Of All The Fast Food Joints In All The World...

[endlessrarities]

One thing that struck me about me about Pompeii - and Herculaneum - was the astounding number of fast food joints that littered the place.  It was evidently the done thing for the Roman citizens of 1st century Pompeii to eat out for lunch.  This wasn't just a matter of sitting down in a swanky restaurant:  instead, parties of friends and associates would hire a room, then have their food served to them by the staff in a place of luxury and comparative privacy.

The popularity of this pastime was evidenced by the presence of a fast food joint, almost literally round every corner.  They're distinctive things:  they comprise a row of huge pots set in concrete, with just the rims visible at the level of the counter:-

When you're facing such stiff competition, it's obvious that you have to work hard to make your establishment stand out from the crowd.  And the Roman equivalent of the easy-clean formica worktop is used to present some stunning eye-catching mosaics.  Some are patterned, while others are just random arrangements of thin polished marbles and porphyries.  The results are stunning:-
 

And a close-up of the 'easy-clean worktop':

Now I couldn't help wondering what they served in these fast food joints.  The pots are huge, and unglazed, which means they must be porous.  My knowledge of Roman food is not good:  I know Roman cuisine involved stuffed dormice and lots of fish oil, but I'd guess that whatever they're serving from these particular jars must be fairly dry.  Otherwise, how do you clean the things?  

Residue analysis of the jars would be rather intriguing.  That is if volcanic ash allows the preservation of organic residues in unglazed ceramic.

An intriguing thought.... 

Comments

[aulus-poliutos.livejournal.com]

Getting a Roman cook book (preferably a decent German one because of the measurements, and everyday food rather than Apicius) is on my list. And growing some of the herbs that have come out of fashion nowadays if I can get some seeds.

I've eaten Roman(ish) food a few times and what makes it different is mostly the seasoning (even minus the garum). I once had a stew-like dish with meat, apricots and raisins, for example - maybe a slightly unusual combination of ingredients, but a far cry from stuffed dormice. And I really loved the goat cheese with pepper and honey; that's something I sometimes reproduce at home.

[endlessrarities.livejournal.com]

Again, this sounds quite yummy!!

[cmcmck.livejournal.com]

There is evidence that dormice were fattened for the pot- large pottery vessels with things like hamster runs inside where they lived until ready for another sort of pot! Dormouse bones turn up in the middens too.

Fruit and meat/fish are not an unusual combo of foods if you look at North African tajines and other fruit based stews and casseroles of that sort still eaten in those areas.

Mediaeval English food often had these amazing sweet/sour combos too- I've experimented with some of the recipes.

[endlessrarities.livejournal.com]

I've got a medieval recipe book and I really ought to try making something.

But I'd have to cook for Lent, since I'm veggie.

[cmcmck.livejournal.com]

Moi aussi, but there are plenty of possibilities even so! :o)