The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1894-11-16
Selcet Miseellany.
ANCIENT FOLLlES OF THE TABLE.

1t has been said in explanation of the
bills of fare of the ancient Romans that
they were prescribed by the family ply
Sicians. it being difficult to understand
otherwise the min Cling of ordinary arti-
cles of food with Substances now consid-
cred medicines, except on the Supposition
that the latter were intended to correct
the possible i'll effects of the former The
doctor made out the menu and gave it to
the head cook or purvevor, who obtained
the article mentioned in it either at the
public market or at the druggists, as the
case might be- There are few instances
among civilized nations in modern times
that bear resemblance to these ancient
cccentricities. The Germans eat sweet
soup seasoned with cinnamon, and the
SpaniardS season their food with saffron
but these sin@ularities are exceptional.
The excessive use of beer has doubtless
somewhat depraved the appetite of the
Germans, while as to the Spaniards, they
probably inherited the taste for saffron
from the Romans, from whom they had
their language and their civilization
Plutarch says that the Romans used no
pepper, but it tappearS from certain receipts
of the famous gastronome Apcius, which
were preserved in the monasteries of
Pennsylvania, though certain parts of the
works of Livy, Tacitus and Cicero were
allowed to perish, that he seasoned 800 or
600 dishes with this condimcnt In modern
times, pepper is used by all civilized nations
in greater or less quantities The Romans
seasoned their meats with with rue, parsley
seed cummin, marsh mallows, and nettles,
and distributed freely throughout their
meals pepper, honey salt, vinegar, raisins,
mustard oil, rue, mastic and cardamOms.
Vegetables were prepared with nitre to
make them look green, Il practice not en-
tIrelv unknown in modern times.
The following is one of the singular re-
ccipts that has come down to us through
the dark ages: "BruiSe in Il mortar parsley
seed dried pennyroyal, dried mint, gin
GER coriander stoned raisins, with honey,
vinegar oil and wine Put in a stew-pan
with three crusts of bread, the flesh of a
Pullct, vcStine cheese, pine kernals, small
onions minced fine, and cucumberS. Pour
soup over the mixture and serve in a stew
pan, garnished with snow" 1t is to be
presumed that the ingredients requiring
it had been previously cooked Dormice,
a delicacy highly appreciated in ancient
Rome were served with poppies and honey.
\ favorite dish of Adrian and Alexander
Servius was made of pheasant and wood
cock cooked with wild SOw's hook and
udder, bread pudding being served over
it. Some peculiar facts are cleaned from
ancient writers who treat of cooking and
eatables. From these sources we learn
that Sauccpans were timed before the
time of Piinv: that it was the habit of GER
tain persons to take Il glass of bitter be
fore breakfasts that bran was eaten with
mustard and honey, and that soused pigs
feet and head were known to the Romans,
though ii is uncertain whether they car
ricd Il knowledge of this dish into Britain
tl ltdlicl IL tltit. Asparagus WAS SO
successfully cultivated in ancient Italy, it
appears, that three stalks weighed pound.
We are also informed that the Romans al
ways insisted on having their fish fresh
an excellent quality-and when it was pos
siblc, threw them alive into boiling water.
As soon as dra wn from the sea they were
taken to Rome by swift couricrS, before
whose gallopin@ horses everybody was
compelled to get out of the way. Citizens
Of the United States living inland and off
the lines Cf railroad would probably be
delighted to have this ancient custom re-
vived
That the Egyptians drank hard because
their first dish at supper was boiled cab
bage, served properly with salt meat, is
perhaps not more singular than that the
Germans drink hard because they indulge
freely in raw ham. boiled SaIISaycS and
Saucrkraut; their eating being stimu-
LIANT to their drinking and vice versa. In
cold countries and in the tropics food and
drink are generally accommodated to the
peculiarities Of the climate, which does
not, however, explain why the Romans
living in semi-tropical region, INDUCED
in such heavy diet and drank such headv
wines \ slight knowledge of hygiene