A DAY IN A ROMAN KITCHEN:
Winter 2020· Torch: U.S. · A DAY IN A ROMAN KITCHEN
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Dishes from left to right: Columella salad; dulcia piperata: peppered honey cake; aliter ius in avibus: chicken with hazelnut sauce; in ovis apalis: boiled eggs with pine nut sauce; libum: Roman cheesecake.
(Yes, I made and ate everything you see here!)
The modern holiday of Christmas owes a lot to its ancient predecessor, the Roman feast of Saturnalia. The two holidays share a surprising number of similarities. Both are celebrated in December; both honor and celebrate religious deities; both are characterized by gift-giving and goodwill (in fact, Saturnalia was the only time slaves could be served by their masters, as the Romans viewed Saturnalia as a holiday commemorating liberty regardless of social class); and, to the rapturous delight of modern and ancient stomachs alike, extravagant feasting is integral to both holidays. This article, the first of a new Torch: U.S. series chronicling ancient Roman cuisine, will look at the foods that the Romans ate during Saturnalia and the similarities and differences between their food and ours. Find nifty recipes selected from Cooking Apicius by Sally Grainger (which is, in turn, inspired by Apicius de re Coquinaria, the ancient cookbook) as well as ratings courtesy of yours truly on the following pages!