Il ruolo dell’olio vegetale nell’alimentazione di età romana a Verona e il suo territorio

Eating habits often have a substantial identity value of the traditions they inspire and the territory in which they are rooted. From a methodological point of view, hypotheses about oil consumption for food and cooking should not be considered in isolation but only within a food system in which different fats may be alternatives or co-exist. This research focuses on the use of olive oil and other plant oils in the diet during the early Imperial period, taking into account the agricultural vocation of the Verona area, the distribution of the olive oil amphorae, and the possibility of access to the food resource, and finally, the dietary patterns that reciprocal taste inclinations may have strongly influenced. On the one hand, the data studied confirms the availability of olive oil in Verona’s market, but on the other hand, it is surprising to find its total absence among the foodstuffs detected inside the vessels used for food preparation and cooking. In the current state of research, the data show a greater use of secondary plant oils such as hazelnut, walnut, linseed and brassica, used to supplement animal fats, highlighting the distinctive elements characterising Veronese gastronomic culture.