Pigs in ancient Rome
Pigs were popular animals in the ancient Romans Empire. Even more so than today. Pigs in ancient times usually were a fair bit smaller than today and therefore, produced less meat when butchered. That made them even more valuable. So valuable in fact that they sometimes replaced money as a currency. Many people in rural areas used pigs or pork for trades instead of coins or other means of money like we know it.
Nevertheless, Romans rarely ate meat. At least the poor classes did not. The rich Romans on the other hand enjoyed meat on a daily basis and prided themselves with being able to afford such luxuries. But the meat alone did not cut it for them - they also wanted it to taste exquisite. So they had their favorite spices added to give it this little something extra. Some of those spice blend recipes have survived through the millenia and can thus, still be replicated and experienced by today's people.
The recipe for the spice blend at hand was written down by no other than the famous Apicius himself - Rome's most recognized chef.
Pork Spices Data
- Net weight: 40g spice mix
- Ingredients: pepper, cumin, mint, dill
- Country of manufacture: Germany
- Storage and use instructions: Store in a dry place
Manufacturer: Annette Böhm, August-Stieren-Str. 4a, D-45721 Haltern am See