The main meal of a wealthy Roman is structured in three stages: the *gustatio* (appetizers of eggs, olives, and salted fish), the *cena* proper served in several *mensae* (courses of meat, fish, legumes), and then the *mensa secunda*, a sweet course featuring fruits, cakes, and honeyed wine. Throughout, the drink — wine diluted with water, *mulsum*, or the soldier's rough *posca* — accompanies the meal. The hearth opens the day with a humble porridge, and honors the household gods with a cake placed on the altar.

A fermented fish sauce, salty and deeply umami, garum is the hidden soul of Roman cuisine: a few drops are slipped into almost everything, from the humblest dish to banquet fare, much as we today use salt and soy sauce combined.