Guides

Lucanian sausage, or lucanica, was a seasoned pork preparation associated with Lucania in southern Italy. It appears in Roman culinary writing as a strongly…

Rome’s power depended on food arriving before hunger became unrest. Every year, grain travelled across the Mediterranean from Egypt, North Africa, Sicily,…

In the ancient Greek world, barley was more than a humble grain. It was a dependable source of calories, a crop suited to dry Mediterranean conditions, and the…

In ancient Egypt, birds occupied several places at once: they were quarry in the marshes, offerings in temple economies, symbols in tomb decoration, and food…

Roman gardens were productive spaces where food, medicine, ritual, and household economy met. Behind villas, farms, and town houses, cultivated plots supplied…

Fish was one of the most valuable foods in the ancient Mediterranean, yet it was also among the most perishable. Greek sailors, merchants, soldiers, and…

A clay tablet from ancient Mesopotamia preserves one of the earliest known culinary recipes: a rich lamb stew prepared with turnips, onions, herbs, and beer.…

Few ancient ingredients have acquired the legendary status of silphium. Gathered in North Africa, especially around Cyrene, this aromatic plant was prized in…

Recreating a Roman snack of dates stuffed with nuts and honey offers a remarkably direct way to approach ancient food history. The ingredients are familiar,…

In Roman Campania, fish sauce was more than a seasoning placed on the table. Garum, liquamen, muria, and allec belonged to a large system of fishing, salting,…