Breakfast
Panis cum Caseo et Melle (Bread with Honeyed Cheese)
Ingredients
- - 4 thick slices day-old rustic bread
- - 200 g soft fresh cheese, such as ricotta or a mild sheep's cheese (3/4 cup ricotta)
- - 60 ml honey (3 tbsp honey)
- - 15 ml olive oil (1 tbsp olive oil)
- - A pinch of cracked black pepper, optional
Method
- In a small bowl, stir the soft cheese until smooth and spreadable.
- Lightly toast or simply serve the bread as is, in the Roman manner of using day-old loaves.
- Spread each slice generously with the cheese.
- Drizzle the honey over the cheese, then finish with a thread of olive oil and a pinch of black pepper if using.
- Serve immediately while the bread still has some texture.
Native Name: Panis cum Caseo et Melle
Cultural Background: Ientaculum, the Roman breakfast, was typically a quick, cold affair eaten shortly after rising: yesterday's bread, a soft fresh cheese, and honey for those who could afford it. This simple combination appears repeatedly in Roman sources as the standard morning meal for everyone from labourers to the household of the emperor.
Tips: Day-old, slightly firm bread holds the toppings better than very fresh soft bread and is truer to how the Romans actually ate it.
Variations: For a savoury version, omit the honey and top with crushed olives and a little dried oregano instead.
Vegetarian / Vegan Note: Vegetarian as written; use a firm plant-based cheese alternative and a plant-based sweetener for a vegan version.
Storage: Best assembled fresh; the cheese and honey can be pre-mixed and stored covered in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
Reheating: Not applicable – this is a cold dish, though the bread may be briefly warmed before assembling.
Nutrition: Approx. 290 kcal, 9 g protein, 34 g carbohydrate, 12 g fat per serving.
FAQs:
Q: What cheese is most authentic?
A: A fresh sheep's milk cheese is closest to what Romans used; ricotta is a good modern substitute.
Q: Was honey eaten daily?
A: Only in wealthier households – poorer families more often had plain bread and cheese, or bread dipped in wine.