These places were so common in the 1 st century that only in the town of Pompeii , inhabited at that time by 15000 people, there were about 90 of them. but not quite. For lunch, the ancient Romans used to go to the so-called “thermopolia” – some kind of fast food restaurants – because most houses did not have a kitchen at that time. . … Alexander the Great ate them and his men took them back to the Western World. Only small children or slaves were permitted to eat sitting. ... Here’s how the Romans … Ancient Roman cuisine changed greatly over the duration of the civilization's existence. The Romans ate mainly with their fingers and so the food was cut into bite size pieces. The poorest Romans ate quite simple meals, but the rich were used to eating a wide range of dishes using produce from all over the Roman Empire. That’s not to say the Romans were unfamiliar with throwing up, or that they never did so on purpose. Day-to-Day Food A slave's daily diet was guaranteed, according to Kyle Harper, author of "Slavery in the Late Roman World, AD 275–425," but it wasn't very exciting. Cena was the main meal. On the contrary, in ancient times vomiting seems to have been a standard part of the fine-dining experience. The Romans did not sit on chairs around the table like we do today. In terms of food, Roman slaves were responsible for preparing and serving food to the richer Roman people, but they were relegated to eating far less extravagant fare themselves. The Romans did not sit down at a tables to eat their meals. As you’ve probably inferred by now, the same peril does not await humans unless they eat a bunch of bananas, drink a keg of beer and fall into a swimming pool. . Bananas were probably taken to Madagascar by the Arabs and spread from there to mainland Africa. Instead the adults lay on sloping couches situated around a square table. The fruit first got to Europe in the 1st century b.C., taken by the Romans. Dietary habits were affected by the political changes from kingdom to republic to empire, and the empire's enormous expansion, which exposed Romans to many new provincial culinary habits and cooking methods.. A long time before that, the expansion of Islam brought the banana to Africa, and the Portuguese brought it to Brazil. By 200 AD bananas were also grown in China. These parties often lasted up to eight hours. However, it continued to be rare in the continent for centuries and only became popular in the 20th century. The ancient Mediterranean diet revolved around four staples, which, even today, continue to dominate restaurant menus and kitchen tables: cereals, vegetables, olive oil and wine. Seafood, cheese, eggs, meat and many types of fruit were also available to those who could afford it. Romans typically ate three meals a day – breakfast (ientaculum), lunch (prandium) and dinner (cena). 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