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Roman Cuisine
even middle class families. The first course, the “gustus” was the appetizer course, usually eggs, raw vegetables, fish or shellfish, prepared simply, eaten with mulsum which was wine sweetened with honey. The main course, the “prima mensa” consisted of cooked vegetables and meat served with wine. The “secunda mensa” was the sweet course or dessert, consisting of fruits, plain, stuffed and in sauces, honey cakes, nuts and, of course, wine. After dinner drinking was encouraged by serving salty foods. Entertainment included guests singing or reciting, dancers, clowns, gambling and much more…
It is interesting to note that in modern times, we are not so very different from the ancient Romans. Food is an important component in our everyday life. We too eat differently according to our station in life. The wealthier we become, the more elaborately we seem to eat. Just look at the growth in popularity of imported gourmet coffees, specialty food shops and catalogs. We often use our dinner parties or business lunches for that matter, to woo people for our own financial or political gain. But who of us can deny that we too don’t enjoy a sophisticated meal every now and again, just like the Ancient Romans. Cornelius Nepos describes Roman cuisine as, (OHT).