Did Romans really invent the burger? (link) Rightly or wrongly, the Romans have been credited with bringing many things to Britain: from roads and pavements to heated baths and indoor plumbing. But an ancient Roman text gives them credit for a quintessentially American invention – the beef burger. A recipe from the ancient Roman cookbook, Apicius, written by an unknown author during the late 4th or 5th century AD, details a dish called ‘Isicia Omentata’ made of minced meat, pepper, wine, pine nuts and a rich fish-based sauce (Garum), all formed into a patty. The recipe (makes four Roman burgers): 500g minced meat 60g pine kernels Three tsp. Garum (a salty fish sauce – you can use a fish based sauce found in the supermarket, or just regular salt) Ground pepper Handful of coriander Juniper berries (optional) Caul fat (optional) Method Grind up the pine kernels, and then mix in with the minced meat and other ingredients. Shape the mixture into patties, wrap this in Caul Fat if preferred. Cook over a medium heat or BBQ for five minutes on each side. Serve plain or in a flat bread bun. Joe Jackson, dressed as a Roman Centurion, makes a Roman Burger at Birdoswald Roman Fort in Cumbria © Picture by Dave Thompson / Route OnePhotography / English Heritage
Had to google "caul fat". Doesn't sound like something I'd want to eat. But the burgers in the picture sure look great!
Citizens, I’ve tweaked the recipe to include some fresh lovage, an herb tasting of celery that was very popular in ancient Roman recipes and rounds this version out nicely to my palate. Like an extravagant burger, isicia omentata is essentially a minced meat patty that is flavored with pine nuts, peppercorns, and a fish-based sauce called garum, and accompanied by a bread roll that has been pre-soaked in white wine. I also spec the use of asafœtida (I spell it the old way with a ligature). Asafœtida is a dried resin used in Indian cuisine that tastes strongly of garlic. It’s a replacement for a lost Roman herb called Silphium. Silphium, was an herb much-prized by Roman cooks which came from the former Greek colony of Cyrenaica — which was located in what is now the Eastern coastal region of Libya. To make an ounce of silphium last longer, the cookbook of Apicius recommends keeping it in a jar of pine-nuts, Possible Silphium (Giant Tangier Fennel)which would then absorb the flavour, much as a vanilla pod is used today in a jar of sugar. After the First Century A.D., Silphium seems to have become unobtainable and Pliny reported that the last known stalk of silphium that was found in Cyrenaica was given to the Emperor Nero “as a curiosity” — which, according to some accounts, he promptly ate. After the decline of silphium, substitute herbs such as Asafoetida were then often used in place of Silphium. Silphium was long considered extinct, but is thought to possibly be the Giant Tangier Fennel (Ferula tingitana), but that is not a universal belief and there is much to disprove this notion (not the least of which the plant doesn’t really look like the ancient depictions)… You’ll probably have to just do like they did and use Asafoetida. You can find excellent-quality whole chunk asafœtida here. Please grind up a TINY amount to a powder in a spice grinder – a TINY pinch is more than enough, trust me! Caul fat is an awesome fat membrane that wraps the burgers and keeps them juicy as well as crisping up deliciously during cooking! Your butcher can order some for you. Garum is a condiment that was beloved by the Romans (they used it in practically EVERYTHING) and is best replaced by top-quality fish sauce. This is my choice. Ironically, this will taste VERY southeast Asian to a modern-day palate – and it is supremely delicious! Make these at your next weekend BBQ and regale your guests with its history as they regale YOU with compliments! Enjoy this delicious taste of antiquity, ! Battle on – The Generalissimo
It came from somewhere back in my long ago ... asafœtida.. . This word rings a bell, maybe from grade school. Collection of asafœtida in Tajikistan. Looks like they are scraping something off the top of roots, then slicing it clean. .. Why did I have to know this?
Silphium "Long ago, in the ancient city of Cyrene, there was a herb called silphium. It didn’t look like much – with stout roots, stumpy leaves and bunches of small yellow flowers – but it oozed with an odiferous sap that was so delicious and useful, the plant was eventually worth its weight in gold". "To list its uses would be an endless task. Its crunchable stalks were roasted, sauteed or boiled and eaten as a vegetable. Its roots were eaten fresh, dipped in vinegar. It was an excellent preservative for lentils and when it was fed to sheep, their flesh became delectably tender". "Perfume was coaxed from its delicate blooms, while its sap was dried and grated liberally over dishes from brains to braised flamingo. Known as “laser”, the condiment was as fundamental to Roman haute cuisine as eating your food horizontally in a toga".
Remembering more now. It was put in a bag and tied around someone's neck. So I found this How timely... "Asafoetida was approved by the US Pharmacopedia to stave off the Spanish flu epidemic of 1918 that killed millions worldwide. It was placed into pouches called "acifidity bags" that were provided by drug stores to be hung around the neck to try to prevent catching the disease. " Probably the smell guaranteed social distancing.
Same here. I knew that gin was distilled from juniper berries, but I've never encountered them in cooking. Now I have.
I find this stuff to be fascinating. It's like garlic repelling vampires because garlic vendors used to drop dead from The Plague at a slower rate than the general populace (theoretically because they munched on garlic all day so kept a level of mild antibiotic in their systems.) So much basis for real medicine found in homeopathy, and so much hype as well.
"Roman soldiers ate Garlic and Onions to give them strength. In fact the Roman's would plant fields of Garlic in conquered territories, perhaps to symbolize their dominance. In the middle-ages, Onions were so important that they could be used to pay ones' rent or given as gifts". "The Roman legions' staple ration of food was wheat. In the 4th century, most legionaries ate as well as anyone in Rome. They were supplied with rations of bread and vegetables along with meats such as beef, mutton, or pork".
Not where people all love the smell, and the health benefits have been known for over 6000 years. There is a reason some countries call "garlic" penicillin (with more benefits than the drugs, and no side effects, btw).