Un uovo a fare da decorazione di un dolce pasquale italiano acquista senso una volta che capiamo cosa rappresenta: è il simbolo della resurrezione di Gesù Cristo. Ma la rappresentazione di un uovo come simbolo della resurrezione non è cominciata con la chiesa cristiana, o con le generazioni di panificatori del Mezzogiorno: tutto è cominciato in Etruria.
In North American or northern European settings, those who observe Easter will feast with friends and family on the evening of Easter Sunday, following a long Lenten fast. And this is generally when the festivities and Easter contemplations end. Not in Italy, however. On Easter Monday, it’s as if they have chosen to celebrate the resurrection of Christ one more time, breaking out Cuddura di Pasqua yet again after the dawn of this new day.
On 27 June, the Archaeological Park of Pompeii announced that a new fresco depicting a focaccia (an Italian flatbread) had been discovered. In recent years, the site has begun excavating previously unexplored areas of the once bustling town that was buried during the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 CE.
La scoperta dell’anello di pane carbonizzato a Pompeii ci lascia con molte domande senza risposta, ma un archeologo culinario ha rintracciato le sue radici e identificato la ‘ciambella’ di Pompeii.
Be the first in your insula to own a Signaculum 79 bread stamp today and tell that pesky pistor where to stick that loaf of spelt!
In A.D. 79 the eruption of Mount Vesuvius buried the Roman cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum in ash and pumice, and carbonized many of their organic contents—including the bread in Pompeii’s bakeries. Farrell Monaco, a culinary archaeologist, researched one popular bread’s history and has re-created the recipe.
Una pestilenza sta prendendo la nostra terra. Gli dei sono incazzati. È tempo di prendere in mano questa situazione con un antico sacrificio greco. Vattene, pestilenza, vattene!
Eat like a first-century Roman, using recent archaeological discoveries as your guide.
Follow food archaeologist Farrell Monaco as she prepares a simple yet delicious dish of dates and shares a brief history of this ancient treat.
Farrell Monaco and Raffaele Cirillo of Tavola Mediterranea bring the archeology, imagery, customs, and flavours of Ancient Rome to the modern table via publishing, public education, immersive experiences and culinary master class events in Italy, the UK and the USA.
Una pestilenza sta invadendo la nostra terra. È l’ora di prendere il controllo, come gli antichi romani, con una tavoletta di maledizione che fa appello non solo agli dei ma anche ai nostri golosi!
A pestilence is sweeping our land. It’s time to take the bull by the horns, Roman-style, with a gingerbread curse tablet that appeals not only to the gods but to your sweet tooth as well.
About the author:
Farrell Monaco is an award-winning Classical archaeologist and food-writer whose research centers on food, food preparation, and bread in the Roman Mediterranean. She writes regularly on the role of food and food preparation in Roman daily life on her site, Tavola Mediterranea, and publishes in both English and Italian. Farrell has also written exclusively for Atlas Obscura and BBC Travel. Her work has been featured prominently by National Geographic, Popular Science, The Atlantic, the BBC, The Guardian, The Economist, Esquire Magazine, SAPIENS Magazine, Verve Magazine, Saveur Magazine and Milk Street. In November of 2020, Farrell co-produced, wrote and presented a video on the history of the date palm fruit with The Getty Museum (Los Angeles, USA).
