Roman Military Recipes

This evening I am posting information on food and drink used by the Roman army.

Britain (mainly modern-day England) was occupied by the Romans between AD43 and AD 410. During this time they built extensive infrastructure including two coast-to coast walls, namely Hadrian's Wall and the Antonine Wall.

Back in 2006 I arranged a hike along the line of Hadrian's Wall which took about 10 days. Participants were a small group of Roman military re-enactment enthusiasts who took great care to replicate the attire and weaponry of the Roman period, similar to the re-enactment group illustrated above.

An important part of the experience was the food and drink. To this end Roman soldiers had to be self-sufficient and ready to move at short notice (on foot). Sustenance had to be light, nutritious and easy to carry.To this end research suggests the soldiers were supplied with 'marching food' as described below.

Sour Wine

40pct pure dark grape juice, 40pct water, 5pct Red Wine Vinegar or White Wine Vinegar or Apple Cider Vinegar 15pct Comparable Wine-Red or White. This drink is surprisingly refreshing.

Hard Tack

 Equal amounts of White Wheat Flour and Oatmeal-mixed dry.Add a small amount of salt-mixed dry.Add water to make it a dough like consistency.Optional: add Sunflower seeds.Add honey to taste Mix thoroughly cut dough to desired thickness Cut to desired triangular size/shape.Preheat oven to 350 F Bake 15 to 20 mins per side (depending on size and thickness) Bake thoroughly to desired consistency.Enjoy!! This item is similar to modern-day energy bars.

Dried Meat

Beef Jerky (marinated strips of dried beef) This is comparable to the dried meat used by Roman soldiers.

More Information

Suggest play the video clip below which is a TV. news report on the re-enactment march from a commercial television channel.(Please allow  a short time to elapse after clicking on the start button.)