Ancient Rome Food
Many buildings were made of wood, and therefore could not include fires and ovens. Most of the every day people had to buy their foods such as sausages, salt, porrige and bread and they would then cook these items in public ovens. The wealthy had their slaves cook in a seperate part of their stone house and the wealthy families had their own individual ovens.
The Romans had a simple diet and drank wine during each meal. They ate simple foods such as fish, a little red meat, cheese's, boiled eggs although mostly lived on vegtables and bread. Over time this changed alot when their empire expanded, discovering more herbs and spices.
The Romans breakfast (the Romans called this jentaculum) would be eaten really early in the morning, before the sun rose. Breakfast usually consisted of bread, fish and wine.
Lunch (the Romans called this prandium) was usually served around 11.00 a.m. up to noon and was a small meal consisting of a little bit of cooked meat or salami, salad, cheese, boiled eggs, vegables, bread and wine. The Romans kept lunch on a small scale as they were of the belief, if you had a big meal at lunch you would fall asleep.
Dinner (the Romans called cena), well everything was geared up towards this main meal of the day - cena was by far the biggest meal of the day, the first course was usually made up of salad or a small fish, the main course was usually fish, cooked meat, vegtables and wine. Dessert was usually honey bread, simple cakes smeared with honey or just simply honey and cheese.
The lower class Romans (plebeians) might have a breakfast of bread, dry or dipped in wine, and water. Sometimes olives, cheese, or raisins were sprinkled on the bread. In 1c CE, it became the custom to distribute bread daily to the unemployed. Workmen, on their way to work, grabbed some bread, and ate it on the way.
The upper class Romans (patricians) enjoyed fresh meat, fish, fruits, vegetables, bread and drank wine during each meal. Foods were sweetened by using honey. (Sugar was unknown). They had slaves to cook and clean. Slaves cut their food for them, as they didn't use forks or knives, but ate with their fingers. A wet towel was handy (or brought by slaves) to tidy up after a meal.
The Romans had a simple diet and drank wine during each meal. They ate simple foods such as fish, a little red meat, cheese's, boiled eggs although mostly lived on vegtables and bread. Over time this changed alot when their empire expanded, discovering more herbs and spices.
The Romans breakfast (the Romans called this jentaculum) would be eaten really early in the morning, before the sun rose. Breakfast usually consisted of bread, fish and wine.
Lunch (the Romans called this prandium) was usually served around 11.00 a.m. up to noon and was a small meal consisting of a little bit of cooked meat or salami, salad, cheese, boiled eggs, vegables, bread and wine. The Romans kept lunch on a small scale as they were of the belief, if you had a big meal at lunch you would fall asleep.
Dinner (the Romans called cena), well everything was geared up towards this main meal of the day - cena was by far the biggest meal of the day, the first course was usually made up of salad or a small fish, the main course was usually fish, cooked meat, vegtables and wine. Dessert was usually honey bread, simple cakes smeared with honey or just simply honey and cheese.
The lower class Romans (plebeians) might have a breakfast of bread, dry or dipped in wine, and water. Sometimes olives, cheese, or raisins were sprinkled on the bread. In 1c CE, it became the custom to distribute bread daily to the unemployed. Workmen, on their way to work, grabbed some bread, and ate it on the way.
The upper class Romans (patricians) enjoyed fresh meat, fish, fruits, vegetables, bread and drank wine during each meal. Foods were sweetened by using honey. (Sugar was unknown). They had slaves to cook and clean. Slaves cut their food for them, as they didn't use forks or knives, but ate with their fingers. A wet towel was handy (or brought by slaves) to tidy up after a meal.