Picnic Romana
Summer…warm weather, pleasant views, and a wonderful chance to enjoy picnics. When dreaming of Rome, why not do what the Romans did ? With that idea in mind, I offer the idea of an authentic Roman picnic.
There are basically four ingredients to a summer Roman picnic: bread, cheese, wine, and fresh fruit. In my opinion, there are also two ways to plan said picnic. One can cheat or spend a bit of time making your whole picnic on its own. Below, I include both methods.
Cheese
To cheat: run to the grocery store and pick up a selection of favorite cheeses. To be authentic: Remember that the ancient Romans used only goat cheese and head to every gormet store in the area looking for Tuscan cheeses.
Bread
Choose some nice crispy white bread. To cheat: run to the store, grab a loaf of Italian or a bag of rolls. Serve with some nice butter. To be authentic: do the cheat method, but serve with olive oil. Only barbarians used butter.
Fruit
The cheat method and the authentic methods are pretty much the same here. Romans loved fruit of all sorts, so as long as your stay away from the more exotic fruits, you’re being authentic. Melons were popular, apricots were aphrodisiacs, and apples were quite tempting.
Wine
There’s no way that a Roman picnic can be complete without wine. A nice red would would be the most authentic choice. I recommend anything from Tuscany, although people in the latter Empire could and did enjoy French wines. Just remember that if you’re using a box of wine, keep it in the picnic basket.
Accessories
The ancient Romans probably used baskets to carry their supplies, so use any basket that can be found around the house. Raid the garden shed or use one of the children’s Easter baskets. Dishes were either wood or pottery. Anything made of terracotta would work quite well. Romans used forks for serving, so no eating meat with your hands unless you want to be mistaken for a barbarian.
When trying to be in Rome, dress like the ancient Romans. I suggest looking here if you want to make your own costumes or here if you want to buy something. Major pattern manufactors also have Roman costumes. A nice linen material would be cool, comfortable, and appropriate.
Perhaps you’d prefer something grander than bread, cheese, fruit, and wine. In which case, I have sites below with recipies. Try any of them and feel free to mix and match. Enjoy and remember to have fun.
Hoods Need Help
There are many Roman neighborhoods in need of builders. It would only take a day to do some cutting and pasting, so contact Laurels. You’ll get a nifty plaque for your homesite and do a great deal of good. It only takes a day. Why not give back to the community and show what a difference a day makes?
Do you have any news and it's not listed here? Even my cats can't communicate with me via telepathy. Since not even the infamous Feline Mind Meld works, you'll just have to contact me if you want your information in.
Not the Missing Link:
Jewelry helps scientists ? No, I’m not talking about that gorgeous necklace from Titantic. A Roman brooch has led to some discoveries about Hadrian’s Wall and the men who built it.
Roleplay Tip:
One’s character doesn’t always get along with other characters. There have to be times when you want to give others a piece of your mind or let them know how wonderful they are. So, do it the Roman way. Just don’t use the top phrases around your parents or AW PG groups.
