The Poor
Poor Romans ate mostly porridge or bread made from wheat and barley at all meals. The bread is usually coarse and dark in color.
The Rich
The rich ate three meals a day, which were:
Jentaculum (breakfast): Usually eaten at very early hours, it was usually simple with salted bread, milk or wine, sometimes with eggs, cheese or dried fruit.
Prandium (lunch): It was a quick meal eaten at noon and it included salted bread, salad, vegetables, cheese, eggs and sometimes meat or fish.
Cena (dinner): The main meal of the day was eaten in the evening and it was usually served with wine. There were a few courses including an appetizer with lettuce and eggs. The main course could be meat such as pork, veal, mutton as well as wild game such as rabbit and deer. A wide variety of birds were also eaten such as doves and quails. Seafood was also popular with fish which could be eaten fresh, dried, salted or smoked. Crayfish, crabs and shellfish such as mussels, clams, oysters and scallops were also eaten. The dessert usually included fruits like apples, pears and grapes and sometimes cheese, honey and cakes. The richer the family, the more extravagant was Cena, sometimes even a whole roast pig was prepared.
Prandium (lunch): It was a quick meal eaten at noon and it included salted bread, salad, vegetables, cheese, eggs and sometimes meat or fish.
Cena (dinner): The main meal of the day was eaten in the evening and it was usually served with wine. There were a few courses including an appetizer with lettuce and eggs. The main course could be meat such as pork, veal, mutton as well as wild game such as rabbit and deer. A wide variety of birds were also eaten such as doves and quails. Seafood was also popular with fish which could be eaten fresh, dried, salted or smoked. Crayfish, crabs and shellfish such as mussels, clams, oysters and scallops were also eaten. The dessert usually included fruits like apples, pears and grapes and sometimes cheese, honey and cakes. The richer the family, the more extravagant was Cena, sometimes even a whole roast pig was prepared.
The Style of Ancient Roman Cooking
Spice: Spices such as ginger, cloves, nutmeg, turmeric, cinnamon and pepper were commonly used.
Cooking Method: Food could be roasted, broiled and boiled. Tasty sauces were made by mixing wine, oils, vinegar, herbs, spices and meat or fish juices.
Cooking Method: Food could be roasted, broiled and boiled. Tasty sauces were made by mixing wine, oils, vinegar, herbs, spices and meat or fish juices.
Dining Etiquette
Most women and the poor sat on chairs when eating meals while men from the upper class lied on couches along a three-sided, cloth covered table called Mensa. This arrangement was known as Triclinium. They usually watched and listened to entertainers while eating and the banquets could have lasted for hours.
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