Vegetables were eaten by citizens of the Eastern Roman Empire and in a wide variety. Most of them were well know to the modern diet, such as cabbage, carrots and greens. Artichokes were well known and Antioch was famous for its cucumbers. Melons were cheap and readily available. Lentils were a staple in the diet of the poor. Those that could afford them seasoned their food with spices, some brought in from Asia. These included cinnamon, caraway, cardamom, cumin, ginger, nutmeg, saffron, pepper, clove, coriander, among many others that can still be find in our spice cabinets today, though now far more easily and cheaply obtained. Those with less money would use onions, leeks and garlic for seasoning their food. Eggs were favored by all classes and came from hens, geese and pheasants. The Byzantine omelet known as the sphoungata was stuffed with olives and goat cheese and perhaps chickpeas salted and cooked in olive oil. It would even have been on the table of the Emperor himself as mentioned in The Serpentine Key:
Little else was said as servants came in bringing great dishes of food. First came the platters of delicate cheese and also sphoungata, omelets made with olives and goat cheese. Anna picked up her spoon and found she had no desire to eat. For the time being, all talk of politics was dropped. Now was the time for the repast and no polite host spoke of business or politics until the figs and pomegranates had been brought forth. Alfaar looked hungrily at the great quantities of food placed on the table. A steaming platter of fish, surrounded by quail stuffed with their own eggs was set before them. Their cups were always kept filled with wine.
Bread has always been a staple of the diet as long as there have been civilization. White bread was the choice for the higher up, while dark bread served to feed the masses. Rye, barley and millet made the “dirty” bread known as ryparos. Flour of any kind was stored in earthenware jars to protect it from insects and rodents. Farm families baked their own bread and in the cities bread was mass produced in bakeries.
In any case, it seems the Byzantine diet was a varied one. While garum might not appeal to, there would have been plenty of food that would and would have been familiar to us. Constantine originally provided bread rations to every citizen of Constantinople, but as the city grew, it became increasingly difficult to keep up with this demand. Hunger did not seem to be as much an issue as it was in other parts of Europe. While there were ninety-five famines in Britain alone in the medieval period, there seems to be little record of similar widespread devastation in the Eastern Roman Empire. The comparative mildness of the Mediterranean climate may have had something to do with it, but also the relative political stability as well may have been a contributing factor.
Next time we will look at alcoholic beverages favored by those who lived in the Byzantine Empire. Let me know your thoughts below!
Sources: Everyday Life in the Byzantine Empire by Marcus Rautman
What life was like amid splendor and intrigue: Byzantine Empire, AD 330-1453 by Ellen Anker, Time Life Books