Understanding Roman Food 

By: Fredrick Wu, Johns Hopkins University

Hi everyone! I am Fredrick Wu and I am from Atlanta, Georgia, but am currently studying at the Johns Hopkins University as a Molecular and Cellular Biology major on the pre-medicine track, but am also considering other potential dual majors such as Classics or International Studies. At Hopkins, I am involved in several student organizations such as the Johns Hopkins Model United Nations Travel Team where I compete in several collegiate conferences across the school year. This fall, I will also be co-chairing a UNESCO community for our own conference. Outside of Model UN, other organizations I am in include Homewood Chamber Music Society (Clarinet!), Students Consulting for Nonprofit Organizations, and do research at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine! 

My project is titled Understanding Roman Food, and is a broad question based mostly on the self-titled manuscript by Apicius. It is a collection of an assortment of Ancient Roman recipes. I will not only test some of these recipes, but will use my time in Italy to see its modern influence. Furthermore, I will analyze some of the health impacts that this diet has and what its impact was in ancient Rome. 

I first started studying Latin in 8th grade and studied it throughout high school. During that time, I got heavily interested in reading about the history and culture of Roman society. This project emphasizes a lot on scholarship of this time and the ability to see much of this in-person. 

It gives a glimpse into the daily life of Romans and how their cuisine has influenced modern Mediterranean and Western food and culture. 

The main research question I am focusing on is: How do ancient Roman recipes and cuisine suit modern diets and culture and what influences has it had? I am hoping my final product will be a digital journal of my travels and some recipes I will personally try to make from Apicius. 

I am planning on traveling to Italy in late July! I will be spending numerous days in Milan, Florence, Rome, Naples, and Pompeii! Each of these cities has centuries of history and were major cities during the Roman era. I am particularly excited to visit Pompeii and see what a Roman town was really like in-person. The reason my visit to Pompeii is so important is due to the preservation state that Pompeii is in. Many corner stores where people in Pompeii would sell and buy food and drink are still in good condition. I will be able to see up-close where food was prepared and where Romans would eat their food and analyze their lifestyle. 

I am looking forward to discovering more about Italy and Central Europe. Specifically, I want to see the Roman influence on modern life in not only Italy, but in the surrounding areas as well. I will be taking advantage of the time I have in Italy in order to explore as many historical places and cuisines as I can! From Milan to Rome to Pompeii to Naples I can not wait to share the results of my adventures.