Avenches – Roman Museum – Permanent Exhibition

Second Floor Food
Eating Habits
The consumption of cheese was widespread if one chooses to believe the
ancient texts, which particularly praise alpine cheese. Earthenware cheese moulds
found during excavations provide evidence of cheese production.
Meat such as pork, mutton, goat and less frequently poultry and fish were added
to the menu as a treat on festive days.
The Table of the Wealthy
The best pieces of meat were reserved for the richest, who liked to eat lamb, poultry
and venison. They also appreciated luxury food such as oysters and mackerel from
the Mediterranean as well as “exotic” products such as pepper, melons, dates,
almonds, pine kernels, garlic, bottle gourds and olives. It is certain that peaches,
grapes and figs were also on the menu of the middle classes. In this region there is
evidence of fishing from the 1 st century AD onwards.
The Kitchen
The kitchens discovered in the area were very simple. In most cases they were
situated in a room at ground level with a hearth in the centre. Food was cooked in
different types of vessels, which were either placed directly on the embers or on a
tripod. Food was sometimes also prepared in a cauldron suspended above the fire
on a hook attached to a wooden stand that could be rotated.
Small supplies of honey, fruit, vegetables or dried herbs as well as certain spices
and condiments were kept in storage vessels in the kitchen. More substantial
supplies for the winter months were stored in amphorae or dolia (large earthenware
jars) in appropriate storage rooms.
Eating Habits
The living quarters of poorer families were usually so cramped that the meals could
not be eaten lying down; as a rule, there was no separation between the kitchen
and the room where the meals were eaten.
On the other hand, the villae and town houses of the rich had separate dining
rooms (triclinium), which usually contained three couches arranged in a U shape
(lectus triclinaris). Each couch provided room for three people.
The dining room floors were often covered with mosaics and the walls were
decorated with different types of murals.
Women generally sat on a chair next to the couches while children and servants
ate elsewhere.
The different dishes were put on a small table in the middle. People usually ate
with their fingers. They did not use forks or knives, but some used small spoons with
pointed handles.
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Second Floor