What food did the wealthy Romans eat for dinner?

Answer 1

Dinner (cena) was the main meal in ancient Rome. For the poor it consisted of a kind of porridge, the puls. The simplest kind would be made from emmer, water, salt and fat. The more sophisticated kind was made with olive oil, with an accompaniment of assorted vegetables when available. The richer classes ate their puls with eggs, cheese, vegetables and honey and it was also occasionally served with meat or fish.

Grains were some types of wheat (emmer, rivet wheat, einkorn, spelt, and common wheat) as and the less desirable barley, millet, and oats. Rice was imported from India and used as a medicine.

Vegetables were artichokes, asparagus, beans, beets, broad beans, broccoli, cabbages, carrots, celery, chickpeas, chicory, cucumbers, garlic, leeks lentils, lettuce, mallow leaves, marrows, mushrooms, onions, parsnips, garden peas, grass peas, pumpkins, radishes, turnips and bitter vetch

Fruit was apples, apricots (they were introduced form Armenia) cherries (they were introduced form Turkey) figs, filberts, melons (they were introduced form Africa) olives, pears, peaches, damson plums (they were introduced from Syria) quinces and pomegranates (they were introduced from Africa). Lemons were introduced in the 1st century AD.

Nuts were almonds, chestnuts, hazelnuts, pine nuts, pistachios and walnuts.

The most common meats were mutton or lamb and suckling pigs. Beef was not eaten often as it was difficult to preserve and because cows were used for milk and dairy products. The rich ate dormice,, hares, venison, wild boar. Poultry was chicken, cranes, doves, duck, fig-peckers, flamingos, geese, guinea fowls, partridges, pheasants and wood pigeons. Peacocks and ostriches was a very expensive delicacy. Rural people cured ham and bacon. No part of the animal was wasted and was used for blood puddings, meatballs (isicia), sausages, and stews. In Lucania (in southern Italy) sausages were made from a mixture of ground meats, herbs, and nuts, with eggs as a binding ingredient, and then aged in a smoker. Fish was very expensive and rich Romans kept fish ponds in their gardens.

Goat and sheep milk were considered superior to that of cows, Fresh milk was used to make cheese, for cooking, and in medicinal and cosmetic preparations. Butter was disdained. Lard was used for baking pastries and seasoning some dishes.

Drinks were water, the calda warm water and wine laced with spices (a winter drink) mulsum, a honeyed wine, and watered down wine. The soldiers and slaves also drunk posca, vinegar mixed with enough water to make it drinkable.

Answer 2

The wealthy Romans, many times ate about the same as the poorer ones. That is, the dishes were the same, but the ingredients were higher grade. For example, the wealthy could afford freshly baked soft white bread, while the poor had coarser, darker bread, baked in a commercial oven. In their choice of porridge, the poor would perhaps have a dish of wheat and milk, while the wealthy could have the same wheat, but have cheese and honey and perhaps an egg mixed in. The wealthy could also supplement their porridge based meals with meats and vegetables, while the poor would have a harder time getting the extras.

For special occasions, such as banquets or dinner parties, the wealthy could go all out and serve the stuffed dormice and peacock's tongue and any other exotic dish their cook could think of. But these "oddball" foods were for special occasions, not a daily occurrence.