Tuesday 18 January 2011

Ancient Food Poetry

What else still exists from 500 BC? Not a lot but this does...


To roast some beef, to carve a joint with neatness,
To boil up sauces, and to blow the fire,
Is anybody's task; he who does this
Is but a seasoner and broth-maker;
A cook is quite another thing. His mind
Must comprehend all facts and circumstances;
Where is the place, and what the time of supper;
Who are the guests, and who the entertainer;
What fish he ought to buy and where to buy it.


Quoted by Athenaeus
From Dionysius

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