Similar to present day society, there were three main meals a day in Ancient Rome.
The first meal, ientaculum, was at dawn, and is equivalent to modern breakfast. Here, Romans ate bread made from wheat or barley, cheese, olives, and honey. In addition, they ate fruits such as apples, pears, grapes, and figs - depending on the season, resources, and class.
Prandium, or modern day lunch, was eaten midday, and was a quick break from work. During the winter, they would eat warm food, and during the summer, they would eat fresh, cold food. A typical prandium consisted of bread, fish, legumes (dried beans, lentils, or peas), and wine. Since the water quality in Rome was not always up to par, many people diluted their water with wine and added different items - such as spices or fruits - into the mixture as well to make safer and more delicious drinks. For example, there was mulsum, which was a popular, sweet wine made by mixing honey into the wine.
The last meal of the day, cena, was the most important one. In the roman republic times, people ate a soup of legumes, cheese, fresh and dried fruit, and lard. Later, however, people ate more staples such as meat and bread for their meal. Another option Romans had was puls, a porridge that was usually eaten with bread and moretum, a spread made from sheep cheese, garlic, and herbs.
A sauce that was also important in Ancient Rome was called garum, made from fermented fish, garlic, chives, thyme, rosemary, and salt. This was used in many dishes to add flavor and texture; garum is similar to today’s Worcestershire sauce.
When ancient Romans had guests over during dinnertime, it was no longer called cena, but called convivium. During this time, there were stages, the first being gustum, which served starters, caput cenae, the main courses, and mensa secunda, which were desserts.
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