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Ancient Roman Cabbage or Sauerkraut?
#1
Does anyone know if there are any ancient writings or finds that suggest the ancient Romans grew and eat cabbage or made and eat sauerkraut?
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#2
Brassica? So far, only in Asterix...

[Image: brassica.gif]
Robert Vermaat
MODERATOR
FECTIO Late Romans
THE CAUSE OF WAR MUST BE JUST
(Maurikios-Strategikon, book VIII.2: Maxim 12)
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#3
Looks like they were found in Roman Britain:
http://intarch.ac.uk/journal/issue1/tom ... tocid11315

Make sure you read the link: http://intarch.ac.uk/journal/issue1/tom ... .html#S734 which gives some useful references to chase

This is from: A review of the archaeological evidence for food plants from the British Isles: an example of the use of the Archaeobotanical Computer Database (ABCD) by Philippa R. Tomlinson and Allan R. Hall In Internet Archaeology Issue 1 (one of the papers I edited!). Contents page at http://intarch.ac.uk/journal/issue1/tomlinson_toc.html NB just Issue 1 of this journal has free access. The other issues require payment :?

I'm also thinking there might a recipe or medical usage for cabbage around somewhere. If I remember, I'll get back to you on that one :roll:
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#4
Aha, regarding medicinal cabbage:

http://www.healthsystem.virginia.edu/in ... ruscan.cfm

But cabbage sauerkraut recipe is still illusive. Cabbage mentioned in other recipes (such as lentil stew and wrapping up leeks).
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#5
I don't have it handy, but as I recall Cato the Censor wrote quite a bit about cabbage in his treatise on agriculture. He recommended it for everything, both as food and as medicine.
Pecunia non olet
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#6
Cato's the chap quoted in my medicinal cabbage link: fends off everything - eat lots and drink the urine of someone who's eaten cabbage - luvverly :lol:
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#7
Viventius thanks for tracking down all the links in reference to ancient Roman use of cabbage.
Thanks also to John for your thoughts on the subject.
Valerius thanks for the humor you provided in your post.
I was talking to another Roman reenactor of Legio XX (in the Washington, D.C. area) about making cabbage rolls for a Christmas Day dinner. In the course of the conversation, she and I wondered if the ancient Romans had cabbage or sauerkraut in their diet - thus, the subject of my post. Given the above links, I feel some justification in providing a cabbage dish for the Legio XX Lupercalia dinner this February.
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#8
I would have thought Sauerkraut probably came about as a need to preserve food stuffs for Campaigns and lean times.Seems a logical thing to do,and is very nutritious and needs very little equipment or preparation.Salt preserving was presumably the norm for preserving food along with air drying.
Timeo Danaos et Dona ferentes

Andy.(Titus Scapula Clavicularis)
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