Avenches – Roman Museum – Permanent Exhibition

Second Floor Food
Drinking and Eating
68. Bunch of grapes made of bronze.
69. Bronze authepsa, used to keep liquids warm by putting hot coal into its interior
compartment.
70-72. Square glass bottles.
73-75. Neck and handle of glass bottle.
Food
The Roman period differed from previous times because of the abundance and
diversity of foods available. North of the Alps, however, the staple diet was still
cereals, vegetables and legumes.
A Big Market
With the Roman conquest, new types of food, which were rare and unknown to
the indigenous population, appeared on the local markets. These were mainly
luxury products coming from distant regions. Oysters were imported from the
Mediterranean or Atlantic coasts; olive oil, olives, fish and shellfish-based sauces,
mackerel, figs, dates, pine kernels, and pomegranates originated from different
Mediterranean countries as well as nuts and grapes, which were grown locally
probably from the 1 st century AD onwards. Cinnamon, pepper, ginger, cardamom,
aniseed, oriental caraway, sesame, and rice – all these products were imported from
India, Arabia or Ethiopia.
Drinking and Eating
The main cereals grown locally were barley, spelt, millet and wheat. These provided
flour for baking wafers and bread or for preparing porridge (puls).
Most people cooked with animal fat (lard) or, less frequently, with butter. Olive oil,
imported in large quantities from southern Spain, was mainly used by wealthy people.
However, oil produced locally from linseed or poppy seed was still used as well.
Honey was used to sweeten food, especially for baking cakes and pastry as well
as for preparing various sauces. The dishes were often spiced with aromatic sauces
(garum) based on fish and shellfish pickled in salt. Salt came from saline springs or
rock salt mines; along the coastlines sea salt was used.
Coriander, aniseed, celery and indigenous caraway were the most frequently
used spices and aromatic plants in this region. There is little evidence of fennel, pine
kernels, wild basil, mustard, poppies and garlic as well as marjoram / oregano, wild
thyme, verbena and mint.
With the arrival of the Romans wine quickly became popular, but beer, the
traditional Gaulish beverage, remained much appreciated in this region. The most
widespread and renowned type was barley ale based on spelt. They also drank mead,
a beverage made of fermented wheat, water and honey.
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Second Floor
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