Ancient History Sourcebook:
Macrobius:
Saturnalia Convivia, III.13: The Bill of Fare of a Great Roman
Banquet, 63 BCE
The Romans laid a vast stress upon the joys of eating. Probably never
before or since has greater effort been expended upon gratifying the palate.
The art of cooking was placed almost on a level with that of sculpture or of
music. It is worth noticing that the ancient epicures were, however,
handicapped by the absence of most forms of modern ices, and of sugar. The
menu here presented was for a feast given by Mucius Lentulus Niger, when, in
63 BCE, he became a pontifex. There were present the other pontifices
including Julius Caesar, the Vestal Virgins, and some other priests, also
ladies related to them. While this banquet took place under the Republic, it
was probably surpassed by many in Imperial times.
Before the dinner proper came sea hedgehogs; fresh oysters, as many
as the guests wished; large mussels; sphondyli; field fares with asparagus;
fattened fowls; oyster and mussel pasties; black and white sea acorns;
sphondyli again; glycimarides; sea nettles; becaficoes; roe ribs; boar's
ribs; fowls dressed with flour; becaficoes; purple shellfish of two sorts.
The dinner itself consisted of sows' udder; boar's head; fish-pasties;
boar-pasties; ducks; boiled teals; hares; roasted fowls; starch pastry;
Pontic pastry.
Source:
http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/ancient/macrobius-3-13.html
Wednesday, January 07, 2009
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