We have that traditional Bedouin wedding feast Whole stuffed camel: Egss inside fish inside chicken inside sheep inside a camel. True or not, is is an impressive idea.
"If you were poor and spend the days sleeping and the nights partying, you were lazy and debauched. But if you were rich and did the exact same thing, you were merely extravagant." Well, some things never change I guess.
I'm a natural born night owl. I choose to believe I'm from aristocracy! 🤣 Although all the rules for the women would have driven me mad! I'm not sure which life would have been better for my personality. I don't mind hard work, I do mind rude bosses.
"Hens don't make milk." As a fun fact, that's a metaphor with ancient Greek origins! Aristophanes used "the milk of birds" in some of his plays as a metaphor for something extremely rare. I found out about this because there's a Polish candy called "ptasie mleczko," literally meaning "bird milk." There's also a similar phrase in English, where something might be described "as rare as hen's teeth."
in Greece you can refer to a store or a table as "even having bird's milk" in order to convey that it has everything one can imagine. I don't know if the phrase survived from ancient times, or if we resurrected it/borrowed it, but still pretty cool to see such an old phrase being used in this day.
I'm glad you chose the "pissing in public, not really washing his hands and wiping them off on the servant boy" part to talk about how Trimalchio acted. Really sums up just how crude he was in a comedic way.
In 2021 Trimalchio would be one of those lifestyle vloggers who would put out a 43-minute house tour/flex video and then wonder why his house got broken into the next day, change my mind.
@@duckpuncher4203 I'm imagining someone trolling a bunch of rich snobs by convincing them pigeon vomit is a rare and expensive delicacy and it's equal parts funny and gross D=
I feel so dumb for just now realizing that each episode of Rome month was a meal course- drink, appetizer, meal and then ending with desert. Very clever!
Fun Fact: F. Scott Fitzgerald really really really wanted to call "The Great Gatsby" "The American Trimalchio," even though nobody but him and his friends knew about this book. Zelda and his publisher convinced him otherwise, but he spent the rest of his life feeling like he picked the wrong title.
Max, I am a sailor by trade, and I sent this video to our cook 3 months ago, and he made it for us on the last week of the previous trip. This was absolutely amazing. I'm gonna have to find another video to send him.
Today black pepper is just about the most humble spice but back then, when it was sold by the pepper corn, the stronger the pepper taste the more impressive the dish. "There was enough pepper in the stuffing to almost make you choke. Zeus only knows what that cost!"
I was thinking the same thing: that at the time, pepper would probably have been horrendously expensive (not sure if the Romans had to get theirs -- indirectly -- from the Spice Islands also), so that's why its measurement is so specific while everything else is "whatever you normally do with these more easily acquired and probably more frequently used ingredients".
Being Max's friend or neighbour must be a real treat: *knock on the door* - Who is it, honey? - Oh, it's Max. With a whole roast pig. - Ah, Rome month again, is it? Guess we'll cancel our dinner plans, then. - It's a good thing, too. I forgot to defrost the chicken.
Hello Max ! I am from Greece, the phrase at 10:20 still exists in modern day Greek, in the form of ''Και του πουλιού του γάλα'' or ''even bird's milk''. It bassicly means that there is such a huge array of stuff/food in a place, so this phrase used in the anecdote probably is a translated version of that from Greek.
Considering Roman aristocrats often spoke Greek, and that Greek hasn’t changed very much throughout history, they probably said it very similarly to the modern Greek phrase. Very cool!
Ancient Roman emperors wish their recipes could be as extra as medieval kings Emperors: Behold, this noble swine- Kings: MINE HAS WINGS! Emperors: ...show off
The Wikipedia article for the Roman Toga described it as best suited for occasions of "displaying oneself before one's peers and inferiors while ostentatiously doing nothing."
Quitting Disney and doing this full time was no doubt a smart move. You are a natural and deserve your own show. Well spoken, great humor, fantastic chef, move star good looks. It's great to have seen the growth of the channel! Keep up the great work.
An intellectual came to check in on a friend who was seriously ill. When the man’s wife said that he had ‘departed’, the intellectual replied: “When he arrives back, will you tell him that I stopped by?” - Ancient Roman Joke
A barber, a bald man, and a scholar are going on a journey together, and one night they take turns to watch the baggage. The bald man goes first, and nothing happens. Then it's the barber's turn. Still, nothing happens, and he's so bored that he shaves the scholar's head. Finally, it's the scholar's turn. He wakes up, feels his head, and says, "That idiot barber! He's woken up the bald man instead of me." - Another Roman Joke
A man visited the house of a friend who was surprised to see him. “I heard that you’d died!” “You can see that I haven’t!” said the man. “But the person who told me was more reliable than you!”
So tracta is pasta. All the pasta I buy is just semolina, durum, and water. "When a rich man doesn't want to work, he's a bon vivant, yes, he's a bon vivant. But, when a poor man doesn't want to work..."
That’s what I was thinking about the tracta. I’ve made enough fresh pasta at this point to spot a pasta recipe when I see one. Semolina? Check. Durum flour? Check. Water to make paste? Check. Rolled into flat sheets? Check. Dried? Check. I see all of the essential elements of an early pasta recipe.
I think the stuffing was more 'chewy' than bread stuffing because it contained semolina, which is used for making pasta. The tracta was more like broken-up pasta dough than bread, so maybe it also had the texture of pasta.
@@pocketheart1450 Max has a video where he was offered a job at Disney and he decided to keep doing Tasting History. As a Tasting History fan, I think he made the right choice.
@@sholbkhe wasn’t offered the job at Disney he was already employed by them for years, due to the Covid pandemic he was furloughed and started the channel, when Disney ended the furlough he decided not to go back and do this full time
The only complaint I have about this channel is simple: it's too damned good. I have to drop everything whenever a new video comes out, so I can watch it the moment I realize it's out.
I like how you are focusing on this channel rather than going back to Disney. Thanks buddy . PS: I like your little table behind you. You always change it up. Very unique
I didn't even realize he had a former connection to Disney. Found this channel through the magic of the algorithm and other historical channel. Glad I did.
@@kaltaron1284 I just learned he worked with Disney too. But in retrospect, it makes sense. I can see a polished performer/speaker who's seen a lot of professional productions. I just assumed he'd had a performance background.
In case you're wondering: there are 64 known species of the grain bearing grass known as "wheat". They're all descended from the same ancestor in the Karcadag Mountains in SE Turkey. The main difference between species is the number of chromosome sets they possess: -Einkhorn Wheat is closest to Wild Wheat and is diploid, meaning it has the two sets of seven chromosomes. Eikhorn (German for "One Grain") flour does not rise, and the plant is noteworthy for its ability to grow in mountainous soils.Its also the first wild plant to be domesticated by Humans, around 10,900 to 9600 years ago. -Emmer Wheat (which Max used for Egyptian nread) is tetraploid (four sets or 28 chromosomes). Emmer (German for "starchy") has similar attributes to Eikhorn in lack of rising and ability to grow in poor soils. Emmer is the second oldest domesticated plant, with cultivation beginning around 10,200 to 9100 years ago. -Durum (used in this episode) is also tetraploid, but has different chromosomes than Emmer. Durum is drought resistant, and in Roman times grew in the Nile Delta of Egypt, which was the primary breadbasket of the empire. Durum is still the primary wheat grown in the Middle East/Levant. -Common Wheat is allohexaploid. It has six sets of chromosomes (42 total), and the "allo" refers to the fact that two sets each are borrowed from other closely related grass species. -Einkhorn and Emmer are two of the Eight Founders, the eight oldest plants domesticated by Humanity (the others are Barley, Lentils, Peas, Chickpeas, Bitter Vetch and Flax.) Edit: Spelling
And in past eras, they used mixes of different wheats in their fields as a way to insure a sufficient crop every year (or as near as they could manage). Similarly, crops that may give a bumper harvest but may also fail spectacularly were not favoured. Instead they focused on the varieties that would ensure the best yield if it turned out to be a bad year.
Hi, Max. Dormouse is illegal to eat in Italy nowadays because it's an endangered species but it's still legal to eat in Slovenia (and I think Croatia?). I'm not sure if it's possible to import it from Slovenia, where it's called "polh," but it may be something to look into, if you're particularly dedicated to making an ancient recipe that calls for dormouse. If you aren't able to get your hands on it, I've been told by a few Slovenians that it's similar to squirrel meat so, you might be able use squirrel as a substitute. Happy cooking! I love your series. 💜
If you want to make dormice dishes, I suggest arranging to film in Slovenia. We still have them as a delicacy first and pelts second. The pelts are used to make warm hats.
@Mel Hawk Although most are, as the name suggests mouse-like in size, the edible dormouse, _Glis glis,_ is roughly squirrel-sized and Romans actually farmed and fattened theirs.
@@nebufabu That's crazy, i'd be curious to know the difference in nutrients and taste between Dormouse farmed for human consumption and, lets say, the mice farmed here to feed carnivorous animals.
I have an answer for your peppery aggravation. Peppercorn was an extremely expensive ingredient prior to the export of chili from the West Indies post Columbus. The remainder of the ingredients in this recipe were less expensive, and also more accessible, and hence, less specific. (PS - Gastropod did a recent episode on this!)
Just use an ounce of pepper per suckling pig (the other “just for special occasions” ingredient in this recipe), and proportion the rest of the ingredients accordingly.
Exactly. Pepper was the only luxury import in this recipe. While it would become more accessible as Egypt was more firmly integrated in the Imperial Roman world (and the spice fleets became consistent yearly endeavors), in Tiberius' day it would still have been very dear. In fact a full ounce of piperum niger in this dish would have been a statement of power, wealth, and access.
Romans used long pepper instead of the regular and now more common black pepper corns we are so used to. The pepper presents a bit of a bite and can be a lot more savoury than its black peppercorn counterpart. It's a slow burn but it makes for some wonderful flavour to your food.
Is it wrong that I want Age of Empires to sponsor this guy next? We've gotten so much good content out of Rome alone, imagine what we could get with a dozen more. Also, Townsend's has a Cod's Head recipe for you...
@@TastingHistory Oh, I'm not suggesting egg nog is what he meant. I just find it amusing. And it would make a decent (over the top, rich, slightly vulgar) stand-in, if you wanted to attempt the actual feast as described.
In addition to the Dinner of Trimalchio (or Cena Trimalchionis) highlighting Roman aristocrats' anxieties about social climbers/new citizens, it also has a motif of things not being what they seem that makes it really fun. Upon entering Trimalchio's house, Encolpius is scared by a really realistic-looking dog mosaic. During the meal itself, many of the foods are stuffed with other things, etc., AND Trimalchio even tells a story about a werewolf encounter! In Latin, the word used is "versipellis," which literally means "pelt-changer."
Thank goodness "Tracta" is sheets of dried dough. I was fully expecting "tracta" to be tracts of the pig, such as the esophagus, trachea, intestines or even...urinary.
To get even closer I suggest using Iberico pork (expensive and hard to get though). It’s the closest relative of the roman pork as far as I know. Very different from regular pork and I love the intense flavor and the fat is healthy due to the acorn feed. Or Wild boar because the meat quality is still much closer to roman.
@@DaZebraffe chicks have a small tooth on their beak to help them hatch, it usually falls off. to see a chiken make it to adulthood with it still attached is rare as hens teeth
Also, it should be noted that Trimalchio is theorized to be a stand-in for Nero because of the weird similarities between the two. During the dinner party taking place during the juvenalia, a Roman holiday where social roles were flipped, a servant on a trapeze ends up falling and dying right at the feet of Trimalchio EXACTLY like how Nero had a gymnast fall and die at his feet in one of the games he funded. There was also the comedic description of the two matching up and a recurring motif of gold in both of their lives.
@@ragnkja not exactly, Nero had a really weird family lineage once you look into it (he was never a slave, but he didn't grow up in royalty). I took a class on Nero for a gen ed for my university, but I don't remember much about nero's early life other than the few comments suetonius made
@@ogvanillathunder Nero was the son of Domitius Ahenobarbus, a very high-ranking Roman aristocrat, and Iulia Agrippina, sister of emperor Caligula, and he was born during Caligula's reign. Yes, his father died and his mother was exiled when he was a child - so he was raised by his aunt Domitia Lepida for a while, mother of emperor Claudius' wife and married to several aristocrats, the whole family having close ties to the imperial dynasty. You can't get much more high-status than that, except for being literally the son of an emperor.
@@varana as he was growing up, he didn't necessarily have the full lavish lifestyle of a real nobel. Suetonius said he was taught by a barber and a dancer before he eventually taken in by Seneca.
@@ragnkja that’s what writers would call “cover.” As in: if Nero or his supporters ever accused you of making fun of him, you have enough differences to say it’s merely coincidental and not being worthy of being tortured to death.
I'm literally in tears laughing over "Gaius Petronius, the Tim Gunn of ancient Rome.". I desperately need to know how to say "I'm concerned" and "make it work" in Latin.
*Important Guest comes to the Palace * The Romans : "Oh Yess...Serve forth the Honey Glazed Flamingo with a Doormouse stuffed in it" Note:- How could you willingly eat a honey glazed Doormouse...its so cute!
Not only does Tasting History teach me history, but it also teaches me so much about words, language, and even differences in weight systems! This is the kind of in-depth history nerd stuff I love to read about. Speaking of, Max, you touched on it in a recent video, but reading about Roman coinage is fascinating. All the names, changing coins as emperors got declared and died (often killed!), their efforts to change the coins valuation (usually by devaluing it by minting a LOT), etc. Its just a good old nerdy read.
I just want to give you some encouragement. I came across your videos a few months back and I've now watched them all - totally worth the binge. I saw how you recently left disney and I can tell you that I think you have trained your whole life to be right here right now where you are. What you do is inspiring, wholesome, informative and good in every imaginable way. Thank you for the entertainment.
Trimalchio, the Minnie Pearl of Ancient Rome. Cracked me up hearing about his feast with cost of his silver platters etc displayed. Also, when you were making the “stuffing” I kept thinking about dough laying on every horizontal surface drying and what a patient person Jose must be!
I have to wonder if the feasts given by Roman and Medieval nobility became a game of one upping each other by serving the most extravagant dishes they could think of.
I would guess yes, absolutely. It seems like a very human thing to do. I know later in society, when balls were a thing, people loved to throw ever more extravagant ones
Taking that stuffing out entirely after the pig is done, and flambeeing it with cognac and maybe a cup of heavy cream and a cup of drippings/water would probably make for an amazing gravy/sauce as the tracta would work as thickener.
I can't tell you how excited I got when I saw Trimalchio. The Satyricon is a wild ride. Also, if you're looking to cook dormice without actually cooking mice, use chicken.
Oh man, I make romanian plăcintă all the time, it's one of my favorite fried foods honestly. We make it with just cheese (usually meunster or brick), and dill, and it's absolutely delicious. Glad my great grandma brought that on the boat with her. ;D
I love your vocabulary. You give adults a clear understanding of what you are talking about but most, if not all of those words will go right over a kid's head.
We had to read the Satyricon in high school and I just wasn't ready for it. However, I have a fondness for the character of Petronius thanks to his portrayal by Leo Genn in "Quo Vadis". He and Peter Ustinov's Nero have some the the best scenes, both funny and horrifying, in the movie.
When I heard "panniers of olives", my costume-history-loving brain imagined 17th century women smuggling olives by using the panniers or the hoops in their skirts ahhhh 😂 But omg thank you for your videos! 💕 They are so educational and fun!
2:25 Max, you missed the opportunity to point out that the word ounce has to do with twelfths and dozens and that the Roman libra is the correct one. 😂👍🏼
As a Roman I read recipes from ancient Rome. They looked complicated in preparation with weird ingredients: honey and fermented anchovies, sweet wine and spices. Many herbs they use to me were unknown.
What the hell, this channel just came back into my recommended page. Last time I saw it it had 15k subs, and I though the videos were quite good. Bro, good on you. Seriously. I am shocked how well you’ve done.
Yes, I've read the whole Satyricon (technically it's a Menippean satire) in Latin. Try it, you'll like it. Among other things it gives us an idea of Roman vernacular - how Romans talked. They didn't all sound like Cicero. This is another terrific post, thank you! Your definition and recipe for tractum is absolutely correct, but any modern Italian would recognize the result as plain, old pasta (flour + water). It's not "egg pasta," but it is the kind of stuff you find on the shelves of the grocery store as noodles for lasagne. It's exactly the same. That also explains where the moisture went, the pasta absorbed it. Many thank! - Allan
The stuffed dormice were a huge favorite on Saturnalia! Every year I celebrate by teaching my Latin students how to make them... out of Oreos and candy XD. Not sure Apicius would approve, but the modern palate sure does.
You know the meme "Guile's theme goes with everything"? Got a new one. Everytime I mess up while cooking I look towards the "audience" and say "yep... But imagine what ancient cooks had to go through. This time on tasting history!"
For anyone unfamiliar with Rome Total War.... It's one of the best games ever made. Very pleasant surprise to see it sponsoring one of my favorite channels.
Yay, an episode on the “cena trimalchionis”. I picked this book for my final Latin exam in high school. I mean, why choose some dry text about philosophy, religion, or warfare if you can study a funny, slightly raunchy and totally over the top adventure story with a big feast as the focal point. Keep up the good work with the amazing food and well researched history and I hope they start giving you a discount for all the suckling pigs you’re buying.
I have a suggestion for a substitute for dormouse should you choose to be that adventurous. Dormouse may not be available, however as far as I know you can get the Peruvian staple, cavy. Better known as the common guinea pig. Most people see them as fluffy adorable pets, but in Peru guinea pigs - or "cuy" as they are known locally - are a delicacy.
In case you're wondering, from my understanding ingredients marked with a specificity like that are usually because at the time they would have been Expensive As F***. The stuff that wasn't too relatively expensive had leeway, but stuff like peppercorns and cloves, someone in charge of the household finances was monitoring that monetary cost.
