Sauces

Back in Roman times, the main course, or “primae mensai”, varied both in number and variety of dishes. Roasted and boiled meat was served, from poultry, game or anything else. No dish was complete without a highly flavored and spicy sauce. Contrary to today’s inclinations, the main aim seemed to be to mask the natural taste of the food – possibly to mask the questionable freshness, or perhaps to show off the variety of expensive spices available to the host. Sometimes so many ingredients were used in the sauce that it was impossible to distinguish any flavor.