FOOD HABITS OF THE ETRUSCANS

Aprile 12, 2022

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FOOD HABITS OF THE ETRUSCANS
So much of them transported to our contemporary living
Flavors and Knowledge

Apr 12

{Image Attribution via Parco Archeologico di Carmignano}

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Buongiorno amici:

The Etruscan civilization flourished in central Italy between the 8th and 3rd centuries BCE. The culture was renowned in antiquity for its precious mineral resources and significant Mediterranean trading power. But unfortunately, much of its culture and history were either obliterated or assimilated into that of its conqueror, Rome.

Surviving Etruscan tombs offer specific content. Wall paintings, the Roman adoption of Etruscan clothing, religious practices, and architecture are a convincing testament to the great prosperity and a significant contribution to Mediterranean culture achieved by Italy’s first great civilization. (Trusted source)

Investigating and reconstructing ancient peoples’ eating habits can often lead to confusion and inaccuracy, mostly when we traveled back centuries ago. On the other hand, the land of Etruria can spark curiosity and legendary thoughts. Well, let’s discover the food habits, the environment, and the economy of the Etruscan. Then, we could probably have a more unobstructed view of their cultural expressions. History tells us that ancient Etruria was fertile land. Still, we don’t understand the skills and techniques used in maintaining the territory in the most productive state.

The area in question rest between Fiesole and Arezzo in Northern Tuscany, pleasantly called “regio fertilis.” The fertile land was superior in extension and incredibly rich during harvest season. Probably the Etruscan farmers were exceptionally skilled and diligent.

Several studies on this fascinating subject reveal history through the micro-history and the daily lives of ancient inhabitants. Finally, in the sixth century BC, we are in the golden age of the Etruscan civilization, the one with the most significant iconographic documentation relating to banquets and hunting.

We know what we know derives from comparative research of data and finds obtained from excavations, analysis of pollen and plant, and animal remains. From classical literary sources, the silent testimonies left by tools or represented in the frescoes abound in the necropolis (cemeteries) and offer a cross-section of daily life even if interpreted and correlated with other sources. Agriculture, game, breeding, and harvesting were the primary sources of supply; specialized agriculture provided an abundance of spelled wheat and other cereals and legumes.

The breeding of cattle, sheep, and pigs provided meat, undoubtedly a secondary food in the diet, composed primarily of plant-based ingredients. Soups, vegetables, and some types of polenta constituted the majority of calories, offered as single dishes, and cooked on a slow fire using pottery vessels. Bovids and sheep were utilized for work in the fields and wool, respectively. At the same time, pigs, deers, wild boars, and hares found interest at the center table for food consumption.

Among farm animals, roosters and hens were often present in Etruscan iconography. In the cemetery of Tarquinia, several frescoes portray these pieces of evidence, dating back to the 5th century BC, and eggs cooked under ashes. Coastal areas flourished with the fishing trade of tuna and other various fish specimens, using harpoons, lines, nets, and tridents.

I like to imagine this vibrant and flourishing cultivated countryside alternating between pastures and olive trees and vineyards—a landscape not unlike many that still characterize the Tuscan hills and plains today. But, eventually, that ancient landscape was changed by humankind with the introduction of new plants and new crops.

We also know that wine was missing from the tables of the Ubertosa Etruria’s inhabitants but enjoyed by the current occupants of the land. Tuscan wines represent the elite throughout the world and seem contradictory.

Etruscan produced wine but rarely consumed it. Instruments equipped with a funnel used to filter wine and other liquids are visible in the Archaeological Museum of Florence, in the Tomb of Deo Flabelli in Popoulonia, and dated the 6th century BC.

The wine was mixed with water and honey sporadically, while the locals used oil mainly for odorous ointments. Our ancestors’ first wine was very dense, so much that it had to be filtered and blended. The harvesting of olives and fruit also dominated the daily activities. Etruscans learned the art of grafting and continued introducing several fruit trees such as prunes, apricots, cedars, cherries, quinces, almonds, pears, and vines. Olives went through a separate process, meant to remove bitterness by immersing them in a brine of fennel and mastic.

But what was the meal for the Etruscans?

It is necessary to differentiate between higher and lower social classes in this case. Generally, the main dishes were ufarinata, spelled soups, legumes, pancakes, and focaccia. It is no coincidence that spelled-based recipes are today more widespread in Tuscany than in Italy. Their diet mainly relied on boiled meats, while the roasted-based was reserved for high-ranking canteens. They also enjoyed fresh seasonal vegetables and roots-related produce seasoned with spices and honey. Natural herbs such as garlic, onion, and leeks completed the overall preparations.

As we mentioned earlier, pork could not be missing. Today, many products from Tuscany, such as the finocchiona salami and others, take center stage in all kinds of appetizers and sauces. The beautiful and tasty ragu di cinghiale (wild board ragu) may be a distant cousin of an Etruscan recipe prepared without tomato (arrived in Italy in 1700).

Etruscan civilization enriched the future Roman Republic, starting with the creation of anything made with terracotta. From cooking pots and amphoras used for olive oil and wine storage to elaborate ovens and combustible material. One of the most intriguing specimens is the transportable oven. It is equipped with an upper grill and a barrel oven below, laminated with ceramic tiles and earthenware. Today, Tuscans use a similar oven (although made with stainless) to cook chestnut flour porridge known as castagnaccio in the style of Garfagnana. For us today, the kitchen is a space dedicated to cooking. Still, in the Archaic period, the middle class could not afford one and often relied on courtyards for the cooking portion, using the portable stove.

Seated or reclined on one side, the Etruscans enjoyed friendliness and culture. They shared the table’s value with the immediate family or guest. On the other hand, the Romans envied the advanced rituals of the Etruria inhabitants and committed the greatest crime by destroying their heritage.

by Salvina Pizzuoli