For over two thousand years, a cafeteria Roman Serbia fried meat and varied snacks in the streets of a city In the surroundings of Majorca (Spain). Archaeologists discovered, in an old trash well, well -preserved remains that it can be the fast food oldest in the region.
The find was made in the ancient Roman city of Pollentia. In a garbage well with Four meters deepresearchers found thousands of animals bones. Among them, small birds called zorazalwhich seemed to have been chips whole. There were also remains of rabbits, pigs, chickens, fish and even mollusks.
Highlighted by the scientific journal Livesciencethe survey was led by archaeologist Alejandro Valenzuela, from the Institut Mediterrani d’Es Studis Avançats (Imedea), linked to the University of the Balear Islands.
According to him, the standard of waste suggests Fast preparation and consumption. The place had Service windows straight on the street, like modern cafeterias. And the menu was miscellaneousserving customers hungry and little time. Only with olive oil instead of electric fryer.
The mystery of the missing birds on the Roman menu
- Among the thousands of bones analyzed in the old Pollentia garbage well, a detail caught the attention of archaeologist Alejandro Valenzuela: the large amount of leftovers of Zorzais, birds similar to you knew Brazilian;
- More than any other species, these birds dominated the traces found;
- This drew attention because, in archaeological excavations, the fragile bones of these birds rarely preserved so well;
- But what most intrigued Valenzuela was the absence of certain parts. Skulls and sternos were everywhere, but almost There was no legs, wings or bones of the top of the chest. Precisely the most fleshy areas;
- This would indicate that the Zorzais were Clean and prepared elsewhereand what was left was discarded in the tavern.
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For the researcher, this absence It’s no coincidence. In the study, he concludes that the Zorzais were part of the daily diet from the Roman city. Were probably brought already prepared and sold as faster snackprobably as the “Passarinho ChickenOf the time. The abundance of the remains and the type of disposal indicates that the bird was common, accessible and integrated with the urban food economy in Pollentia.
As a Roman skewer became a symbol of street food
Based on the bones found, Valenzuela believes that the birds were prepared with a Simple and efficient technique: A Removal of the sternum to flatten the bird’s chest. That facilitated Fast cooking, whether on the grill or fried in olive oil. It was the type of ideal preparation for those who needed serve a lot of people, in a short timeas in a kind of first -century food truck.
Ceramic fragments in the disposal well suggest that the dishes could be served as in a domestic meal, with commonplace. But the researcher points Another more practical and coherent hypothesis with the street environment: the birds could be served in skewersready to be taken in hand. A solution simple and efficientworthy of any fair stall.
In addition to the Zorzais, the remains showed expressive consumption of domestic chickens and rabbits – Common and easy to create. Everything indicates that the city of Pollentia had a Agile, seasonal and urban food system. It seems that street food was an essential part of life in Roman cities. And apparently, the taste for quick and well seasoned snacks is a habit that crosses the centuries.
