Foods Of The Past

People have always found ways to make the most of what was around them, especially when it came to food. Long before refrigerators and takeout apps, ancient kitchens served up meals that might surprise modern appetites. Dishes ranged from earthy to downright unexpected. This list explores 20 truly shocking foods that were once normal in ancient times, and the stories that kept them on the menu.

Pierre Olivier Joseph Coomans on Wikimedia

1. Fermented Fish Entrails (Garum)

Garum is a pungent liquid made from fermented fish intestines. The process required weeks of sun-rotting fish viscera layered with salt. Despite its off-putting origins, it was so valuable that entire factories along the Mediterranean coast specialized in its production. 

Ancient Romans had yummy condiments. Here’s a recipe by Vox

2. Flamingo Tongues

What counted as luxury in Rome? For the aristocracy, it included the tongue of a flamingo. These brightly plumed birds were prized not just for their beauty but for their rarity. Flamingo tongues were roasted and presented with flair. 

Ancient Roman Flamingo Tongues #recipes #foodhistory by Tales From The Road

3. Boiled Dormice

Not every Roman delicacy came from exotic lands. The dormouse was specially bred in terracotta jars called gliraria. Once fattened, the animal was stuffed with meat and herbs and boiled or baked. These were considered refined appetizers at elite feasts and banquet halls. 

Romans loved stuffed dormice #recipe #history #ancient #romanempire #fyp #roman #spqr #cooking by Eats History

4. Sea Urchin Gonads

In coastal regions of Greece and Rome, some of the most prized delicacies came straight from the sea. Sea urchin gonads were seen as energizing and sensual. Believed to enhance male vitality, they were commonly consumed fresh and unseasoned. 

Why Sea Urchins Are So Expensive | So Expensive by Business Insider

5. Blood Pudding

No part of the animal (mostly pig) went to waste, including its blood in prehistoric Britain. Mixed with oats and fat, it was boiled into an iron-rich pudding. This dish provided necessary calories during cold seasons when meat and fresh food were harder to find. 

How Black Pudding Is Made In England | Regional Eats by Insider Food

6. Ox Udders

Ancient Roman kitchens didn’t shy away from unconventional cuts. Ox udders were either boiled or grilled. The rich and smooth texture made them a specialty item at upper-class gatherings. Their use reflected both culinary resourcefulness and the Roman embrace of full-animal consumption.

Cooking Tasty Cow Breast Very Delicious For Dinner by Cooking Technique

7. Peacock Meat

In Persia, peacocks were dinner. Their meat, while not especially tender, was viewed as fit for nobility. Often enhanced with saffron and wrapped in gold leaf, the preparation emphasized a visual spectacle that turned the bird into a literal centerpiece of royal banquets. 

Dave's Exotic Foods - Peacock / Peafowl by DavetheUsher

8. Raw Liver

Egyptian ritual practices extended to the dinner plate. Raw animal liver (cow, goat, or ox) was believed to channel life force and strength. People ate them during ceremonies and sometimes reserved them for warriors or priests. This practice tied physical health to spiritual vitality, uniting food and belief in daily life. 

HOW TO EAT RAW LIVER EASILY NO GAGS| Safest Method | Carnivore Diet by Steak and Butter Gal

9. Silphium Paste

Few plants were as coveted as silphium. Used in medicine and cuisine, its resinous extract was pressed into a paste and added to meals. The Romans valued it for both flavor and function, though overharvesting and habitat loss rendered this plant extinct. Only coins and texts preserve its culinary legacy. 

Silphium: The Lost Aphrodisiac of Ancient Rome by Tasting History with Max Miller

10. Roasted Locusts

In the ancient Middle East, protein often had wings. Locusts became an abundant and practical food source. Roasted over flames or sun-dried, they provided nutrients with minimal preparation. Today, their consumption continues in parts of Arabia, echoing culinary traditions thousands of years old. 

catch & cook roast locust for food | Cook grasshopper recipe eating delicious by Saphoun Phat

11. Whale Blubber And Skin

Whale skin and blubber (known as mattak) offered more than energy in the Arctic. The Inuit and Norse valued it for its rare vitamin C content, which was critical in preventing scurvy. In frozen regions without crops, this raw delicacy was essential, not optional.

Lisa Risager on Wikimedia

12. Roasted Small Rodents

Roasted rats and mice may sound shocking now. However, in the Levant’s ancient kitchens, they were common fare. Easy to catch and simple to prepare, these rodents helped communities stretch resources during difficult seasons. Those people just made use of everything the land could offer. 

O.M.G Cooking Rat Mouse to Eat by Wilderness Food

13. Fermented Mare’s Milk (Kumis)

Among nomadic tribes like the Mongols and Scythians, kumis was a daily staple. Fermenting mare’s milk created a slightly alcoholic, effervescent drink rich in gut-friendly bacteria. Beyond nourishment, it served in social rituals and was believed to energize warriors traversing the Central Asian steppe.

A.Savin on Wikimedia

14. Jellyfish

Thousands of years before refrigeration, East Asian diets embraced texture as much as flavor. Jellyfish were sliced thin and soaked in vinegar to neutralize the sting. The result: a chewy, cool dish often paired with sesame or chili oil to awaken the palate.

Holly Cheng on Wikimedia

15. Hedgehog Wrapped In Clay

Iron Age cooks devised clever solutions to nature’s obstacles. They packed hedgehogs in clay and placed them in embers. As the clay hardened, it captured the spines. Cracked open like a shell, the spines came off clean and revealed fire-roasted meat inside. 

Eating a Hedgehog: Clay-Baked Mock-Hedgehog cooked in fire by The Foragers

16. Dog Stew

Far from modern sensibilities, Roman soldiers once relied on dog meat for sustenance during long campaigns. Cooked slowly with local herbs like bay leaf, it was their way to gain protein and warmth on cold nights—a military diet born out of battlefield necessity.

by Rhett Sutphin on Wikimedia

17. Ant Eggs (Escamoles)

Highland Mesoamericans turned ant larvae into a luxury. Called escamoles, these sautéed morsels were esteemed by the Aztecs for their rich texture and nutritional value. Dubbed “insect caviar,” the dish reflected a broader culinary tradition shaped by both environment and innovation.

MCGau on Wikimedia

18. Stuffed Sow’s Womb

Another theatrical cuisine of Roman banquets—stuffed sow’s womb was prepared by boiling and packing it with spiced meat or grain mixtures. Served to impress guests, it embodied the Roman culinary ambition of turning taboo anatomy into a gourmet presentation. 

PORK UTERUS WITH SALAD FRESH ORGANIC INGREDIENTS - TASTY FOODS by AnimalsShelter

19. Crocodile Meat

Along the Nile, protein came from both land and river. Ancient Egyptians hunted crocodiles not just for leather or ritual use but also for their meat. Grilled or stewed, it was considered strengthening. Religious texts even suggest it was consumed with symbolic meaning.

JIP on Wikimedia

20. Smoked Reindeer Hooves

In Siberia’s remote terrain, survival dictated the creative use of animal parts. Reindeer hooves were smoked or stewed to soften their collagen-rich cartilage. Consumed by indigenous tribes, they provided both sustenance and valuable nutrients, especially in winter months when food sources dwindled. 

Uses of the Deer: Removing and Trimming Hooves for Rattles and Decorations by SkillCult