The staple of the Byzantine diet was grain (wheat), oil and wine. The diet was supplemented by legumes, dairy products, meat, and seafood so the written sources tell us. Vegetables and fruits were consumed dried, pickled or salted. One text, for example, mentions the storage of sun-dried grapes, poured together with mustard or salted water into pithoi.

The ‘normal’ number of daily meals was two. The first meal was the ariston, or geuma, eaten late in the morning or early at noon. The second, richer meal, the deipnon, was consumed early in the evening, usually before sunset and most often probably of a hot, cooked meal. Very often these meals consisted of a stew or soup-like dish. These dishes contained meat or fish, or were made with vegetables only.

Of course there is no such thing as ‘the’ Byzantine diet. Diets varied from region to region and were also dependent on a person’s economic position and religious views.

Sources tell us of many religious rules and restrictions surrounding food. Fasting was an important part of daily life for many people. Restrictions and rules mostly concern animal products. To what extend these rules applied to individual persons though, remains hard to say.

Curious about Byzantine cuisine? Click on the links to find out more:

An ‘upper class’ dinner (http://blogs.getty.edu/iris/files/2014/04/fork1.jpg).