Ovid at the table

The main meal for wealthy Romans, taken in the late afternoon while reclining on couches around the table. It begins with the gustatio (savory appetizers and honeyed wine), continues with the mensae primae (main courses: meats, fish, legumes), and ends with the mensae secundae (fruits and honey sweets). Alongside it are the ientaculum (frugal breakfast) and the prandium (quick midday snack).

Fermented fish brine, ubiquitous on Roman tables: it provided the famous savory umami taste that was poured over almost everything, from bean dishes to roast fish. It is the culinary signature of Ovid's era.