Feeding the Army of Roman Britain

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LINKS TO INGREDIENTS & EQUIPMENT**
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Saba: amzn.to/3JGkbyK
Asafoetida (Hing): amzn.to/40wZmwr
Ingredient List
For the Pork & Apples:
1 tablespoon Olive Oil
1-1.5 pounds pre cooked pork shoulder (or ham)
3/4 pound ground beef or pork shaped into meatballs
1 cup chopped leeks
Small handful cilantro
1-3 cups of chicken stock (enough to cover the bottom of the pot throughout cooking)
2 teaspoons garum
1 pound sweet apples cut into cubes
For the Sauce:
1 teaspoon cumin
2 teaspoons chopped Cilantro leaves
1 tablespoon Coriander seeds
2 teaspoons chopped Mint
1 teaspoons pepper / long pepper
1/2 teaspoon asafoetida
1/4 cup white wine Vinegar
2 tablespoons of Honey
1 teaspoon garum
1/4 cup Defrutum (Mosto Cotto / Saba)
1/4 cup cooking liquid from the pork
LINKS TO SOURCES**
Vindolanda Tablets: romaninscriptionsofbritain.or...
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Subtitles: Jose Mendoza | IG @worldagainstjose
PHOTO CREDITS
Apicius: By Bonho1962 - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, commons.wikimedia.org/w/index...
Ninth Legion: By Photographed by: York Museums Trust Staff - This file has been provided by York Museums Trust as part of a GLAMwiki partnership.Licensing., CC BY-SA 4.0, commons.wikimedia.org/w/index...
Garum: By Claus Ableiter - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, commons.wikimedia.org/w/index...
Roman Cornu and Tuba: By Sailko - Own work, CC BY 3.0, commons.wikimedia.org/w/index...
Roman Legionaries: By Ursus - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, commons.wikimedia.org/w/index...
Centurion: By I, Luc Viatour, CC BY-SA 3.0, commons.wikimedia.org/w/index...
MatthiasKabel, CC BY-SA 3.0, commons.wikimedia.org/w/index...
Caracalla: By Sailko - Own work, CC BY 3.0, commons.wikimedia.org/w/index...
Roman Road Map: By DS28 - File:Roman Empire 125 general map.SVG, CC BY-SA 4.0, commons.wikimedia.org/w/index...
Amphora: By Ad Meskens - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, commons.wikimedia.org/w/index...
#tastinghistory #ancientrome

[@TastingHistory]

The Seattle book talk next month is sold out, but I’ll be sticking around to sign books and meet everyone until they force me out, so come down! booklarder.com/products/in-person-book-signing-max-miller-tasting-history

[@whymihere86]

Hurray! You announced that on my bday so...here's hoping I can make it in.

[@adedow1333]

Any chance you will include Denver on your tour?

[@Raevynwing]

Damn I wish

[@FoodNerds]

So pork and apples were had in Roman times.

[@FoodNerds]

I hope you come to Houston, Texas.

[@masterkillx]

even in ancient rome the concept of "only buy eggs if they're cheap" existed

[@JanusKastin]

There's nothing new under the sun, so I've been told.

[@Intranetusa]

Army food, like its equipment, is usually produced by the lowest bidder.

[@chloeedmund4350]

I mean if you need 200 eggs, better hope they're on sale.

[@kamilarosinska5404]

Humans

[@garyjohnson9353]

@@Intranetusa Nothing has changed though the centuries.

[@EvieDelacourt]

"So thank you to Wondrium for sponsoring this video as we dine on Hadrian's wall." My first thought was "Dang, that's gonna need a LOT of tenderizing!"😅

[@ragnkja]

No, you’re just meant to sit on the wall 😁

[@adedow1333]

Nothing like a bit of organic aged rock au gratin.

[@TastingHistory]

Bahahaha

[@Criminalupper2200]

Still not as bad as hard tack

[@AnnaReed42]

@@Criminalupper2200 clack clack

[@Cara-39]

I love the thought of an annoyed Roman at the market pawing through mounds of apples looking for "100 good ones" 😂

[@alistairdimmick2886]

It's the origin of the saying "How bout them apples"

[@latewizard301]

Nice PFP 👌

[@dezmodium]

It actually makes sense. He would not have been referring to Granny Smith apples or Golden Delicious like we know them. I believe those are modern varieties. See, apples don't grow true to the seed. If you get a Golden Delicious at the supermarket it's grown from trees that are grafted from the particular singular tree that happened to produce the first Golden Delicious. Each variety of apple is like this. Apple trees, when planted, will more likely than not produce crabapples. It's not a different species of tree. If the apple is good or not it's completely up to chance. Avocados are the same way. So they quite literally were hoping that there were good apples at the market, ones that tasted edible.

[@keepitforreally4501]

lol

[@keepitforreally4501]

I’m just barely peeking in here who on this list of comments have tried this and what does it taste like?

[@vickiekostecki]

The Lucco the pigherd story is what I love most about history. 2,000 years later, on a technology completely unimaginable at the time, strangers from all over the world are simultaneously thinking about Lucco & his pigs.

[@santiagoperez5431]

I love how the concept of "if you love me send me things for food" is ancient

[@ValentinoMarino11]

Humanity has not changed 😂

[@BioshockDrill]

Why would it be new? Of course it's ancient lol

[@kayagorzan]

“If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” kinda deal

[@chrisbolland5634]

Bro if you love me, gimmie a taco from taco bell.

[@matasa7463]

Ah, family...

[@jennypaxton8159]

The concept of Hadrian’s Wall honestly cracks me up. Here we have the Roman Empire, conquering everything in sight, and when they came across the Scots they were just like “Nope. Don’t want to deal with that. Wall it is.”

[@Nellis202]

You can’t build a wall ! That’s not inclusive ! 😂🤣😆😂🤣😆😂😂

[@alexandernewman7587]

I studied English history in college, and it wasn't a "wall" in the sense that we think of it--it was, more accurately, a giant linear toll road. There was plenty of trade and activity north of the wall, but it was specifically for collecting tax on trade with the northerners moreso than defense. It continued in that purpose well after the Romans left.

[@Lucius1958]

Of course, there weren't any 'Scots' there then: there were Picts and Caledonians. The Scotii came over from Ireland, after the Romans had left.

[@jeffreyrobinson3555]

The Scotts lived in Ireland at the time. So a good bit of Irish Scotts music goes The time that Julis Caesar tried to land tried to land down at Lands end The coast guard couldn’t stop them For the Dubliners they did send And just as they were landing lads They heard three ringing cheers ‘Get back to Rome like blazes Here’s the Dublin fusiliers’

[@tasmedic]

The Romans worked with the Picts and Caledonians and built many structures North of Hadrian's wall. Bridges, Villas, Roads. There was continuous trade with the Northern clans and tribes, but they would never submit to Roman rule. So, it ended up a kind of gentleman's agreement that they would trade and respect each other, with occasional departures from the peace, of course....

[@ryanj6626]

That looks delicious! Pork and apples always works. I also loved the insights into Roman logistics and camp life. As an Army veteran I can really identify with the guy telling his brother to send him a care package if he really loves him hahaha.

[@staticfolk5948]

the original pork chops & applesauce

[@lorrainemunoa791]

We've got letters from soldiers on the Wall asking their Italian Mamas to please send more woolly socks in the next care package, because the new posting is DAMP and chilly. Nothing changes, not for armies.

[@donovanb9020]

It was one of the most relatable parts of the entire video lol. When I was deployed, I constantly asked for bottles of Cholula hot sauce 🤤

[@Respectable_Username]

I'd love to see a restaurant open up with ancient roman dishes like this one. Sounds amazing to go along somewhere on a night out and experience what an "ancient roman flavour" is like, same as you would any regional cuisine today!

[@Life-tastic]

Garum and pine nuts with a bit of honey and wine

[@DrDingsGaster]

That would be cool af. You could even make it look like an ancient Roman eaterie and try and cook with some ancient methods. Like a living history resturant but with obvious modern health standards n what not.

[@missdenisebee]

As a huge nerd for ancient rome, I would LOVE this!😭

[@istdochalbern]

There is one in Geneva, Switzerland, called Nunc est bibendum.

[@socialxperiment3162]

Yea and it’d be like $40 a dish..

[@kevskevs]

0:20 "all you can think is: What's for dinner?" -- that nicely sums up my experiences of military life. Some things never change ...

[@TastingHistory]

The men at the wall were constantly bored. It turns out there wasn’t as much raiding from the north as they thought 😂

[@AtholAnderson]

@@TastingHistory Boring, sure; but if you offered them a posting in Germania I'm guessing they opt to stay at the wall.

[@patriley6445]

Not just "What's for Dinner?" but more like "Is it chow time yet?" and "I wonder what swill the Chow Hall has for us today?" More often than not, nobody really cared much, as long as their belly was full.

[@BombshellCelluloid]

I always use to say, on any deployment, no matter how long that deployment was, soldiers spend the first 7 days complaining about not getting to have sex. From day 7 onward, it's about wanting to get good food. lolfof

[@andyinsdca]

Let's get that out onto a tray. Nice!

[@MG-iu4eh]

Never tire of seeing the hard tack clip incorporated whenever possible! 😂

[@jennypaxton8159]

CLACK CLACK

[@brianbarker2551]

that's the running gag on this channel! love it

[@theConquerersMama]

Never gets old

[@velvetdraws3452]

@@theConquerersMama 1 billion years ago that hardtack will still be there,forever unbreakable

[@RAMMY_]

just a little reminder of the pure density in these pucks of toothache

[@wingy200]

Max, I appreciate your pronunciations of the various non-English words you use throughout your series. It adds that extra connection to the subject on top of your presentation. Honestly, I think you're the next Alton Brown when it comes to culinary media. This is one of the best channels on KZbin.

[@Terrichance]

I saw the news with the potential rediscovery of Sylphium sometime last year. It was found growing near the ruins of an old Roman settlement in Turkey, supposedly transplanted there, and the locale proved to be beneficial to its life cycle. Regardless of whither its the real thing or not, its been successfully grown in a greenhouse, and I couldn't help but wonder if you'd heard about it. Was a pleasant surprise to see you mentioning it in this video!

[@whatident]

has anyone tasted it yet?

[@operatorchakkoty4257]

What the other guy said - how's it taste? Jesse, we need to cook!

[@slwrabbits]

I'd like to know how they are sure (or even suspect) that this particular one is the same as the silphium of old.

[@thenovicenovelist]

I just watched an episode of Cogito on KZbin earlier today and he talked briefly about the potential discovery in Turkey. Now I see it mentioned again in this video. I'm hoping it turns out to be legit because I think he said some researchers believe it might have some "cancer fighting" properties near the end of the video. But nothing verified yet.

[@kevinroche3334]

@@slwrabbits Try reading about it? Why are some Americans (my assumption, sorry) so dubious about the abilities of scientists?

[@himesilva]

Max's comically large pepper grinder took me completely off guard, I choked on my tea a little 😂

[@tossingturnips]

LOL me too! And the fact that he played it totally straight made it even funnier.

[@jeli26ll]

I'm just imagining an ancient Roman soldier pointing at it like: and WHAT is that?

[@tuomasronnberg5244]

@@jeli26ll It doubles as a club in a pinch!

[@marshawilcox5815]

Straight out of the 70s!

[@Immigrantlovesamerica]

Fresh a'pepper?

[@CaptainRiterraSmith]

So the Romans are the reason I believe pork chops and applesauce taste great together? I learn something new every day! I can hardly wait for garum redux.

[@raziyatheseeker]

Me, who was once chastised for eating pork chops with applesauce: "I feel validated".

[@liwiathan]

No the Redux was the first one he made this is the full version

[@booshywaters3726]

@@liwiathan A redux is a second attempt at something, not a reduction of something

[@Synthonym]

That's been a thing since 1837. It's called Worcestershire sauce

[@davidbraun6209]

Garum, isn't that the Roman version of nuoc mam (Vietnamese sauce made from fermented fish)?

[@stephenpatterson2860]

When I saw it was pork and apples I immediately knew it was gonna be good; those two somehow go incredibly well together. My wife recently made a dish that contained both pork and apples, and while it wasn't anything like this, it was still amazing. I don't know why tender pork and soft, juicy apples pair so well but they really do.

[@pigmentpeddler5811]

My mouth waters just thinking of that classic combo

[@andreagroon9458]

Throw in a sweet potato and you have bliss! The perfect trio.

[@pigmentpeddler5811]

@@andreagroon9458 I think that'd be oversweet for me, I'm all about the classic roasties haha

[@tmarritt]

Pork and apple sausages are definitely a thing here in the UK, or apple sauce with roast pork. Lovely

[@staticfolk5948]

@@andreagroon9458 I just made this recipe, and I can vouch that mashed yam is very good alongside!

[@katharper655]

I love that you read from the Vindolander Tablets. It's like a quick, friendly peek into Ancient Roman Life, and pleases the frustrated ARCHAEOLOGIST in me! You're the BEST, Maximus!

[@cindygr8ce]

Love how he oh so casually used the biggest pepper mill I've ever seen without mentioning it lol

[@peteinuk]

I know!

[@its_clean]

It's a Giada-sized peppermill. As big as the giant ones she likes to use in her restaurants, and also approximately the same size as Giada herself lol.

[@brianbarker2551]

he makes that big cookbook money now, he likes to splurge

[@cindygr8ce]

@@brianbarker2551 r u telling me the pepper mill is the cooking historian version of the F BOI Lambo?

[@lordofarnor9356]

I was so stunned when I saw that I had to pause the video. Am I crazy or was this the first time he's whipped that out?

[@PersimmonHurmo]

Max has that strong 'your favourite grandmother' energy in that gorgeous kitchen and always being in an apron

[@NightMind0]

and the kind eyes

[@tmzumba]

He’s definitely my favorite KZbin grandmother.

[@feralguyver]

#grammaMax

[@beetrootmcguillicuddy4185]

More teeth than one but not as good a beard as the other...

[@ASKSer79]

This is such an adorable take, 100% here for it 😊👵🏼

[@KateRambo]

I live alongside Hadrian’s Wall (within spitting distance!) and it’s fun to know what they ate here! Next time do the C2C - where you walk allllll along it, stopping at pubs, eating good food and getting drunk at night!

[@gambigambigambi]

I cant believe roman cuisine is thousand years old and still better than fucking HAGGIS /s

[@generalputnam2990]

Had great food at the old Grey Bull at Haltwhistle for several days decades ago. French sole by ex-pat London chef. Drafty cold room, rudimentary bath, but the pub was jolly lively! Raconteurs & balladeers abound up there. 👍🏼🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

[@mitchellbarton7915]

After seeing channels like this, I would love to see a restauraunt themed around historic meals like this from differing time periods and parts of the world.

[@generalputnam2990]

All Scandinavia has Viking menu &-themed restaurants, usually adjacent to famous archaeological sites. England had Elizabethan/Tudor feasts. Good idea, & good question for Max.

[@noesunyoutuber7680]

"I went to a restaurant that serves 'breakfast at any time.' So I ordered French Toast during the Renaissance." - Steven Wright

[@evapreu3011]

I can relate so much to the thought how cool it is to know about some average pig farmer living centuries ago. There are so many sources about the lives of kings and other "important" figures, but I always find it comforting to learn about some average Joe who just lived their modest life somewhere but still isn't completely forgotten because they dropped their grocery receipt somewhere.

[@viciousyeen6644]

I love little stories like that too, there’s an ancient graffiti on a wall of a brothel in Pompeii two best friends wrote when they had the night of their lives. Seeing to dudes being bros in History is so wholesome

[@tildessmoo]

If you want a (not quite so ancient) account of peasant life with some _drrrramaaaa!_ to spice it up, check out The Return of Martin Guerre (the book, not the movie), by Natalie Zemon Davis, about a 16th century French peasant named Martin Guerre (or Daguerre) who runs off to Spain, leaving his wife and son behind, and then returns years later... and then a few years after that, someone else shows up and claims to be Martin. There was a trial, and everyone was so confused that they wrote down _everything_ , so we have a lot of info from that incident about peasant life in the time and place that we otherwise wouldn't have.

[@vigilantcosmicpenguin8721]

It's quite wonderful how the most random things end up being preserved.

[@mirandarensberger6919]

You mentioned "a more edible carrot", and that reminded me of what I learned about carrots years ago. They were first domesticated in Afghanistan as a dye plant (originally, purple was the most common color for carrots). The first carrots were pretty tough and woody, not good for eating at all. Eventually, someone got the bright idea to breed carrots with more palatable texture and flavor. They caught on, and because Afghanistan was in the middle of so many trade routes, they spread rapidly around Europe and Asia. The Romans became quite fond of them, as noted in the video, and helped spread them further. Purple was still a common color, but yellow and orange variants also existed. The Dutch, in particular, liked the orange carrots, so much so that they became a symbol of William of Orange, and this ultimately led to the popularization of what we now think of as the standard orange carrot. Source: I read it on some website years ago. It seemed reasonably reliable, but I don't actually remember where it was, so take this history with a grain of salt. I got interested when I first encountered purple carrots at the grocery store; I wondered where they came from and was surprised to learn that purple was the original color. Max, any interest in doing an episode on carrots?

[@lindafreeman7030]

It would give him an excuse to do his best Bugs Bunny voice!

[@Lucius1958]

@@lindafreeman7030 Or, in Latin: _"Quid nunc, O vir doctissime, tibi adest?"_ (approximately translated, "What's up, Doc?")

[@its_clean]

Some of that is true, some of it is not. Based on the Wikipedia page and a little quick Googling about carrots, they were indeed not super edible at first and were selectively bred over time to become more palatable (like a lot of vegetables we now eat). But it seems the earliest cultivated carrots were grown for their tops and seeds, not for use in dyes, and I haven't found any indication that purple was either exclusively or primarily their original color- only that purple, red, orange, yellow, and white varieties were all known as far back as their earliest mentions in written history. There are prominent Roman illustrations of orange carrots from the 6th century, and by the 11th century orange carrots were being traded from the Middle East up to Southern Europe. Orange carrots were already commonly depicted in art across Europe by the mid-1500s, before William of Orange's rise to prominence or the related Dutch flag based on his colors. So, like most history- the boring parts are true, and the "wow what a convenient confluence of events" parts were invented/exaggerated/misattributed.

[@mirandarensberger6919]

@@its_clean Figures.

[@chezmoi42]

@@its_clean The original carrot is still with us, a wild flower known to us as Queen Anne's Lace (Daucus carota). And yes, its seeds are a delicious seasoning, while the roots and leaves are useful for flavoring soups, and the fresh flowers can be battered and fried as fritters. I love seeing them bloom, and keep them as a 'favored weed' in my yard, along with nettles, dandelions, bittercress, and others. The variously colored versions of modern carrots have become quite popular as a novelty during the last decade or so.

[@Yearofthetiger25]

8:14 I'm a historical musician at a Fort, we reenact stuff from the 1800s and part of my job is playing certain songs for the soldiers whether it's for assembling them, telling them its lunch time, or ending the shift in the evening. That's one of the ways the musicians helped tell the time we used duty calls.

[@LoriCiani]

I live in Chester, UK. In Roman times it was known as Deva. On the river Dee defended by walls that remain today. I suppose that those who were stationed at the fort were well looked after. There were baths and a large amphitheatre with all the food outlets and memorabilia stalls that was common at large important venues. It was rumoured that they were thinking about making Deva the capital. But, they retreated before that could happen. After all, there was a main road straight to Chester. There's so much history in Chester from the Romans to the civil war. A good place to visit?

[@inf0phreak]

Oh, dear. Making actual garum in your backyard?! I remember something from a previous episode of yours about garum production being banned near cities because of the smell. This is shaping up to be an interesting summer on the olfactory front for your neighbourhood, I guess :)

[@FrikInCasualMode]

Eh, industrial production was banned. I'm sure couple of liters of homemade garum won't stink up the neighborhood too badly. Last year I kept a bucket full of fermenting weeds to make liquid compost and my neighbors did not complain.

[@ragnkja]

Fortunately, scale does matter here.

[@petergray7576]

Unfortunately, the weather in SoCal has been unrelenting rain, so it might be awhile until conditions permit the making of that video. On a plus side, the state has received so much snow that the ski resorts will remain open until June.

[@brucelee3388]

I knew of someone here in Australia who tried to ferment Woad in their back yard - complaints from various neighbours and the local council made them give up. I think fermenting fish may be worse than fermenting woad.

[@BrokenWingsDarkAngel]

If the batch is big enough he could bribe the neighbours with ancient roman fish sauce.

[@martinblouin3639]

it cracks me up every time you say hard tacks and you put that hard tack segment 😂

[@FrikInCasualMode]

So you could say you love hard tack crack.

[@Nellis202]

That is truly hysterical 😂

[@VeritechGirl]

Hey I’m curious, When Hadrians Wall was finished, did the laborers all shout “Yo Hadrian! We did it!”

[@CantankerousDave]

“Hadriaaaaaaaaan!”

[@michaelbezerradias7888]

Congratulations! I loved your video. And, as a Brazilian, I thank you for the quality of the subtitles in Portuguese. She is great.

[@vectorwolf]

I love these Roman entries the most. I wish I'd had this channel back when I had to make a dish for a Roman feast back in high school... but there wasn't even any internet back then.

[@its_clean]

And the Wright Brothers had just flown for the first time, and the War of the Roses had just ended, and Prometheus had yet to carry fire down from the heavens, and dinosaurs still roamed the earth, and... 😂

[@vectorwolf]

@@its_clean hey, I'm not THAT old. Ground sloths at most.

[@Blondie42]

19:36 I could see you standing over Jose at the dinner table at dinner time with that pepper grinder asking "Would sir care for some fresh ground pepper for his meal."

[@lalexander1144]

Well, I posted a month ago that I would make this and I DID! Just ate it. It was actually fun to make but not the cheapest recipe. Also I had no idea what to expect out of garum. In fact, I have never cooked cilantro before (or with garum) and there was an odd, not great smell that eminated from the pot. I blamed it on the garum, but at only 2 teaspoons, maybe it's the cilantro? Either way, I skipped the extra garum on the sauce and used salt instead. Yes, it is a bit vinegar-y at first. But it's actually a pleasant dish and VERY complex. I think the asafoetida stays with you a little combined with the long pepper and honey....or is it the garum? Something is sticking around, but it's not unpleasant. Bottom line, it's a very warming dish for a rainy or cold night. It is a lot of different flavors that the average person wouldn't recognize. This was actually decent. By the way, Defructum tastes like prune juice to me (sorry, Max lol).

[@lawrenceiverson1924]

Belgium has been the centre of beer--making in Europe for millenia Asfoetida may be found in Indian spice stores It is also called "Hing"

[@FiliusFidelis]

Always so entertaining to watch Max take that first bite of something. So many expressions flowing over his face in a just a few seconds.

[@mamadragon2581]

I love the little smile that says "Day-yum, this is good!"

[@acidrat420]

you know it's good when he goes for a second bite before describing any kind of flavor lol

[@kohashiguchi1454]

Real pleasure that isn't faked is always worth seeing----if it comes from someone you can regard as a friend, even better. The only Max reaction I like better than this one is for Pumpion Pie.

[@Lunchboxico]

Perfect. Was going to say that exact thing, within half a second you can tell by very slight "oh yeah" face.. or that slightly confused "what did I just put in my mouth?" look

[@jennypaxton8159]

@@Lunchboxico Or the dreaded “yep, that’s leather” face.

[@DamonNomad82]

I especially enjoyed this episode due to a family tradition linked to the Roman soldiers stationed at Hadrian's Wall. According to said tradition, a Roman centurion named Dionysius was stationed at Hadrian's Wall for the last part of his military career. When he reached retirement age, he married a local girl and settled near the wall. He is said to be the ancestor of English families with the surnames Denison, Tennyson, Dyson or Tyson. My great-great grandfather, whose last name was Dyson, immigrated to the US from Lancashire, not far from the western end of the site of the Wall, in the mid 19th Century.

[@ragnkja]

Surnames aren’t really attested in England prior to the Roman Conquest, let alone ones that persisted through generations. At most, variants of “Dionysus” might have started out as more common given names in that family than in others, but that would quickly become “watered out” as people didn’t just name their children after ancestors, but also after family friends or other people they wanted their child to resemble in character. Most English people didn’t have a “proper” surname until after the Black Death.

[@sophiamcdougall5908]

Some of those surnames derive from "Denis", which ultimately does come from "Dionysios", but it morphed into Denis in France, became the name of a Christian saint, and only came to Britain with the Norman conquest. At which point it became a fairly common first name. Many people called Denis presumably had sons, giving rise to the patronymic "Denis's son." There aren't any extant English surnames with unbroken lineage going back to the Roman period, let alone to a single person.

[@its_clean]

As the two folks above me have described more eloquently than I can, this is a clear case where the family folklore is in conflict with hard history. That being said, I see no reason why OP shouldn't continue to enjoy his family's tradition, so long as he acknowledges (silently, perhaps) that the history behind that tradition is more than a little wobbly. But then again, if we gave up on all family rites that couldn't be traced to documented history, probably none of us would have any traditions left at all!

[@DamonNomad82]

@@its_clean Well said! That's exactly why I stated it as a family tradition rather than presenting it as a cold, hard fact. I choose to believe it, but I don't think any less of others for not doing so.

[@gaydes1012]

the little smile he does when he tries the apple is honestly adorable, Max you are adorable.

[@teatimetala]

One ofy fave parts of any episode is waiting for Max's reaction to taking the first bite. This time didn't disappoint! I loved his expression of pure fascination turning into joy in the span of a millisecond.

[@MrMegaManFan]

That impish smile on Max’s face when he tastes something wonderful is the best! It always makes me want to try the food too.

[@scallopohare9431]

"Someone?"

[@mattpowell06]

Everything stops when Tasting History notification pops up

[@vivianp5962]

😂 yep

[@ingridbmangubat]

This dish reminds me a lot of Filipino Adobo. Before having Chinese and Spanish influences, our original adobo is basically pork cooked in vinegar and local herbs. The basic modern recipe often has soy sauce and potatoes. But many households have their own spin to it, like my mom loves to dump huge amounts of dried oregano sprigs. I think I want to try making this dish and just replace the spices I can't get with ones that are available. Definitely considering using apples instead of potatoes. So interesting!

[@MysticaFaery]

Visited Aqua Sulis just yesterday. Perfect timing for Roman Britain!

[@chrisball3778]

Vindolanda is such an amazing place- definitely one of the best Roman sites in Britain. The Vindolanda Tablets are such an amazing discovery, as they record so many little details about everyday life. The most famous one is from a woman called Claudia Severa who was the wife of one of the camp commanders, asking her sister to come to her birthday party, which is one of the first known examples of writing by a Roman woman. There are also lots of drafts of letters by soldiers to their families, many of which complain about the cold, wet weather in Britannia (a tradition that endures to this day) and beg them to send warm clothing such as socks and underpants. Yes, Romans sometimes wore socks and underpants, at least when the army sent them to the North of England- who knew?

[@chezmoi42]

Underpants? Unlike the hardy Scot!

[@vigilantcosmicpenguin8721]

Huh, I wonder what Roman birthday parties were like.

[@OmegaOutoto]

That hardtack clip takes me out everytime. I know it's going to happen and I still laugh.

[@bsteven885]

"clack clack" 😂

[@PrincessJamiG]

I love it so much.

[@michelleboyle6497]

It’s interesting how certain foods like apples diversified and spread so quickly. Author Jo Robinson notes that the first naturally flavorful apples likely developed just before the campaigns of Alexander the Great, who introduced them to the broader world after passing through a stand of them. Apples are considered a member of the Rose family, and apparently they are descended from a shrub that produces small medicinal berries found in the Himalaya region

[@knightshousegames]

15:39 this note feels like something you would find in a survival horror game as a hint for where to find the key to the store house in order to find some key item you need.

[@ForbiddenChocolate]

It always makes me ridiculously happy when you try the featured dish and your face lights up like that! Probably because of all the work you put into researching and then preparing it while filming the entire process. Congratulations on another Tasting History success!

[@mathildafollend9358]

That looked freaking good! And the fact that the chosen food for punishment for a Roman soldier would be the chosen ingredient for merriment for practically anyone else is just too good 😂

[@ragnkja]

Maybe that was part of the punishment? That they were eating up the barley that they’d much rather malt and make beer from?

[@lenabreijer1311]

​@@ragnkjathe daily meal for slave gladiators was barley and beans. To help them put on a layer of fat as protection.

[@HappyBeezerStudios]

@@ragnkja the Romans had a distaste for beer and much preferred diluted wine.

[@Amy_the_Lizard]

​@@HappyBeezerStudios Honestly, I don't blame them, I'm not much of a beer person either...

[@kirbyculp3449]

Eat a bowl of plain barley or barley bread and you will soon understand the punishment. Its the culinary equivalent to standing with your nose in the corner.

[@harveyliu89]

So I just made this dish for my family. Granted, some of the ingredients were impossible to find in China, I was able to find substitutes for most, including Teochew fish sauce for Garum. Some I had to improvise. Needless to say, the end result blew mine and everyone’s minds. The taste was so foreign yet mixed eloquently, the vinegar, spices and sweetness create a wonderful flavor! Thank you Max!

[@innawoodsman]

That detail of soldiers marking their grinding tools with their names is so cool. Nothing really changes. I mark all of my tools at work with my name and they still go missing, damn it

[@adamplace1414]

This channel is my catnip. I wish I had discovered it while my dad was still around. We used to call each other just after every Bills game and F1 race, and I can imagine us doing the same after every new video on this channel, because history and cooking are two more passions he passed down to me. Also, the news that the garum vid is getting a part two is especially awesome! I think part one was my first or second time seeing Tasting History. Great stuff!

[@Luncheon23]

Max your show is really high-quality and its merit far exceeds that of many shows on TV. Informative and interesting. Love your voice as well. Thanks for another great video!

[@TastingHistory]

Thank you 😊

[@lethn2929]

Online content in general is just slaughtering TV even at stuff traditionally TV was okay at, I don't even have television or radio in the house because of it, looking forward to seeing television die.

[@christineh14]

Our cable TV went out and when the repair guy asked how long it had been out I had to say “Not really sure- no one has had the TV on since last October.”

[@ragnkja]

@@christineh14 I’ve got _one_ TV show I watch, and it’s only on for the first ten weeks of each year. And since it’s on the national broadcasting station it’s also available online, so I don’t even need anything specific beyond a general internet connection.

[@Nellis202]

Given all this craziness we see in our society today, the death of TV would be the best thing that can happen. Just think , people would actually hav to “think” for themselves. And no more Khardashians , the greatest human disaster to ever exist ! 😮😊😮

[@tippytappy]

Somebody PLEASE make a video where the hardtack clip plays on a continuous loop, even if it’s for like 1 minute - i’m in tears every time it comes up 😂

[@mdtrw]

I read some where about an old norse recipe that includes pork, bacon, apple, and onion, cooked in beer. Since then I developed on that recipe and basically made a spicy apple pork dish that's my family's favourite! Fruits were commonly cooked back then and tracing old dish gave me a new appreciation for fruits in savoury dishes.

[@FirstLast-zm1cd]

The hard tack (clack clack) always catches me off guard and make me choke on a laugh 😂

[@damealeta3541]

Someone in my friend group was wondering why we pair pork and applesauce. WOW this right here gives us the answer! You are amazing, Max!!! Thanks for that connection to history. 💚

[@SprintCupDCS]

Max, I really enjoyed the historic details you added. Especially regarding the “cerveza.” I’m a bilingual English/Spanish speaker and you have excellent Spanish pronunciation!

[@brianthesnail3815]

I am from the UK and my wife used to live very near Hadrian's wall and I am from York (Eboracum) which was the military staging area for administering Hadrian’s Wall. We now live further south in England and about 50 yards in front of our house is a Roman temple buried now under a field. Our garden still has a plant called 'Ground Elder' in it which Romans introduced to the UK and used to eat as salad and wild garlic which they would also have eaten. I make two dishes which are versions of this dish in the video. Tuscan Roast pork with fennel seeds which has pork crackling and another dish called Normandy Pork with cider cream and apples. I like to think Romans from Italy or Gaul (France) sent to the UK would have eaten those. Roman history is still living among us in our food, our buildings, our language and even growing in our garden.

[@ungabunga6961]

If only you had posted this two weeks sooner Max! Although I wish I could have prepared this instead, I’m happy to report that my rendition of your Globi recipe was received very well by the guests at a Bacchanalia celebration I attended recently. I’ll just have to make this dish next year and report back…unless there’s an even better Roman recipe in your book when it arrives soon! PS- I made a few batches of globi with the addition of a little powdered sugar, a drizzle of a fig-balsamic glaze, or both. The fig-balsamic I *highly* reccomend, the tart and fruity is a lovely bit of contrast to the fatty sweetness of the globi!

[@AngelavengerL]

That sounds super fun!

[@s.durbar1294]

your friends threw an 8 people bacchanalia?

[@andreagriffiths3512]

I’m glad yours turned out and you got to try them. Mine exploded on that last batch and sent me to hospital with burns to my hands and face. Turned out to be a blessing in disguise as my blood pressure was in very dangerous territory. Max literally saved my life. I recovered with only one small scar on my chest (didn’t know it has been burnt) and now, 2 years later, my blood pressure is under control. By the time I got home, my dad had thrown them out, so I never did get to try them and, understandably, I’ve never attempted to make them again either.

[@Bludgeoned2DEATH2]

I found you because of Garum and I specifically remember you saying you were hoping to make actual garum one day in a back yard! Can’t wait to follow the process 😊

[@L77045]

Love the reference to not just the old Roman videos you did, but the continued hardtack tap-tap. Such a great channel for so long. Thank you for the enjoyment.

[@user-uk7ri4en1b]

when I see Max’s video about food in army, I instantly open it and wait for “hardtack” word and glorious “clack clack” clip thank you for keeping this meme alive, Max, I always laugh when this clip shows up

[@patron8597]

Cerveza (or Cervisia) being Roman-time beer is one of the things that stuck in my head thanks to Asterix.

[@davidwoolsey2135]

The local cats and coyotes are going to love visiting your back yard, Max and Jose. Get some "trail cameras" with low light capability to watch the hijinks! 😇

[@ruthbennett7563]

Yes… there will definitely have to be some anti-critter measures taken, or there will be an unhappy ending to the episode.

[@AnaxErik4ever]

Hello Polywrath in the background, and thank you Max for this Roman recipe of pork and apples. Hadrian's Wall is definitely one of the longest (lasting) Roman monuments from across the vastness that was the Empire. I prefer the Column of Vespasian myself, Marcus Aurelius' statue on horseback too.

[@eindalton2638]

Well, this one's going into my to-make list! Also, in general thanks for making historical cooking easier with your channel!

[@Targemq8]

The combination of the swelling musical cue with the growing delight on Max's face when they taste of the dish is just delightful.

[@operatorchakkoty4257]

When he tastes it. 95% of humanity is very sure of their gender.

[@nltoriola89]

Max, you are so adorable when you're enjoying your food. 😂

[@JosueLopez-kk9us]

the beer you showed when you mentioned beer is called "Cerveza" in spanish, is made in my home city Mazatlán, Mexico it's very good, alongside Modelo is among the best brands of mexican beer in my opinion, the factory was initially created by german inmigrants, very interesting history

[@amandaharum1274]

I just made this as part of a larger feast, it was amazing! Thank you so much for sharing, I love your videos!

[@exidy-yt]

I remember reading a story about a former Roman Decurio (think Sergeant) chastising a more current troop after they let Huns capture a Roman citizen, stating that "they should be fed on the barley and vinegar of disgrace", so that fits in well with what you are saying Max.

[@brucelee3388]

Decurio - commander of 10. Actually came to mean an officer commanding 32 cavalry . Centurio - commander of 100 - actually 80 less detached troops.

[@exidy-yt]

@@brucelee3388 Yes, but I was trying to keep it simple.

[@CrazyBeatlesFanatic]

Whoa, that giant pepper grinder just came out of nowhere with no explanation 😅

[@MrBfiguero]

Have any previous episodes featured that monstrosity? I don't recall seeing it before.

[@kimquinn7728]

Your mischievous eyeballs when you say, "let me try some of the apple..." you can see that you LOVE it! Your joy is contagious. Thank you for these wonderful videos. The hardback clip kills me every time!!!😊

[@taraturnerwilliams7617]

I absolutely adore your channel Max, this looks like something I might actually try too. The look on your face when you tried it and loved it is priceless!! Thanks so much for making history and cooking so fun and entertaining while also being informative. You are the best!

[@lazercheesecake]

I just wanted to say that I always loved your intro theme and animation! It reminds me of watching those PBS history shows in my childhood with my family. Very nostalgic and warm

[@chenstormstout9456]

This is exactly why I followed him during lockdown. It’s very PBS in presentation

[@stargirl7646]

Oh yes! Same!

[@rickypope8076]

I live for when you say "hard tack" and we get that delightful snippet of film!!! Gets me everytime!!! Thank you!!!

[@Ulfrich_Stormcock]

CLACK CLACK

[@timeliebe]

I always heard the IX Legion settled down on the far side of Hadrian's Wall with one of the late Western Caesar's sons, and became the basis of the legend of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table.

[@arx3516]

Silphium was an important plot point in an italian horror tv series in the '90s. It scared the **** out if me when i was a kid, then i watched it again recently, and it still scares me.

[@fluffytom82]

This was one of the first Roman recipes I made almost 30 years ago 😍 Though the first time I did make it with apricots, as that was what my translation said "mala matiana" were. Today, I'd rather go for crabapples or maybe very acid and firm apples like Granny Smith.

[@domeatown]

the fragments of writing are the best parts of anything. the little journals and memos that we keep are, like, the first things we throw away. no one keeps a shopping list. but they are always the most fascinating!

[@alinakrohn7726]

What an excellent and enjoyable life yours must be! I'm so happy your channel exists. It makes me want to study history, culinary history, and have way more fun cooking and experimenting. Thanks Max! You're so cool!

[@bombidil3]

God, what at treat this channel is. I love every bit of it. Real Garum, Hard Tack (TM) [clack clack], and a good attitude. Thank you for creating this joy!

[@blissgirl9052]

That delightful little twinkle in his eye when Max realizes the food is good! Really, really good! Such fun to watch!

[@kaileafire]

YES Vindolanda! The things they have found from that dig are amazing! Leather and fabric in the least, actual writings from soldiers has been mind blowing!

[@harbl99]

"Please send more socks."

[@rosemaryag2000]

Loving the food details from the writing...never thought about those before

[@mariecarie1]

Here’s hoping there weren’t any “Dear John” letters, or in this case, “Carissime Ioannes”.

[@dianaspain1135]

One of my favorite videos ever, and I'm going to make the dish as soon as I can acquire some garum and grape must. Thanks for a fascinating glimpse of Roman military meals, Max!

[@troychristman5662]

this looks fantastic!! I was fortunate enough to visit Hadrian's Wall a few years ago with my Dad. We went to a different fort, but it was truly incredible! Great video, Max!

[@mpscrogg5703]

You should totally introduce a line of historical condements and sauces premade and ready to go. You have a particularly unique knowledge of historical condements and sauces, you have the experience to make them "correctly", and it is a unique product which would be useful and enjoable for all the Tasting History fans who want to try out these fun flavors but don't have the time or skills to prepare them themselves.

[@maudline]

Or spice blends ‘Miller’s Mixes’

[@lorrainemunoa791]

@@maudline I'd buy a Powder Forte and Powder Douce. The two main blends for Medieval cookery. THose might be easier to formulate, then have produced and packaged and sold, as they have shelf life.

[@carolsh1983]

My mom loves mudlarking (digging through the mud of The Thames) and I really want to go with her and find some Roman stuff. You have to get a license and register real finds and I would but you can keep a lot of stuff.

[@sharonharris9782]

What a cool hobby!!! Has she actually found anything of worth?

[@peteinuk]

My cousin mudlarks too!

[@Your-Least-Favorite-Stranger]

Having to get a license to sift through the mud _and_ hand over the coolest finds would ruin the fun for me :/

[@carolsh1983]

@@Your-Least-Favorite-Stranger Eh, it’s only if you find something of that really belongs in a museum. But I take your point.

[@jamescaron6465]

That looks really good. I’m gonna have to try it. I may have to pick up your cookbook as well. You’ve got some really great historical recipes. It’s like a history lesson for your palate.

[@mikekopack6441]

That looks FANTASTIC... I might have to give that one a try at some point. Can't wait to see what's in your cookbook when it comes in a week or so!

[@VermilionMage]

Max just casually showing off his jumbo-sized pepper grinder like we wouldn't notice.

[@s.higgins4974]

I was also at Vindolanda this summer! My favorite artifacts were the child's wooden sword in the soldier's weapon display, the loaded dice thrown down the well, and the letters. One letter was a birthday party invitation from a rich lady to her friend a few miles away and another was a soldier thanking his mother for a care package with socks.

[@jgkitarel]

As a former soldier, I can very much understand why that legionnaire was thankful for socks. Don't underestimate the value of a good pair of socks, my friend.

[@Beryllahawk]

This dish makes me think of German sauerbraten in some ways! My grandmother (born in what is now Poland) used to tell me about pork and apples as one of her very favorite things when she was a girl, which I suppose would have been around 1930 or so... sauerbraten is of course not quite the same because it's a marinated and roasted pork dish, though apples are commonly served alongside it or as dessert, but I definitely liked Oma's sauerbraten, and the flavors here seem very similar!

[@peterott-tn6pf]

Great video Max, that dish looked amazing!! Always learning from you and I love it!!! I absolutely can NOT wait to see what you cover next!! Take care my friend!

[@misterbennnn]

"There's something also very familiar with it" I think Max unlocked a genetic Roman memory

[@MonCappy]

I knew the moment you took a bite of it that you loved it. It's all in the way your eyes light up with delight at the taste. Your expressiveness always gives you away good sir.

[@PovlKvols]

Great story telling, history, and a great recipe. Thank you for sharing, always an interesting story!

[@tomspettigue8791]

I love your facial expressions on those first bites. Your eyes just dart around enthusiastically followed by this slowly widening mischievous grin, it's just fantastic. I'm getting pretty good at determining which dishes you're giving a hearty thumbs up to before you actually speak on it - you have extremely communicative emotions and it's absolutely wonderful to watch. As an aside, this dish looks amazing, and I'm going to have to try making it. Some rarer ingredients in this one, but I can accumulate them over the course of a few weeks methinks.

[@drewharrison6433]

Now that is some serious big pepper grinder energy! 😂

[@januzzell8631]

I love the eyebrows - you can always tell when Max likes a dish - the eyebrows followed usually by the cheeky grin - looked amazing - glad it tasted that way too

[@stephenmiller4948]

The research you do to prepare your content is impeccable! After a long day work, binging on some History! Great work!