kids. When you showed up with special tokens and containers,
they or the government gave you food.
The Patricians would have very large grand dinners. They ate many
different foods, and drank lots of wine. They could eat more varies food
than the plebeians, and could have meat when they like.
The Romans loved to cook just like we do. For the rich Romans, who
had grand feasts in the early evening, their slaves would be in the kitchen all
day to prepare for the night!!
Only rich Patricians were the ones with the kitchens. The Plebeians
would cook on the street. The patricians who held grand dinner parties at
night would have their slaves in the kitchen all day preparing for the feasts.
A Roman kitchen was equipped with many utensils that we have today.
There is one Roman recipe that we can do at home. Stuffed dates
which the Romans often ate for desserts.
Stuffed Dates
•
Mash together some chopped apple and nuts, bread or cake crumbs, a pinch of
cinnamon or little fruit juice.
•
Chop the tops off the dates and remove the stones.
•
Push the filling in with a spoon.
Plebeians didn’t have big feast, they would cook all day though for
their families. They would cook on the streets though because there was no
cooking allowed in the small apartments.
Patricians food took all day to prepare their food. But they would have
slaves prepare their food for them. Patricians had kitchens as well.
The rich Romans would often have grand dinner parties. A dinner
party would begin in the early evening. When their guests arrived they would
remove their sandals at the door, and they would also have a slave wash their
hands and feet in perfumed water. Then an usher would announce their
arrival and show them to their places. Wealthy Romans would recline on
couches (talk about comfy,) but only their slaves and children would sit in
chairs.
Then came the big feast! This first meal would consist of appetizers
such as salad, radishes, mushrooms, oysters, and other shellfish, sardines,
and eggs. The first drink that came with this meal would be
mulsum or wine sweetened with honey.
Here comes the main course! The main course contained of as many as
seven dishes, including fish, meat, and poultry. These were served with
vegetables and sauces.
Finally the last course! For the last course rather than clearing the
dishes after the main meal, the slaves removed the table and replaced it
with another one filled with plates of fruit, nuts, stuffed dates, and honey
cakes. This was known as sucundae mensae or second table.
Romans loved entertainment too! Between the courses, the guests
would be entertained by poets, musicians, conjurors, or clowns and after
dinner there would often be games.
The Romans had
disgusting table
manners!! Romans would
belch loudly, wrap
leftovers in napkins to
take home, or tickle
their throats with a
feather to make them vomit, to show that they enjoyed the meals!!
Bibliography
Chandler, Fina, Sam Taplin, and Jane Bingham. Roman World.
New York: Scholastic, 2001.
Donn, Don and Lin. Daily Life in Ancient Rome. 20 Mar. 2005
<http://member.aol.com/Donnclass/Romelife.html.>