Ancient Rome · Italy
Moretum (Herbed Cheese Spread)
From De Re Coquinaria · Apicius · 1
Verified from original source
A pungent green cheese paste eaten with bread — the working Roman's lunch.
History
Moretum is an ancient Roman herbed cheese spread described in the poem 'Moretum' (attributed to Virgil) and referenced in Roman culinary texts. It combined fresh cheese (likely sheep's or goat's milk) with garlic, herbs (celery seed, rue, coriander), vinegar, and olive oil, pounded together in a mortar. This rustic peasant food provided protein and flavor for agricultural workers, typically eaten with bread. The recipe appears in manuscripts of Apicius's De Re Coquinaria. Modern pesto bears resemblance to moretum in technique and concept, though ingredients differ significantly.
Sources
- Apicius, De Re Coquinaria (various medieval manuscripts, circa 4th-5th century CE)
- The Poems of Virgil (Moretum), translated by various scholars
- Giacosa, Ilaria. A Taste of Ancient Rome. 1992
- Grainger, Sally. Cooking Apicius: Roman Recipes for Today. 2006
- Dalby, Andrew and Grainger, Sally. The Classical Cookbook. 1996
Serves
4
Prep
15m
Cook
0m
Difficulty
Medium
Ingredients
- · 200g pecorino or feta cheese
- · 3 cloves garlic
- · 1 large bunch fresh herbs (parsley, coriander, celery leaf)
- · 2 tbsp olive oil
- · 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
- · Salt and black pepper to taste
Method
- 1
Crush the garlic with a little salt in a mortar until smooth.
- 2
Add the herbs and pound until bruised and fragrant.
- 3
Crumble in the cheese and pound to a rough paste.
- 4
Work in the olive oil and vinegar to a spreadable consistency.
- 5
Season and serve on toasted flatbread.
