Some extracts survive from Greek culinary writers such as Glaucus of Locris, Mithaecus, Heraclidus, Hegesippus, Eristratus and Euthydemus. It seems that the main man on the issue of Greek cookery, however, was one Archestratus who lived in the fourth century BC who wrote a book entitled 'The Luxurious way of Living'. One recipe of which reads, "When roasting a fish caught in the sea, be certain to season it with cumin, be sparing of salt and add nothing but some sea-green olive oil and whatever fragrant herbs the garden yields. Take special care of the heat of the flame so that the flesh does not burn before it reaches the plate".

The Spartans, it seems, ate their own infamous black broth which was apparently made from pork stock, vinegar and salt (which sounds utterly revolting). I don't know if this was reserved for the military but no doubt the kings and upper echelons of society had another form of sustenance.

It seems that the Athenians did get a taste for the high life in the fourth century BC and started to eat such delicacies as peacock eggs, pigs that had died from over-eating and geese fed on moistened grain. And then in the third century BC the Athenians developed a novel way of eating. "For the cook set before you a large tray on which are five small plates. One of these holds garlic, another a pair of sea urchins, another a sweet wine sop, another ten cockles, the last a small piece of sturgeon. While I am eating this, another is eating that; and while he is eating that, I have made away with this. What I want, good sir, is both the one and the other, but my wish is impossible. For I have neither five mouths nor five hands. Such a layout as that seems to offer such variety but is nothing at all to satisfy the belly." (Athenaeus IV, 132).

The diet of the poor was not so good. Alexis of Thurii (fourth century BC) reports that one family lived off of pulses, turnips, iris rhizomes, beechnut, lupin seeds, grasshoper's, wild pears and dried figs.




Taken from Food in History by Reay Tannahill (1973)