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Polentam (Polenta)

Polentam (Polenta) is a traditional Ancient Roman recipe for from Pliny the Elder's Historia Naturalis is a recipe for making a barley gruel that is described as 'polenta'. This is also said to be a variant of the gruel/porridge given to gladiators, the hordearii or 'barley-eaters'. A recipe is given in Historia Naturalis 18.14 that makes this polenta from a blend of barley, linseed, coriander seeds and salt cooked in water. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic Ancient Roman version of: Polenta (Polentam).

prep time

10 minutes

cook time

60 minutes

Total Time:

70 minutes

Serves:

1

Rating:

Tags : Vegetarian RecipesVegan RecipesAncient Roman Recipes

Original Recipe

Original recipe, Pliny the Elder Historia Naturalis 18.14-15.

Polentuam

Antiquissimum in cibis hordeum, sicut Atheniensium ritu Menandro auctore apparet et gladiatorum cognomine, qui hordearii uocabantur. Polentam quoque Graeci non aliunde praeferunt. Pluribus fit haec modis. Graeci perfusum aqua hordeum siccant nocte una ac postero die frigunt, dein molis frangunt. Sunt qui uehementius tostum rursus exigua aqua adspergant et siccent, priusquam molant. Alii uero uirentibus spicis decussum hordeum recens purgant madidumque in pila tundunt atque in corbibus eluunt ac siccatum sole rursus tundunt et purgatum molunt. Quocumque autem genere praeparato, uicenis hordei libris ternas seminis lini et coriandri selibram salisque acetabulum, torrentes omnia ante, miscent in mola. Qui diutius uolunt seruare, cum polline ac furfuribus suis condunt nouis fictilibus. Italia sine perfusione tostum in subtilem farinam molit, isdem additis atque etiam milio.


Panem ex hordeo antiquis usitatum uita damnauit, quadripedumque fere cibus est, cum tisanae inde usus ualidissimus saluberrimusque tanto opere probetur. Vnum laudibus eius uolumen dicauit Hippocrates e clarissimis medicinae scientia. Tisanae bonitas praecipua Vticensi. In Aegypto uero est quae fiat ex hordeo cui sunt bini anguli. In Baetica et Africa genus ex quo fiat hordei glabrum appellat Turranius. Idem olyran et oryzan eandem esse existimat. Tisanae conficiendae uolgata ratio est.

Translation

Barley is one of the most ancient aliments of man, a fact that is proved by a custom of the Athenians, mentioned by Menander, as also by the name of "hordearii," that used to be given to gladiators. The Greeks, too, prefer barley to anything else for making polenta. This food is made in various ways: in Greece, the barley is first steeped in water, and then left a night to dry. The next day they parch it, and then grind it in the mill. Some persons parch it more highly, and then sprinkle it again with a little water; after which they dry it for grinding. Others shake the grain from out of the ear while green, and, after cleaning and soaking it in water, pound it in a mortar. They then wash the paste in baskets, and leave it to dry in the sun; after which they pound it again, clean it, and grind it in the mill. But whatever the mode of preparation adopted, the proportions are always twenty pounds of barley to three pounds of linseed, half a pound of coriander, and fifteen drachmæ of salt: the ingredients are first parched, and then ground in the mill.


Those who want it for keeping, store it in new earthen vessels, with fine flour and bran. In Italy, the barley is parched without being steeped in water, and then ground to a fine meal, with the addition of the ingredients already mentioned, and some millet as well. Barley bread, which was extensively used by the ancients, has now fallen into universal disrepute, and is mostly used as a food for cattle only.

Modern Redaction

Ingredients:

340g (12oz) ground barley
3 tbsp ground linseeds
2 tsp ground coriander seeds
salt, to taste

Method:

Mix together the barley, linseeds and coriander seeds in a bowl.

Bring 1l (1 quart) water to a boil and whilst stirring constantly add the ground mixture as a slow, steady, stream. Bring just to a boil, reduce to a simmer then cook, stirring frequently for 10 minutes. Cover the pot and cook gently, stirring occasionally, for 50 minutes. During this time check that the heat is not too high (or the mixture will catch and burn). If the mixture is getting too thick, add a little more boiling water.

Serve spooned into bowls.

For a more flavourful polenta you can cook the barley in meat, fish or vegetable stock instead of water. Though this is a modern interpretation you could add dried raisins near the end of cooking (an era-appropriate addition).