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Faenum Graecum (Fenugreek)
Faenum Graecum (Fenugreek) is a traditional Ancient Roman recipe for a classic dish of fenugreek wilted in a liquamen, oil and wine sauce. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic Ancient Roman version of: Fenugreek (Faenum Graecum).
prep time
20 minutes
cook time
10 minutes
Total Time:
30 minutes
Serves:
4
Rating: 
Tags : Herb RecipesAncient Roman Recipes
Original Recipe
Faenum Graecum ex liquamine, oleo et vino.
Translation
Fenugreek: [Prepare] fenugreek with stock, olive oil, and wine.
Modern Redaction
There has been considerable debate as to what this recipe actually represents. Today, fenugreek tends to be used as a dried herb for flavouring curries or as a spice (the seeds). So many redactors have suggested this is a sauce flavoured with fenugreek. However, the recipe occurs in a chapter on legumes and fenugreek is a bean plant. I think that this is a recipe for fenugreek greens and fenugreek seeds. The plant is used today as a green vegetable in China, India and Pakistan. Despite Cato the Elder's description of the plant as 'fodder for cattle' the aroma is interesting and fenugreek makes a very tasty, if unusual, vegetable. The seeds and immature seed pods are edible and boiling in salted water will leach out the saponins that give the seeds their bitter overtones.
Method:
Wash the fenugreek shoots and greens then set aside to drain in a colander.
Combine the liquamen, fenugreek seeds, olive oil, stock and white wine in a pan. Bring to a boil and cook for 5 minutes then add the fenugreek greens. Cook for 5 minutes to wilt then turn into a bowl and serve.
Find more recipes from Apicius' De Re Coquinaria along with information on Apicius and his cookbook, all part of this site's Ancient Roman recipes collection.
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