Roman Food in Britain
Many foods were introduced by the Romans to Britain. The type of food differed depending on whether it was eaten by the wealthy, poor or army in Roman Britain. Roman food found at the military post in Bearsden included the following foods introduced to Britain by the Romans.
- lentil
- horse bean
- linseed
- coriander (Bearsden)
- dill (Bearsden)
- fig (Bearsden)
- opium poppy (Bearsden)
Wild plants eaten at Bearsden include wild celery, wild turnip, wild or cultivated radish, common mallow, bilberry, wild strawberry, blackberry, raspberry, hazel nuts and purging flax.
Before the invasion of Britain by the Romans, there was a small amount of trade which included Roman foodstuff in limited amounts. A study carried out in Silchester found olives, coriander, dill and celery before the Roman occupation.
Bearsden references come from Breeze, D J 2016 Bearsden: A Fort on the Antonine Wall. Edinburgh: Society of Antiquaries of Scotland. https://doi.org/10.9750/9781908332189
Source: Roman Food in Britain