The Toledo chronicle. [volume] (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1873-1924, 1876-04-06
The Food Of the Ancients.

THE diversity of substances which we
find in the catalogue Of articles Of food,
| is as great as the variety with which the
| art or the science Of cookery prepares
! them. The notions of the ancients on
! this important subject are worthy of re
mark. Their taste regarding meat was
various. Beef they considered the most
substantial food; hence it constituted the
chief nourishment of their athlete. Cam
| els and ronedaries' flesh was much es-
! teemed, their heels more especially. Don
key flesh was in high repute, and the wild
ass brought from Africa was compared to
! VeniSOn.
In more modern times we find Chancel-
Tor Cuprct having asses fattened for his
table. The hog and the wild boar appear
to have been held in high estimation
! Their mode CT killing swine was refined
in barbarity as epicurism. Pigs were
slaughtered with red-hot spits, that the
| blood might not be lost; stuffng "a pig
| with assafrtida was IL luxury. Young
! bears, dogs, and foxes (the latter esteemed
when fed on grapes), were also much adj
mircd by the Romans, whowere also ofond
! of various birds that some consular families
| assumed the names Of those they most es-
| tcemcd. Catius tells US how to drown
! fouls in Falerninn wine, to render them
more luscious and tender Pheasants
We're brought over from Colchis, and
deemed at one time such rarity that one
Of the PtoIcmies bitterly lameuted his
| never having tasted any, Peacocks were
| carefully reared in the island of Samos,
and sold at such a high price that Narro
informs US they fetched yearly upwards Of
! $4,000 of our money. The guinea fowl
was considered delicious but the Romans
knew not the turkey, a gift which We
| mOdcrns owe to the Jesuits. The ostrich
was much relished Heliogabalus delight
ed in their brains, and Apicius especially
comments them The modern CASTRO
nome is, perhaps, not aware that ii is TO
the ancicntS he owes his fattened duck and
| goose Iivcrs-the inestimable I0Scs gr0s Of
| France. The swan was also fattened by
| the Romans, who first deprived it of sight !;
and cranes We're by no means despised by
the people of taste.
! While the fcathered creation was
doomed TO form part of ancient delights,
the waters yielded their share of enjoy
mcnts, and several fishes were immortal
lied, The carp was educated in their
ponds, and rendered 50 tame that he came
TO be killed at the tinkling of his master 5
bell or The sound Of his voice. The fame
Of the iamprcy is generally known; snd
sturgeon was brought to table with tri-
umphant DOmp; but the turbot, one of
which was brought to Domitian from An
coma, was considered such splendid
present that this Emperor assembled the
| Senate to admire it. The red mutet was
held in such Il distinguished category
among gentecl fishes, that three OF them,
although Of small size, were known to
fetch upward Of 81 900. They were more
! appreciated when brought alive, and
| gradually allowed TO die, when the Romans
toasted their eyes in the anticipated de-
| light Of eating them, by gazing on the
dying creatures as they changed color like
an expiring dolphin. Snails were also a
great dainty; Fulvius Herpinus was i'm
mortalized for the discovery Of the art of
| tattening them on bran and other articles
and Horace informs us that they were
served up, broilcd upon silver gridirons
to give relish 10 wine. Oysters were
brought from England to Rome, and
frozen oysters were much eXtOlled. Grass
hopperS, locusts and various insects we're
I equally acceptable to our gasuonomic
Legislators. -E1change.