History
1. The Romans		 Back

 

 

Teacher's notes

WHAT DID THE ROMANS EAT?
The Romans invaded Britain in AD 43. They introduced many fruits and vegetables to this country including nuts, vines, figs, walnuts and sweet chestnuts, cabbages, lettuces, endives, turnips, onions, garlic, coriander, sage, mint, thyme, leeks and radishes. Some vegetables, such as mallow, corn salad and fat hen, are no longer cultivated but have become wild plants. The Romans also imported olives, wine, pepper, ginger and cinnamon.

WHAT EVIDENCE TELLS US ABOUT THE ROMANS AND THEIR FOOD?
Bones and seeds recovered during excavations, letters written by Roman soldiers serving on Hadrian's wall, books and descriptions of feasts written around that time, paintings and mosaics.

  

History: 8a

You will need:
A selection of the foods mentioned above

Ask the children to write an imaginary conversation in which a Roman soldier tries to convince a member of the Iceni tribe to try cabbage or radish for the first time.

Ask the children to taste some of the foods introduced by the Romans. Ask them to imagine that they are Ancient Britons who have captured these foods from a Roman trader. Ask them to write a description of these new foods.

Draw or make a Roman mosaic showing a scene from a feast.

Try a recipe from a Roman cookery book:

Peas Vitellus - from one of two recipe books written by M. Gaius Apicius who lived during the first century AD

Ingredients:

  • 700g dried peas (soaked overnight)
  • 2 yolks of hard boiled eggs
  • 45 ml honey
  • 1 tsp (5 ml) anchovy essence
  • 1 tbsp (15 ml) vinegar
  • 1 tbsp (15 ml) wine (optional)
  • 1 tbsp (15 ml) olive oil
  • 1 pinch of each of ginger, lovage and pepper

This is what you do:

  • Boil the peas until soft (90 minutes)
  • Use a mortar and pestle to crush the ginger, lovage and pepper. Mix with the honey, anchovy
    essence, wine, vinegar and egg yolks.
  • Put the mixture into a saucepan, add the olive oil and bring to the boil.
  • Add the peas and stir.

Puree of lettuce leaves with onion - from one of two recipe books written by M. Gaius Apicius who lived during the first century AD

Ingredients:

  • Lettuce
  • 1/2 tsp (2.5 ml) bicarbonate of soda
  • 1 chopped onion
  • 1 tsp (5 ml) anchovy essence
  • 1 tbsp (15 ml) wine (optional)
  • 1 tbsp (15 ml) vinegar, 1 tsp (15 ml) olive oil
  • 1 pinch of each of the following: pepper, lovage, celery seeds, mint, oregano.

This is what you do:

  • Put the lettuce into pan of boiling water containing bicarbonate of soda, simmer for 2 minutes
    then drain and chop.
  • Use a mortar and pestle to crush the onion, pepper, lovage, celery seeds, mint and oregano.
  • Put the mixture in a saucepan and add the wine, olive oil and anchovy essence.
  • Cook gently for 30 minutes and then pour the mixture over the lettuce.
 


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