Nine Absolutely Disgusting Ancient Foods Our Ancestors Enjoyed

Cooking is an integral aspect of one’s culture. The meals enjoyed in various communities in ancient times have evolved throughout history to become the foods we know and love today. In fact, many of the foods our ancestors ate, even though they were enjoyed at the time, were considered absolutely disgusting today. Here are some of the most awful meals enjoyed by those who came before us.

1. Flamingo tongue

Most of us would hesitate to eat a flamingo in the first place. But our ancestors had a different idea. Flamingos, along with other birds, including chickens, ducks, peacocks, ostriches, and even parrots, were enjoyed as a meal in ancient times. The tongue was considered a delicacy. Only those with considerable wealth could eat a flamingo tongue, so eating this meal was rare for most people.

Eating flamingo tongues may seem like a disgusting ancient food, but in ancient Rome it was a status symbol.(Cuatrock77/ CC BY SA 2.0 )

2. Garm

Garum was a popular fermented fish sauce in ancient Rome. The Romans combined fish intestines, blood, vinegar, honey, herbs and spices and let this concoction ferment in the sun for months. , this sauce was actually quite expensive as it takes a long time to make. It was also difficult to find because the sauce had a strong odor during fermentation and was only allowed to be made outside the city.

Garum is a type of fermented fish sauce that bears no resemblance to Vietnamese fish sauce or Italian anchovy sauce. Fanfo / adobe stock)

3. Sow Uterus

Pork belly is a common dish today, but for centuries the sow’s womb was an afterthought. Sow uterus was a popular delicacy made from sow belly and udder. The meat is prepared by seasoning it with laser root, vinegar, broth, honey, celery seed, pepper and mint before grilling. Some people even layer all the meats and use it to make larger dishes containing fish and poultry.

Offal over the years – Today, pork belly and tripe are relatively common, but sow uterus is no longer considered a delicacy. public domain )

4. Stuffed Dormouse

The ancient Romans often had a dormouse problem. A solution? Let’s pack and eat! The dormouse was caught at home, fattened by eating nuts and acorns, and then killed for food. It is then stuffed with meat, nuts and herbs before being fully roasted. Most of us may not have thought we ate rodents, but it seems that the ancient Romans thought rodents were delicious.

Another disgusting ancient food – The ancient Romans would catch dormouse, put it in a jar and fatten it up before eating it. public domain ; Right: Viscondedeportoseguro / CC BY SA 4.0 )

5. Live Bird Pies

Yes you read that right. Some ancient recipes are notable for including live animals. However, live animals are not actually consumed in cooking. For live bird pies, place the pie with a large domed crust on top and stuff the live bird underneath. The idea is that when the crust is cut, the birds pop out in a huge spectacle. ) is not a particularly healthy idea.

6. Apician Jelly

If you’ve ever heard of Aspic, you know something about this horror. One of his favorite foods of ancient Rome was Apician jelly. Apician jelly is a savory jelly made with chicken, lamb, nuts, raisins, shallots, pickles, vinegar, oil, and herbs. Use the meat to make a delicious soup and mix other ingredients into it. This concoction is then left in the snow for several days to solidify into a jelly. Dig it up and serve with goat cheese and dressing.

Roman feasts included disgusting ancient foods that we turn our noses up to today. late 19th century painting by Roberto Bompiani ( public domain )

7. Poop wine

Perhaps one of the humblest things on this list, tonsul is a medicated rice wine made from feces. Tongsul was traditionally made and used medicinally in Korea centuries ago. People who still believe in the power of tonsil claim that it can heal bruises, cuts, broken bones, and even epilepsy. It is made by mixing it with water and fermenting it with rice and yeast.

Tongsul may be the most disgusting ancient food on this list – fermented dung “wine” ( public domain )

8. Rose pie

The name rose pie, also known as “patina de rosis”, is misleading. It was made of brains. The brains are cooked, creamed into a paste, and baked again to a thicker consistency before filling the entire pie. Scatter on top to decorate.

9. Lungs in milk

Humans have been eating all kinds of organs for years, but what about lungs? In ancient times, some people ate animal lungs as a special diet. Moisten the lungs by soaking them in milk to remove strong odors from the tissue. It is then stuffed with ingredients such as eggs, honey, salt and various herbs for flavor. Seasoned and stuffed lungs are boiled and cooked before being sliced ​​and served.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sFjWmOtReAg

I only eat sandwiches, thank you

Evidently, meal times have never been as appetizing as they are today. Luckily, many of these recipes are no longer in circulation, so you won’t have to worry about being served stuffed dormouse the next time you eat out. , remember that it could be worse.

Above: Take “brain food” literally – baked brains with roasted roses, another disgusting ancient food sauce: Pictures of Dubnitskaya / adobe stock

Rex Lee