What They Ate.Indd
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What they ate food and foodways in Mdina and beyond From Roman times to the Middle Ages George Cassar Malta - 2015 Contents Published by: Heland Project Promoting socio-economic sustainable development through innovative technological actions for Mediterranean tourism-heritage and landscape protection clusters. Th is publication has been produced with the fi nancial assistance of the European Union under the ENPI CBC Mediterranean Sea Basin Programme. Th e contents of this publication are the Introduction ............................................................................................................................................................iv sole responsibility of the University of Malta - Institute for Tourism, Travel and Culture and can under no circumstances be regarded as refl ecting the position of the European Union or Roman Times (218 BC – 4th century AD of the Programme’s management structures. A brief historical note ..............................................................................................................................1 Copyright © Heland Project – University of Malta – 2015 Agriculture, animal husbandry and fi shing ...............................................................................4 Heland team: Nadia Th euma, George Cassar, Sarah Faith Azzopardi, Giusy Cardia Food and dining habits ..........................................................................................................................6 A wealthy family at dinner ....................................................................................................................9 No part of this publication may be produced, stored in a retreval system or transmitted in any Th e kitchen ...................................................................................................................................................11 form by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without Recipes .............................................................................................................................................................12 the previous permission of the publisher. Th e Muslim Presence (870-1249) Th e 2007-2013 EN PI CBC Mediterranean Sea Basin Programme is a multilateral Cross-Border A brief historical note ............................................................................................................................15 Cooperation initiative funded by the European Neighbourhood and Partnership Instrument Agricultural activity and animal husbandry ............................................................................17 (EN PI). Th e Programme objective is to promote the sustainable and harmonious cooperation Th e food and dining habits ................................................................................................................18 process at the Mediterranean Basin level by dealing with the common challenges and enhancing Recipes ............................................................................................................................................................21 its endogenous potential. It fi nances cooperation projects as a contribution to the economic, social, environmental and cultural development of the Mediterranean region. Th e following Th e Medieval Age (1127-1530) 14 countries participate in the Programme: Cyprus, Egypt, France, Greece, Israel, Italy, Jordan, A brief historical note ............................................................................................................................24 Lebanon, Malta, Palestine, Portugal, Spain, Syria (participation currently suspended), Tunisia. Agricultural activity and animal husbandry ............................................................................27 Th e Joint Managing Authority (JMA) is the Autonomous Region of Sardinia (Italy). Offi cial Th e food and dining habits ................................................................................................................30 Programme languages are Arabic, English and French (www.enpicbcmed.eu). Recipes .............................................................................................................................................................43 Th e European Union is made up of 28 Member States who have decided to gradually link together References ...............................................................................................................................................................46 their know-how, resources and destinies. Together, during a period of enlargement of 50 years, they have built a zone of stability, democracy and sustainable development whilst maintaining cultural diversity, tolerance and individual freedoms. Th e European Union is committed to sharing its achievements and its values with countries and peoples beyond its borders. Front cover: Jean-Baptiste de Saive (circle) – Kitchen interior with maid (1563) Back cover: Floris van Dyck – Still life (1610) Title page: Lucas Van Valckenborch (circle) – Th e Kitchen Maid (16th cent.) Th is book is not for sale Design and Printing: Best Print Co LTD, Qrendi • Tel: 21 680 789 ISBN: 978-99957-886-3-6 Jacopo da Empoli – Still-Life (detail) (16th cent.) ii iii Introduction Roman Times (218 BC – 4th century AD) o eat is surely a necessity, but it can also be a pleasure. Studying the theme of food and foodways is A brief historical note highly interesting as we discover what people ate, the recipes they invented, how they cultivated ft er the long presence of the Phoenicians Tthe raw products which they then turned into dishes, the traditions which are tied to such and Carthaginians, it was at the beginning recipes, how these were developed and adapted to cultural and ethnic realities, variants that are found Aof the Second Punic War in 218 BC that the in diff erent countries and societies, religious and social exigencies, and so much more. Romans took control of the Maltese islands. Th is book looks at food and foodways with special focus on Malta. It looks at the Roman, Arabic A fi rst attempt at conquering the islands by the and Medieval periods in the life of the Maltese Islands. Furthermore it takes Mdina as its departing Romans was made in 256 BC during the First Punic point as it was the main urban settlement; the other inhabited areas were no more than villages and War when Consul Caius Atilius Regulus overran hamlets. Th e only other two places that had some socio-political prominence and signifi cance were the Borgo and the Rabat cittadella of Gozo. Yet Mdina remained the city of Malta and the place where Maleth (the Punic name for Malta) and destroyed all that came in his way while his soldiers carried off all the political, religious and social elites lived. It was thus the leader of an otherwise rural population. It A mosaic fr eeze at the Roman Domus, Rabat, was a forward looking and enterprising city when all the casals were conservative and circumscribed. they could put their hand upon. showing a face surrounded by fr uit It was from Mdina that the island of Malta was administered through the Universitas which set rules, Th e Roman poet Gnaeus Naevius (254-195 BC) in regulations and directions. his poem Bellum Punicum (transl. Th e Punic War) described this Roman attack:“Th e Roman Food is no diff erent from other sources of power. Th ose who have food and can control it, also crosses over to Malta, an island unimpaired; he lays it waste by fi re and slaughter, and fi nishes have authority. Th ose who are wealthy have access to more and better food, also to a wider variety of the aff airs of the enemy.” In other words the Roman force raided and burned the island, which foodstuff s. Mdina was thus the place of the affl uent, of those who owned the land, the herds, and the up till then had been untouched, and destroyed everything that belonged to the Carthaginians. properties which they leased to commoners, to herdsmen, to farm labourers and to craft smen. Th ey ate Livy records when Malta and Gozo were eff ectively incorporated within the Roman world. food which was much more interesting and varied, and who could aff ord more refi ned and expensive Th us, Consul Tiberius Sempronius Longus while checking the defence of the Sicilian coast, items. Aft er all, in Roman Melite, Arab Medina and Medieval Mdina, many of the residents constituted the top stratum of the population of Malta. In other words, Mdina had the cream of Maltese society directed his fl eet to Malta which was garrisoned and as one testimony to this, these had access to the best and more expensive food, eaten around proper by the Carthaginian army under the command of tables and prepared by cooks using refi ned and sometimes exotic ingredients. Th ose others who were Hamilcar, son of Gisco. Th ough having about 2,000 not so fortunate had to content themselves with that which they could buy from street and shop vendors troops at his disposal, Hamilcar decided to surrender or cultivate in their gardens and small fi elds. When fresh food was not available or was too expensive, the island without fi ghting and the Maltese garrison they then turned to salted fi sh or meat, dried fruits and other foodstuff s which may have lacked quality was taken prisoner. Th e Roman Consul returned to but still served their purpose for human need. One ubiquitous food item was bread, the commodity Lilybaeum (today Marsala) in Sicily and sold all the par excellence. It could be made