Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1876-04-06
The Food Of the Ancients.

The diversity of substances which we
lind 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 dromedaries' 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 ChaIcel-
lor Cupret having asses fattened for his
table. The hog and the wild boar appear
to have been held in high estimation.
Their mode Of killing swine was refined
in barbarity as epicurism. Pigs were
slaughtered with red-hot splits, that the
blood might not be lost; stuffing a pig
with assafetida was a luxury. Young
bears, dogs, and foxes (the latter esteemed
when fed on grapes), were also much adj
mired by the Romans, who were also so fond
of various birds that some consular families
assumed the names of those they most es
teemed. Catius tells us how to drown
fowls in Falernian wine, to render them
more luscious and tender. Pheasants
were brought over from Colchis, and
deemed at one time such rarity that one
OF the Ptolemies bitterly lamented his
never having tasted any Peacocks were
carefully reared in the island of Samos,
and sold at such high price that Varro
informs us they fetched yearly upwards of
$4,000 of our money. The guinea-fo
was considered delicious; but the Romans
knew not the turkey, a gift which we
moderns owe to the Jesuits The ostrich
was much relished; Heliogabalus delight
ed in their brains, and Apicius especially
commends them. The modern CASTRO
nome IS, perhaps, not aware that it is to
the ancients he owes his fattened duck and
goose llvers-the inestimable foies gras of
france. The swan was also fattened by
the Romans, who first deprived it of sight;
and cranes were by no means despised by
the people of taste.
While the feathered creation was
doomed to form part of ancient delights,
the waters yielded their share of enjoy
ments, and several fishes were immortal
lied. The carp was educated in their
ponds, and rendered so tame that he came
to be killed at the tinkling of his masters
bell or the sound Of his voice. The fame
of the lamprey is generally known; and
sturgeon was brought to table with tri-
umphant pomp; but the turbot, one of
which was brought to Domitian from An
coma, was considered such a splendid
present that this Emperor assembled the
Senate to admire it. The red mullet was
held in such distinguished category
among genteel 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
great dainty; F'ulvius Herpinus was i'm
mortalized for the discovery of the art of
fattening them on bran and other articles:
and Horace informs Us that they we're
served up, broiled upon silver gridirons,