Warner in his " Antiquitates Culinariae," 1791, gives
some specimens of Roman cookery recipes : two of these
show how the Roman cook of the Apician epoch used to
dress a hog's paunch, and how to manufacture "sauce
for a boiled chicken." Another name known as that of
a famous Roman epicure is "Trojan," who, it is said, was
the true godfather of the culinary manual. M. W.
Carew Hazlitt, in his work on " Old Cookery Books and
Ancient Cuisine," gives that full credit to the ancient
Roman Cathohc clergy, which has not always been
accorded to them, of being largely instrumental in
modifying the early barbarism of the table and of
encouraging the study of gastronomy. Their secluded
THE ART OP COOKERY 13
life, he thinks, led them " to seek some compensation
for the loss of the other wordly pleasures in those of the
table."
In the early days the choice of animal food was
somewhat coarse as well as exclusive, as at that time the
whale was in considerable requisition for gastronomic
purposes. It was found on the royal table as well as
on that of the Lord Mayor of London, who had then
evidently, as now, a weakness for culinary delicacies.
The "piece de resistance," I read, at a banquet which
Wolsey gave some of his official acquaintances in 1509
was a young porpoise, and it was customary for such to
be taken to the banqueting hall whole, and carved by the
officer in attendance.
In the fifteenth century the list of dishes in vogue
was augmented, and amongst others in regular use were
fish soup, wine soup, and ale soup.
The cannibals of the ancient world (Anthropophagi)
greedily devoured the carcasses of their fellow creatures ;
while the inoffensive " Cabri " (a Scythian tribe) found
both food and drink in the agreeable nut of the Pontic
tree; the "Lotophagi" lived entirely on the fruit of
the lotus tree ; the savage " Troglodyte " esteemed a
living serpent the most delicate of all morsels while the
capricious palate of the " Ziguntini " preferred the ape
to everything.
The Eomans usually began their feasts with eggs,
and ended them with fruits ; hence Ab ovo usque ad
mala. During the luxurious period of their empire,
14 PRACTICAL GASTRONOMY
they took five meals a day ; which consisted of the
following : a breakfast (ye?itocwZ^im) ; a dinner (^:)raw{?mm),
which was a light meal without any formal preparation ;
between dinner and supper they had a kind of tea as we
would call it [merenda) ; a supper {cospa or coRua) ;
this formed their great meal, and generally consisted of
two courses, the first of meats, the second of a sort
of dessert ; another meal was served after supper :
this was called comissatio, something delicious or
revelling.
The dishes which the Eomans held in the highest
estimation were : pheasants* (_2j/iasza?iz^, "ex Phaside
Colchido fluvio "), nightingales {hiscinics), thrushes
(turdi), ducks, geese, sausages, and puddings.
The meat of the Porpoise, a marine animal, was
dressed in various ways, salted, roasted, and stewed.
The flesh of it was hard and rancid, and, although now
quite unknown, it is said that it was sold in the markets
of most Portuguese towns in the last century. The
swan was also a most favourite dish in the time of our
ancestors. At a dinner given by the Earl of Northumber-
land in the year 1512 it is said that the number, con-
sumed amounted to twenty.
Page 4
Presented as published in 1892. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
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Warner in his " Antiquitates Culinariae," 1791, gives
some specimens of Roman cookery recipes : two of these
show how the Roman cook of the Apician epoch used to
dress a hog's paunch, and how to manufacture "sauce
for a boiled chicken." Another name known as that of
a famous Roman epicure is "Trojan," who, it is said, was
the true godfather of the culinary manual. M. W.
Carew Hazlitt, in his work on " Old Cookery Books and
Ancient Cuisine," gives that full credit to the ancient
Roman Cathohc clergy, which has not always been
accorded to them, of being largely instrumental in
modifying the early barbarism of the table and of
encouraging the study of gastronomy. Their secluded
THE ART OP COOKERY 13
life, he thinks, led them " to seek some compensation
for the loss of the other wordly pleasures in those of the
table."
In the early days the choice of animal food was
somewhat coarse as well as exclusive, as at that time the
whale was in considerable requisition for gastronomic
purposes. It was found on the royal table as well as
on that of the Lord Mayor of London, who had then
evidently, as now, a weakness for culinary delicacies.
The "piece de resistance," I read, at a banquet which
Wolsey gave some of his official acquaintances in 1509
was a young porpoise, and it was customary for such to
be taken to the banqueting hall whole, and carved by the
officer in attendance.
In the fifteenth century the list of dishes in vogue
was augmented, and amongst others in regular use were
fish soup, wine soup, and ale soup.
The cannibals of the ancient world (Anthropophagi)
greedily devoured the carcasses of their fellow creatures ;
while the inoffensive " Cabri " (a Scythian tribe) found
both food and drink in the agreeable nut of the Pontic
tree; the "Lotophagi" lived entirely on the fruit of
the lotus tree ; the savage " Troglodyte " esteemed a
living serpent the most delicate of all morsels while the
capricious palate of the " Ziguntini " preferred the ape
to everything.
The Eomans usually began their feasts with eggs,
and ended them with fruits ; hence Ab ovo usque ad
mala. During the luxurious period of their empire,
14 PRACTICAL GASTRONOMY
they took five meals a day ; which consisted of the
following : a breakfast (ye?itocwZ^im) ; a dinner (^:)raw{?mm),
which was a light meal without any formal preparation ;
between dinner and supper they had a kind of tea as we
would call it [merenda) ; a supper {cospa or coRua) ;
this formed their great meal, and generally consisted of
two courses, the first of meats, the second of a sort
of dessert ; another meal was served after supper :
this was called comissatio, something delicious or
revelling.
The dishes which the Eomans held in the highest
estimation were : pheasants* (_2j/iasza?iz^, "ex Phaside
Colchido fluvio "), nightingales {hiscinics), thrushes
(turdi), ducks, geese, sausages, and puddings.
The meat of the Porpoise, a marine animal, was
dressed in various ways, salted, roasted, and stewed.
The flesh of it was hard and rancid, and, although now
quite unknown, it is said that it was sold in the markets
of most Portuguese towns in the last century. The
swan was also a most favourite dish in the time of our
ancestors. At a dinner given by the Earl of Northumber-
land in the year 1512 it is said that the number, con-
sumed amounted to twenty.