How to cook mussels like a Roman from the oldest cookbook in the West
In short: Explore the culinary traditions of ancient Rome through De Re Coquinaria. This video demonstrates how to prepare steamed mussels using authentic ingredients like liquamen and passum, offering a practical look at a fourth-century recipe that avoids the more extreme delicacies of the era.
De Re Coquinaria, recognized as the oldest cookbook in the West, provides a window into the flavors of the fourth century. While the text includes exotic dishes like fried peacock or stuffed dormouse, this recipe focuses on a simpler preparation of mussels.
The dish relies on a base of liquamen—a traditional Roman fish sauce—combined with leeks, cumin, savory, and passum, a sweet fortified wine. By simmering these ingredients with water and wine, the recipe creates a flavorful broth for steaming the shellfish.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: Oldest Cookbook in the West | APICIUS | Ancient Roman Mussels
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