List of ancient dishes

This section is limited to dishes that originated during the time of ancient history (the beginning of recorded human history) up to the Fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 AD.

Congee

Ruins of a garum factory in Baelo Claudia, Spain

Papadzules may be "one of the most ancient traditional dishes of Yucatán, Mexico."[15]

Various chutneys in Bangalore, India

• Anfu ham is a dry-cured ham from Anfu, Jiangxi, China that originated from the Qin Dynasty.[16] It is eaten alone and also used as an ingredient to add flavor to various dishes.[16]
• Ashishim – Israeli red lentil pancake dish of Ancient Israelite origin, that was commonly eaten by Jews in antiquity.
• Babaofan or Eight Treasure Glutinous Rice was first created for a banquet celebrating King Wu of Zhou's defeat of the last King of the Shang Dynasty King Zhou of Shang in the Battle of Muye (circa 1123 BCE according to this article but 1046 BCE according to English Wikipedia article).[17]
• Bread[18][19][20]
  • Flatbread[21]
  • Focaccia – dates to ancient Rome[22][23]
  • Mantou – dates to 307 BCE – 250 BCE [24]
• Chutney[25]
• Congee[26]
• Curry[27]
• Doubanjiang – oral history suggests 536 BCE – 448 BCE; first recorded history found in a text from the Western Han Dynasty (206 BCE – 9 CE)[28]
• Fish sauce, see garum
• Forcemeat[29]
• Garum – ancient Greece (where it was known as γάρος) and the Roman Empire, known from before Pompeii's destruction in 79 AD.[30][31]
• Ham – dry-cured ham has been produced since ancient times.[32][33][34]
• Hardtack – versions using various grains date back to ancient Rome, and as far back as ancient Egypt.[35]
• Harissa – an Arab staple dish known to go back at least to the original Caliphates, and most likely earlier.[36]
• Jeok
• Jusselle[37]
• Liquamen, see garum
• Lucanica – Western Roman Empire, mentioned by Cicero, 1st century BC[38][39]
• Maccu[40]
• Misu karu or Misugaru[41]
• Moretum[42]
• Nettle stew
• Nian gao[43]
• Noodles – existent since at least 2,000 BC in Northwest China,[44][45] the noodle was developed independently in ancient China and ancient Rome, and remained common in both areas "through the centuries".[46]
• Oatcake – known to exist at least from Roman times in Britain.[47]
• Olive, olive oil is at least known from the Eastern Mediterranean in the Bronze Age, c. 3000 BC[48][49]
• Oxygala – a dairy product in ancient Greece and Rome.[50] It was also consumed by ancient Persians.[51]
• Papadzules – a common dish in Maya cuisine that may be "one of the most ancient traditional dishes of Yucatán, Mexico.[15]
• Placenta cake – a layered cake of pastry, cheese and honey originating in ancient Greece and Rome[52][53]
• Rice[54] – existed, but was "little-used in the ancient world" outside of Asia.[55]

Sauerkraut

• Sauerkraut[56]
• Sausage[lower-alpha 1][58]
• Scrapple – originally called "panhas", of ancient Germanic origin.[59][60]
• Sop[61]
• Soup[lower-alpha 2]
  • Acquacotta[63]
  • Black soup[64]
  • French onion soup[61]
  • Vegetable soup[65]
• Soy Sauce[66]
• Tamale[67]
• Testaroli[68][69]
• Tharida[70]
• Tofu[71]
• Torta de gazpacho
• Tracta was a kind of bread, pastry, or pancake in ancient Greece and perhaps Rome.[72]
• Wonton[73]
• Zongzi[74]

• Ancient dishes
• 
  Acquacotta
• 
  Flatbread

Dairy products

Quark

• Butter – documented as existent since at least 2,000 BC[82]
• Buttermilk – existed Anno Domini in India[50]
• Kumis – documented as existing in ancient Scythia[50]
• Milk[83]
• Opus lactarium – documented as existing during the ancient Roman Empire[50]
• Quark (lac concretum) – documented as existing in ancient Scythia[50]
• Schiston – "separated milk" purported to have been invented by physicians during the time of the Ancient Roman Empire and Pliny the Elder[50][84] It was prepared by boiling milk or whey along with pebbles.[84][85]
• Shrikhand – documented as existing circa 800 to 300 B.C. in ancient India[50]
• Smy – thickened milk[lower-alpha 3] documented as existent in ancient Egypt[50]
• Yogurt[87] – documented as existing in India circa 300 BC to 75 AD; referred to as "dahi"[50]

Cheeses

Pecorino Romano is one of the world's most ancient cheeses

• Cheese[lower-alpha 4][89]
• Brânză– an ancient Romanian cheese dating to "before the time of the Romans"[90]
• Caciocavallo
• Cantal – one of the oldest French cheeses, it is named after the Cantal mountain range[91]
• Castelmagno[92]
  • Emmental[93]
• Feta – existed during the times of Homer in ancient Greece[94]
  • Touloumotiri is an ancient cheese that is considered as the "forerunner to feta".[95]
• Kefalotyri – dates to the Byzantine Empire[96]
• Pecorino Romano – is one of the world's most ancient cheeses[97][98]
• Pecorino Sardo (Flore sardo) – one of the world's oldest cheeses that is believed to date back to the Bronze Age[99]
• Pecorino Siciliano[100]
• Roquefort[101][102][103]
• Tomme[104]
  • Tomme de Savoie[105]

• Ancient cheeses
• 
  Cantal cheese
• 
  Feta
• 
  Tomme de Savoie

This section includes dishes, foods and beverages that originated during the time of ancient history from 477 AD to 1500 AD (prior to the Postclassical Era).

• Börek – known from 14th century Persia in a poem by Bushaq-i-Atima, although it may be far older.[106][107]
• Hummus – first mentioned in a cookbook from Cairo, Egypt from the 13th century.
• Kuluban – an ancient Javanese dish of boiled vegetables served in spices, similar to modern-day urap. Mentioned in the Rukam inscription, dated to 829 Saka (907 CE) and originating from the Mataram Kingdom.[108]
• Lalab – a similar vegetable dish called rumwah-rumwah was mentioned in the Panggumulan (Kembang Arum) inscription, dated to 824 Saka (902 CE) and originating from the Mataram Kingdom.[109]
• Rawon – a meat stew, called rarawwan in an ancient Javanese Taji inscription (901 CE).[110]
• Rujak – a spicy fruit dish, called rurujak in an ancient Javanese Taji inscription (901 CE).[110]
• Krupuk – a traditional cracker made from rice flour, called kurupuk in ancient Javanese Taji inscription (901 CE).[110]
• Popcorn – an ancient food used by people of the Inca civilization.[111] The food is still commonly used in both regions.[111]
• Philippine adobo – a dish and cooking process originating during the pre-colonial Philippines.[112]
• Tapuy – rice wine originating from the pre-colonial Philippines.[112]
• Tempeh – high-protein fermented soy product from Indonesia. First known as kadêlê, and mentioned in an old Javanese manuscript Serat Sri Tanjung dating to the 12th to 13th century CE.

• 
  Börek
• 
  Kuluban or urap
• 
  Fried tempeh

A bowl of poi showing a typical consistency

• Khanom chan – an ancient Thai dessert
• Poi – an ancient Polynesian staple food prepared using taro root.[lower-alpha 5]

Nattō is typically consumed atop rice.

• Nattō – prepared using fermented soybeans, nattō has been described as likely being an ancient food.[114] Its origins have been described as unknown,[114] and it may have been developed independently in different areas that have the same ingredients, such as Japan, China, and Korea.[114]

• Abgoosht – also referred to as Dizi or Mesopotamian Meat Stew, was a stew originally made up of remnants of leftover vegetables and meats, different areas in the world have now spun this dish into numerous different variations – including, Armenia, Iran, Azerbaijan, Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Georgia, Iraq, Lebanon, Syria, Turkey, Russia, Bulgaria, Romania, Hungary – the dish and its origins, however, come from ancient Mesopotamia and the recipe can be dated as far back as at the very least 400 BC as it was mentioned on Cuneiform Tablets during the Babylonian period.[14] Abgoosht and its variants with localised recipes are the national dishes of a number of countries worldwide.

• Amurca
• History of cheese – the history of cheese predates recorded history
• Neolithic founder crops – eight plant species that were domesticated by early Holocene farming communities in the Fertile Crescent region of southwest Asia, and which formed the basis of systematic agriculture in the Middle East, North Africa, India, Persia and (later) Europe
• Old World wine
• Popina – an ancient Roman wine bar, where a limited menu of simple foods (olives, bread, stews) and selection of wines of varying quality were available
• Timeline of food

Ancient cuisines

• Ancient Egyptian cuisine
• Ancient Greek cuisine
• Ancient Israelite cuisine
• Ancient Roman cuisine
• Egyptian cuisine
• Maya cuisine
• Muisca cuisine

List articles

• List of food and beverage museums
• List of foods
• List of historical cuisines
• Lists of prepared foods