ROMAN CUISINE · Summer 2026 · Torch: U.S.
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Along with salt, citizens enjoyed garum, which was a sauce made with fish. Specifically, garum was created by fermenting the fish under the sun with salt. While the cheapest garum was affordable by most citizens, only elite citizens were able to obtain garum sociorum made from mackerel blood and its intestines.
Although the most common meat in Rome was pork, seafood and ducks were also among popular meats. One of the more uncommon meats that Romans ate were dormice. Chefs fattened up the dormice with nuts and stuffed them. As a result, this dish was a delicacy in the Roman world.
Romans consumed a variety of meat. The most common meat in Rome was pork. Nevertheless, the sow’s womb from a spayed female pig was highly prized in Roman society. To prepare the sow’s womb, chefs usually boiled and grilled it, in addition to braising it with spices including pepper.
Wealthy citizens would also consume flamingo tongue to flaunt their prestigious status. Aside from their distinct flavor and taste, flamingos are not native to Rome. Instead, Romans had encountered flamingos in Africa. Because of the distance, it was rarer for them to obtain this delicacy. As a result, hosts brought these birds to their lavish banquets, in which they were able to show off their wealth to their guests.
The 1609 issue of Relation aller Fürnemmen und gedenckwürdigen Historien survives.
The Washington Post gets many views online.
Garum was often sold in small clay containers.
Romans enjoy a sow's womb.
The recent copy of the New York Times features that day's top headlines.
Romans fattened up dormice with nuts.
Romans cherished flamingo tongues.