J - 183 : What did the Etruscans Eat?

hbanziger
3 hours ago
3 min read

The contemporary Umbrian Cuisine is more diversified than Etruscan Food who consisted mainly of Stews, Pot au Feu, Soups and all types of Porridges

Putting menu plans and wine lists together for our summer sailing is one of my preferred activities. Fabulous Italian dishes come to my mind like Spaghetti Vongole, Parmigiano Melanzzane, Safran Risotto, Tomato Salade with Basil, Verdure Grigliate, Bruschetta, all sorts of sea food and delicious cold cuts. Italy’s mediterranean cuisine is a favorite of mine and almost every one else of my co-sailors (some unfortunate people have dietary restrictions). We will eat well and healthy, buying fish from the fishermen on the sea and fresh vegetables in the local markets on shore.

Italy had wild olives 5'000 years ago but the systematic Cultivation of Olives arrived only with the Phoenician and Greeks around 900 BC - the first Traces were found in Sicily

Etruscan sailors 3’000 years ago did not have such splendid choices. Their diet was different, more limited. Olives and wine reached Italy only in the 9^th century BC when Phoenician and Greek explorers reached Italy’s shores, pasta and rice came from the China via silk road and Indian Ocean. Eggplants, fennel and spinach were introduced by Arabs in the 10^th century. Tomatoes, peppers, corn (polenta) and zucchini arrived from Latin America in the 16^th century. These “foreign” plants tell us how well Italy was integrated Italy in the world economy. The merchants from East and West did not only bring their precious goods, they also brought their food.

Etruscan People would immediately recognize this Umbrian Fava Bean Stew (except for the Tomatos and the Peppers)

What did the early Etruscans then eat? The very people Greek explorers called the “scoundrels of the sea”? Etruscan’s did not write cook books. It was a time prior to books. Homer started writing down the Ilias around 800 BC. The art of cooking was transferred verbally from generation to generation. Ships and homes were built this way – it was an efficient method, a verbal tradition. We have some insight into Etruscan cooking thought from Etruscan tombs. Utensils and wall paintings give us clues about daily Etruscan life. Also, several traditions survived the ages and made it into the Umbrian cuisine, the Etruscan’s heartland in Italy.

These Cooking Utensils survived in an Etruscan Tomb - Cooking Ware for Stews and Soups

The building blocks of the Etruscan cuisine were stews, soups and porridge. Ember, wheat, spelt and barley had arrived millennia earlier with the first farmers from Anatolia. So did cattle, sheep, goats, pigs and chicken. Since the Italian peninsula was heavily forested at the time, game complemented the cuisine.

Roasted Pigs and Cattle were usually served at communal religious Feasts

The consumption of meat was limited to religious festivals. There was not enough for daily consumption. Producing meat required a lot of land and competed with other food production. Tuscan hill tops and mountains were not cleared from forests yet – this was centuries into the future - the dairy economy would develop in the Middle Ages – Parmigiano cheese is the best example. Etruscan sta[;e food were thus carbs and vegetable proteins cooked in animal fat (mainly from boiling bones). As I know from Le Botaniste, plant-based food is delicious and nutritious. Once you know how to use local herbs, it is easy. Etruscans used Rosemary, Bay Leaves, Parsely, Garlic, Thyme, Oregano and Marjoram. Basil, pepper and Peppers are later additions to the Umbrian range of herbs.

This Umbrian Lentil Soup with Carrots would also have been recognized by Etruscan People

Time to introduce some of the Etruscan stews:

This Slow-cooked Wild Boar Stew is cooked on low Heat for 48 Hours with Celery, Carrots, a few Prunes and chopped Parsley. On this Photo it is served with Polenta which the Etruscans did not know. They would have used Barley or Wheat Gruel

The Umbrian Vegetable Soup has also Etruscan Roots. Made from Onions, Celery, Carrots and Green Beans. Spinach (from Persia), Tomatoes and Potatos (from Latin America) though are later Additions to this Vegetable Soup. Etruscans often added hard, old Bread to their Soups, a tradition that survived in the Tuscan Ribollita Soup

The Black Chickpea Soup which recently became famous in New Yorks Restaurants is made from Boiling Chicken or Cattle Bones (the Base of all Stews), Black Chickpeas and Chard