Culina Romana: Ancient Roman Cuisine

Ancient Roman cuisine will appeal to both your eyes and palate! We meet in one of Rome's most beautiful and well-known outdoor markets, Campo de' Fiori, about an hour before lunch. Among flowers, spice vendors, and locals choosing their fruits and vegetables, we discuss the history of the ancient Roman diet.

We'll go back to the old, culinarily-impaired days, when shepherds--limited to nuts, berries and acorn stew--complained about their fare. As the Romans conquered the Mediterranean, they began to incorporate into their diet a wider variety of fruits, vegetables and grains from other areas. We'll compare this ancient cuisine to its modern counterpart, and talk about the ancient sources that provide us with this information.

We continue our discussion at a nearby restaurant, where we taste some of the wines the Romans loved, nibble the breads, meats, and cheeses that were their staple food, sip soups based on ancient ingredients, and discuss the aspects of ancient cuisine that manifest themselves in Italian food s.

Lunch costs approximately € 20 a person.
Note: The menu can be adapted to vegetarian - or other dietary - needs. Please ask for more information if you have any other dietary restrictions.