# For a week I want to eat a 'common man' diet from any place and era... **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 12, 2011, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-a-week-i-want-to-eat-a-common-man-diet-from-any-place-and-era/571088 "2011-02-12T01:06:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Motorgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e36b37/32.png) [@Motorgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Motorgirl)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2011, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-a-week-i-want-to-eat-a-common-man-diet-from-any-place-and-era/571088/41 "2011-02-13T20:19:22Z")
> [@Two\_Many\_Cats](#): > > Dammit! How come you Brits always get the best shows??!!! No kidding. I can’t find this show available in the US from any source I can think of. Not Netflix, Amazon, iTunes. :mad: ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2011, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-a-week-i-want-to-eat-a-common-man-diet-from-any-place-and-era/571088/42 "2011-02-13T21:38:38Z")
Well, for simplicity’s sake, there is an old nursery rhyme which describes a rather bland peasant diet. _Peas Porridge Hot Peas Porridge Cold Peas Porridge in the pot Nine days old_ 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Righteous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Dr.Righteous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Righteous)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2011, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-a-week-i-want-to-eat-a-common-man-diet-from-any-place-and-era/571088/43 "2011-02-15T15:47:03Z")
I just read about a book company you might be interested in: “[Poison Pen Press](http://www.poisonpenpress.com/)sells books, specializing in medieval cookery, costuming, and other material relating to the domestic aspects of the Middle Ages and Renaissance.” ---
**Author:** ![Quercus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/7ab992/32.png) [@Quercus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quercus)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2011, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-a-week-i-want-to-eat-a-common-man-diet-from-any-place-and-era/571088/44 "2011-02-15T17:01:16Z")
> [@Sitnam](#): > > -Biscuits were common too, the iron ration offering similar to hardtack…I’m not going anywhere near it. From experience that crap has the taste and consistency of cinder blocks. I assume that the hardtack would be crumbled (with a hammer if necessary) into the porridge, the lentil soup, or even the wine if no other flavored liquids were available, right? > [@MrDibble](#): > > I see the usual SCA sites have already been mentioned. Just to add a couple tings > In addition to the rations you already listed, don’t forget [condiments](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garum). Essential to real Roman cuisine - they even put it in desserts. Thai/Vietnamese fish sauce is an OK substitute. Or Worcestershire sauce, possibly. > [@MrDibble](#): > > Plus there are lots of herbs and the like that grow throughout the world. Why would food have to be bland when a handful of savoury, sage or thyme could be had for nothing in the woods or from any garden? Right, if you’re talking about a legionary in garrison, I’m sure they’d spend some of their time gathering wild onions or garlic, or even growing some in the camp. ---
**Author:** ![a35362](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3da27b/32.png) [@a35362](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/a35362)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2011, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-a-week-i-want-to-eat-a-common-man-diet-from-any-place-and-era/571088/45 "2011-02-15T17:29:01Z")
Bread, cheese, apples and beer or wine. Maybe some bacon once in a while, or oysters, or an onion. Oh, and potatoes of course. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2011, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-a-week-i-want-to-eat-a-common-man-diet-from-any-place-and-era/571088/46 "2011-02-15T18:38:21Z")
> [@Sitnam](#): > > -Biscuits were common too, the iron ration offering similar to hardtack…I’m not going anywhere near it. From experience that crap has the taste and consistency of cinder blocks.. Modern hardtack aka pilot biscuits is not so bad, somewhat balnd, but not all that hard. In fact, I sorta like it. There are several sources on line. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2011, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-a-week-i-want-to-eat-a-common-man-diet-from-any-place-and-era/571088/47 "2011-02-15T20:29:08Z")
Look up some pre-Famine Irish potato recipes? Their diet consisted mostly of potatoes and buttermilk. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2011, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-a-week-i-want-to-eat-a-common-man-diet-from-any-place-and-era/571088/48 "2011-02-15T22:32:23Z")
The Frugal Gourmet did an excellent series on immigrant ancestors food. used copies are a couple bucks. There’s some really old, old recipes in this book. > **[The Frugal Gourmet on Our Immigrant Ancestors: Recipes You Should Have Gotten...](https://www.amazon.com/Frugal-Gourmet-Our-Immigrant-Ancestors/dp/0688075908)** > > The Frugal Gourmet on Our Immigrant Ancestors: Recipes You Should Have Gotten from Your Grandmother \[Smith, Jeff\] on Amazon.com. \*FREE\* shipping on qualifying offers. The Frugal Gourmet on Our Immigrant Ancestors: Recipes You Should Have Gotten from... > [@](#): > > Television’s well-known Frugal Gourmet presents a collection of authentic recipes brought to the United States from around the world, including dishes from Mexico, Italy, France, Germany, Spain, Sweden, the Middle East, Asia, and others. Reprint. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title. You want to try ancient food from Rome, Greece or China? This guy tracked down and tested 2000 year old recipes. Couple bucks for used copies > **[The Frugal Gourmet Cooks Three Ancient Cuisines: China, Greece, and Rome: Smith,...](https://www.amazon.com/Frugal-Gourmet-Cooks-Ancient-Cuisines/dp/0688075894)** > > The Frugal Gourmet Cooks Three Ancient Cuisines: China, Greece, and Rome \[Smith, Jeff\] on Amazon.com. \*FREE\* shipping on qualifying offers. The Frugal Gourmet Cooks Three Ancient Cuisines: China, Greece, and Rome ---
**Author:** ![Enderw24](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ba9def/32.png) [@Enderw24](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enderw24)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2011, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-a-week-i-want-to-eat-a-common-man-diet-from-any-place-and-era/571088/49 "2011-02-15T22:52:13Z")
> [@Cyros](#): > > So, you are saying that you find a 4-5ft lobster hard to swallow? The tales of it, yes. ---
**Author:** ![drastic\_quench](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e36b37/32.png) [@drastic\_quench](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drastic_quench)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2011, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-a-week-i-want-to-eat-a-common-man-diet-from-any-place-and-era/571088/50 "2011-02-15T23:39:37Z")
> [@Enderw24](#): > > The tales of it, yes. The claws, on the other hand, were delicious. /groucho ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2011, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-a-week-i-want-to-eat-a-common-man-diet-from-any-place-and-era/571088/51 "2011-02-16T03:31:36Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > The Frugal Gourmet did an excellent series on immigrant ancestors food. > used copies are a couple bucks. There’s some really old, old recipes in this book. > [The Frugal Gourmet on Our Immigrant Ancestors: Recipes You Should Have Gotten from Your Grandmother: Smith, Jeff: 9780688075903: Amazon.com: Books](http://www.amazon.com/Frugal-Gourmet-Our-Immigrant-Ancestors/dp/0688075908/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1297808766&sr=1-2) > You want to try ancient food from Rome, Greece or China? This guy tracked down and tested 2000 year old recipes. Couple bucks for used copies > [The Frugal Gourmet Cooks Three Ancient Cuisines: China, Greece, and Rome: Smith, Jeff: 9780688075897: Amazon.com: Books](http://www.amazon.com/Frugal-Gourmet-Cooks-Ancient-Cuisines/dp/0688075894/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1297808766&sr=1-3) Freaking hell no - I made a list of every error in the book, and it ran to over 100. I wrote them up, included references to why it was wrong and added a polite cover letter and never heard back from the publisher. If you really want roman recipes, get the [Apicius](http://www.amazon.com/Apicius-Roman-Cookery-Book-Hardcover/dp/B000SC6O96/ref=sr_1_25?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1297827019&sr=1-25) with the translation by Flowers and Rosenbaum. The Vehling sucks [which is the more common reprint to find in the US, Dover did a reprint of it.] ---
**Author:** ![MizTina](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MizTina](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MizTina)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2011, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-a-week-i-want-to-eat-a-common-man-diet-from-any-place-and-era/571088/52 "2011-02-17T20:26:15Z")
You should be able to find salt pork at your local grocery store. It can be used as a seasoning, but if you slice it up, including the skin, you can fry it up just like bacon. It will be very salty at first, but it rapidly becomes addicting. Way back when, our family had fried salt pork for breakfast mostly every day. My granddad would sometimes make a gravy out of the remaining fat and serve it over grits or toast. That is the one meat that I truly miss since going vegan. ---
**Author:** ![Reno\_Nevada](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Reno\_Nevada](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reno_Nevada)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2011, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-a-week-i-want-to-eat-a-common-man-diet-from-any-place-and-era/571088/53 "2011-02-17T23:45:56Z")
> [@a35362](#): > > Oh, and potatoes of course. Potatoes are New World, and so not in European cuisines before 1500. ---
**Author:** ![a35362](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3da27b/32.png) [@a35362](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/a35362)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2011, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-a-week-i-want-to-eat-a-common-man-diet-from-any-place-and-era/571088/54 "2011-02-18T00:24:03Z")
> [@Reno\_Nevada](#): > > Potatoes are New World, and so not in European cuisines before 1500. Yes, that occurred to me about ten minutes after I posted. :smack: 😛 They must have had some kind of root vegetables, though – carrots, turnips, parsnips? I should have mentioned fish as well as oysters, and also eggs. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2011, 11:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-a-week-i-want-to-eat-a-common-man-diet-from-any-place-and-era/571088/55 "2011-02-18T11:46:29Z")
> [@Quercus](#): > > Or Worcestershire sauce, possibly. Naah, that has other crap like tamarind, soy and the like. _Garum_, and the similar Asian fish sauces like _nam pla_, should be basically just fish and salt. It’s OK to add herbs & spices, vinegar, wine, verjus, oil or honey( but then you’re into the “dash-garums”,) but too many other strong _umami_ tastes are going to completely cover the essential fishiness of _garum_, rendering the exercise of attempting a Roman recreation moot. Believe me, there’ll be a strong difference between peaches with honey, cumin and fish sauce, and peaches with honey, cumin and Worcestershire sauce. Of course, you can still get the real thing today, [if you know what to call it](http://www.deliciousitaly.com/guide/south-italy-regions/guide-naples-campania/campania-food-and-wine/item/120-colatura-di-alici.html) > [@](#): > > Right, if you’re talking about a legionary in garrison, I’m sure they’d spend some of their time gathering wild onions or garlic, or even growing some in the camp. No, that would be silly, that’s what the \*[calones](http://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/secondary/SMIGRA*/Calones.html)\*are for. Two to every [8 soldiers.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Contubernium) ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2011, 11:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-a-week-i-want-to-eat-a-common-man-diet-from-any-place-and-era/571088/56 "2011-02-18T11:56:42Z")
> [@a35362](#): > > Yes, that occurred to me about ten minutes after I posted. :smack: 😛 They must have had some kind of root vegetables, though – carrots, turnips, parsnips? All of those, also celeriac & beets of all sorts. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-a-week-i-want-to-eat-a-common-man-diet-from-any-place-and-era/571088.md?page=2)