Food

There was a great difference between the food that the poor Romans ate and the food that the wealthy Romans had.

Poor people ate very simple food. They survived on bread, porridge and a sort of vegetable soup with lentils, turnips, onions and beans. They might also eat local food like figs and olives. They rarely ate meat.

Rich Romans could afford to buy lots of different food, from all over the Empire. They used food to show off how wealthy they were.

Kitchens

Most houses had kitchen. It would have a charcoal fire and food was boiled or fried in bronze or earthenware containers. Bread was baked in the ashes of the fire. Some large houses might have special ovens built into the walls.

Kitchens would have containers of wine, olive oil, vinegar and a salty sauce (made from gone off fish guts! - it was their favourite sauce.) called liquamen.

Dinner Parties

Rich Romans served expensive and unusual food in order to show off. Strange food included delicacies such as dormice stuffed with pine kernels or boiled pigs udders and roast peacock. The more unusual the food, the more the guests were impressed.

Guests ate lying on sofas, leaning on their left elbows while picking up the food with their fingers. Slaves would bring bowls of water so that guests could wash their hands.

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