Ancient Recipes: How to Make the Roman Sweet Enjoyed During Colosseum Shows
Ancient Recipes: How to Make the Roman Sweet Enjoyed During Colosseum Shows
Stuffed dates called dulcia domestica were a popular sweet in ancient Rome. The stuffed treats were made by filling dates with nuts (such as almonds or walnuts) and then sometimes rolling them in honey, pepper or even wine. The recipe is preserved in Apicius, an ancient Roman cookbook from the 1st century AD.
While banquets and private feasts were the main setting for stuffed dates, it’s possible they were also sold as snacks at the Colosseum. Ancient Romans consumed a variety of street foods at gladiatorial games, including nuts, fruits, bread and spiced meats.
Given that dates were widely available in Rome and popular among both the elite and commoners, they could likely be found at the Colosseum along with other portable, easy-to-eat treats.
Roman spectators enjoyed a variety of snacks and treats while watching gladiatorial games, animal hunts and other spectacles. For example, simple flatbreads or small loaves of panis (bread), sometimes dipped in olive oil or garum (fermented fish sauce) were popular, as well as libum, a type of honey-sweetened cheesecake.
Spectators also ate almonds, walnuts and hazelnuts (either roasted or spiced), dried figs, dates and raisins, often carried in small pouches.
Honey cakes or pastries called globuli, made from deep-fried dough soaked in honey, were also popular.
Why were stuffed dates popular?
- Sweet & Nutritious – Dates provided natural sugar, and the nuts added protein.
- Exotic Appeal – Dates were imported from the Middle East and North Africa, adding a touch of luxury. The date was central to the diet in ancient Mesopotamia. They were easy to store and traveled well in the hot and arid climate. Every part of the date palm was used. The leaves could be woven into baskets, hats, carpets and even roofs for desert huts while the timber from the trunk was used in the construction of homes and furniture.
- Easy to Prepare – A simple yet delicious combination of flavors, perfect for both banquets and street snacks.
Their popularity in Roman cuisine suggests they could have been enjoyed by spectators at the Colosseum, alongside other foods such as olives, cheese and mulsum (honeyed wine).
Sweets were always present on wealthy Roman tables as the secundae mensae, that is, the second part of a banquet. The primae mensae were the main courses, preceded by the promulsis: the appetizers that accompanied the mulsum, a wine prepared with honey and grapes.
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Ancient Roman recipe of its favorite dates sweet
This recipe is taken from the Roman cookbook “De Re Coquinaria,” credited to Apicius. The book has been attributed to an otherwise unknown Caelius Apicius, a speculation based on the fact that one of the two manuscripts is headed with the words “API CAE,” and also because a few recipes are attributed to Apicius in the text.
Ingredients
- 7 ounces of fresh dates in honey
- 2 ounces of course ground nuts (nuts of your choice) or pine kernels (you can also use whole blanched almonds, you’ll need approx. 2 per date)
- Freshly ground black pepper (you can also use cayenne, cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice depending on your preference)
- ½ cup of red wine
- 2 tablespoons of honey
Instructions
- Mix the ground nuts/kernels or whole blanched almonds with the spice of your choice.
- Stone the dates and fill them with either the ground nuts/kernels or whole blanched almonds.
- Place the nuts in a shallow saucepan with the red wine and honey and allow to simmer for approx. five to 10 minutes.
- Serve with a bit of the wine sauce drizzled on top.