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Ancient Greek and Roman Recipes
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The recipes below are quoted from the ancient roman cookbook of Marcus Gavius Apicius - De re coquinaria.This book has been translated in many languages including the English one. The below recipes is a small sample of what ancient Greeks and Romans were eating everyday. The ancient greek cuisine is not far from the roman because there were a lot of cultural exchanges and influences. The recipes below are selected from a book of Robert Maier who translated and edited them from latin to english and from the web page of Micaela Pantke. I hope the recipes are still rather near to the originals...
 

First we have to introduce you to some native Roman ingredients, such as:
 

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Caroenum: Boiled must (you have to boil the new wine or grape juice until it is only half the amount you started with).

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Defritum: Either thick fIg syrup, or must that's boiled until you have only a third of the amount with which you started.

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Liebstoeckl: I didn't find an English translation. In Latin it's called 'levisticum officinale'. It's an umbelliferous plant with yellowish flowers. Its dried roots are used as spice. It seems to be a kind of celery.

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Liquamen: a salty fish sauce. Most of the time you can replace it by salt.

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Passum: Very sweet wine sauce, made by boiling the must (new wine or grape juice) to thicken it.

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Poleiminze: A kind of mint that's growing in inundated areas. Just replace it by ordinary mint.

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Saturei: I didn't find an English translation. In Latin it's called 'satureia hortensis'. It's a violet or white flowered kind of labiate plants which grows mainly in Southern Europe. It's used as a spice plant, especially for bean dishes.

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Silphium: Its other names are 'Laser' or 'ferula asa foetida'. I've noticed that it's also called 'hing' in the Indian cuisine. It is an onion and garlic substitute and should be used rather sparingly because of its very strong taste and smell.

And here are some useful conversions:

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5ml = 1 tsp

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15ml = 1 tblsp

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28.3g = 1 ounce ( ==> 100g = 3.5 ounces )

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454g = 1 pound ( ==> 1kg = 2.2 pound )

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250ml = 1 cup

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1 l = 4 cups

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180 deg C = 350 deg F

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220 deg C = 425 deg F

And now let's come to the meals. All of those are calculated for 4 servings! Unfortunately the exact cooking temperatures and times haven't been handed down in all cases. You have to rely on your gut feeling!

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Isicia omentata - a kind of Roman Burgers

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Pepones et melones - Water and Honey Melons

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Patina de pisciculis - Soufflee of Small Fishes

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Patina de piris - Pear Soufflee

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Minutal marinum - Seafood Fricassee

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Gustum de præcoquis - Starter with Apricots

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Fabaciæ virides et baianæ - Green and Baian Beans

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Pullum frontonianum - Chicken a la Fronto

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Pullus fusilis - Chicken With Liquid Filling

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Dulcia domestica - Housemade Dessert

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Aliter dulcia - Another Kind of Dessert

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Tiropatinam - A Kind of Soufflee

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Ova sfongia ex lacte - Pancakes with Milk

bulletIn ovis apalis - Boiled Eggs
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Vitellina fricta - Fried Veal

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In vitulinam elixam - Boiled Veal

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Aliter bædinam sive agninam exaldatam - Steamed Lamb

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In mitulis - Sea Mussels

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Sarda ita fit - Tuna

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Scillas - Big Shrimps

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Mustacei - Must Rolls

 

 

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