The main Roman meal, the cena, is taken in the late afternoon, reclining on couches around a low table. It opens with the gustatio (savory appetizers, eggs, olives, fresh cheese), continues with the mensa prima (the main courses: cereal porridges, vegetables, fish or meats depending on rank), and ends with the mensa secunda (fruits, dates, honey sweets). Alongside the meal are the hearth rites — offerings to the Lares — and everyday drinks like posca. At the court of Antoninus, known for his sobriety, all this remained simple and moderate.

A fermented fish sauce ubiquitous in Roman cooking, garum is salty and provides that deep umami flavor that almost everywhere replaces salt. A single drop is enough to transform a porridge or a cheese. It is the continuous bass line of every Roman table, from the street stall to the imperial palace.