Layered honey cheesecake Source: Cato, De Agri Cultura 76, Placentam sic facitoDate: Mid 2nd century Rome BCE, commonly placed around 160 BCE Historical context Placenta is a structured Roman baked sweet built in layers, closer to a layered cheesecake than a modern cake. In Cato it sits among practical farmhouse breads and cheeses, which places…
Roman meat patties wrapped in caul fat Source: Apicius, De re coquinaria, Book II, “Aliter Isicia Omentata”Date: Imperial Roman culinary tradition; surviving compilation commonly dated to the 4th to 5th century CE Historical context Isicia are minced meat preparations shaped into small forms and cooked in several ways across Apicius. “Omentata” identifies the method: the…
Roman garlic and herb cheese Source: Appendix Vergiliana, MoretumDate: Late Republic to early Roman Empire, 1st century BCE to 1st century CE Historical context Moretum appears in a short Latin poem describing the morning routine of a small farmer named Simulus. The dish is prepared at dawn before fieldwork begins using ingredients gathered from the…
