Breads and grains

From 123 BC, the Roman Empire issued a ration of unmilled wheat (as much as 33 kg) to as many as 200,000 people each month, known as the frumentatio. There was formerly a charge for this, but it was repealed in 58 BC by the plebeian tribune Publius Clodius Pulcher. Individuals receiving the frumentatio had to be citizens and residents of Rome.

Flat, round loaves made of emmer (a cereal grain closely related to wheat) with a bit of salt were originally eaten; among the upper classes, eggs, cheese, and honey, as well as milk and fruit, were also consumed. Wheat bread was introduced during the Imperial period, approximately 1 AD; over time, more and more wheat meals began to replace emmer loaves. There were various types of the bread of varying quality. White bread was traditionally cooked for the wealthy, with darker bread baked for the middle class and the darkest bread baked for the destitute peasants. The bread was occasionally dipped in wine and served with olives, cheese, and grapes.

There were at least 33 bakeries in Pompeii at the time of its collapse in AD 79. Sweet buns scented with blackcurrants were created by Roman chefs, as were cheesecakes made with flour, honey, eggs, ricotta-like cheese, and poppy seed. Honey, reduced red wine, and cinnamon were used to make sweet wine cakes. Fruit tarts were popular among the upper classes, but the poorer classes couldn't afford to prepare them themselves or buy them from markets and sellers. Apicius, a late 4th or early 5th-century Roman recipe book, defined Juscellum as a soup containing grated bread, eggs, sage, and saffron.