Moretum, Herbed Cheese Spread
A creamy and pungent paste of fresh cheese pounded in a mortar with garlic, salt, green herbs, and a drizzle of olive oil and vinegar. Spread on warm bread, it was Rome's universal snack.
A creamy and pungent paste of fresh cheese pounded in a mortar with garlic, salt, green herbs, and a drizzle of olive oil and vinegar. Spread on warm bread, it was Rome's universal snack.
Before the sun clears the walls of Antioch, I myself grind in the mortar the garlic, cheese, and fresh herbs — a little salt, a drizzle of oil, and it is done. My peasant fathers in Cyrrhus ate it thus, and I have never found a better support for the stomach for one who must, at dawn, review his cohorts. Strength comes from simple things, believe a soldier.
- •Fresh ewe's milk cheese — a good piece (base)
- •Garlic — a few cloves (pungency)
- •Coriander, rue, celery, green herbs — a handful (freshness)
- •Salt — to taste (seasoning)
- •Olive oil — a drizzle (binder)
- •Vinegar — a few drops (lift)
Moretum, Herbed Cheese Spread
A creamy and pungent paste of fresh cheese pounded in a mortar with garlic, salt, green herbs, and a drizzle of olive oil and vinegar. Spread on warm bread, it was Rome's universal snack.
Why this dish? An everyday dish for every Roman, from peasant to officer, moretum was spread on bread at daybreak. Cassius, a man of harsh discipline, appreciated this simple, fortifying food that did not slow the army.
Before the sun clears the walls of Antioch, I myself grind in the mortar the garlic, cheese, and fresh herbs — a little salt, a drizzle of oil, and it is done. My peasant fathers in Cyrrhus ate it thus, and I have never found a better support for the stomach for one who must, at dawn, review his cohorts. Strength comes from simple things, believe a soldier.
Ingredients (period version)
- Fresh ewe's milk cheese — a good piece (base)
- Garlic — a few cloves (pungency)
- Coriander, rue, celery, green herbs — a handful (freshness)
- Salt — to taste (seasoning)
- Olive oil — a drizzle (binder)
- Vinegar — a few drops (lift)
Ingredients
- Fresh sheep's milk cheese (or ricotta + feta) — 200 g (base)
- Garlic — 1 to 2 cloves (pungency)
- Fresh coriander and tender celery stalks — 1 handful (freshness)
- Salt — 1 pinch (seasoning)
- Olive oil — 2 tablespoons (binder)
- Wine vinegar — 1 teaspoon (lift)
- Country bread — as needed (support)
Method
- Pound the garlic with salt in a mortar until it forms a paste.
- Add the cheese and mash to combine.
- Incorporate the chopped herbs.
- Emulsify by drizzling in the olive oil, then the vinegar, working until a homogeneous paste forms.
- Spread generously on warm bread.
How it was made : The moretum is so emblematic that an entire Latin poem (the *Moretum*, attributed to Virgil's circle) describes its preparation, step by step, in the kitchen of a humble peasant. It was always ground in a mortar — hence its name.
The contemporary twist : Served as a quenelle on a slate board with breadsticks, moretum becomes a chic Mediterranean appetizer, a Roman version of cheese pesto.
Avidius Cassius · Charactorium