2,000-year-old Roman recipes brought back to life — here’s what they actually taste like

An excavation in Turkey has yielded not just artifacts — it's yielded millennia-old recipes that are bringing the flavors of Ancient Rome back to life.

Archaeologists in Turkey recently completed digs in the ancient city of Dülük in the Gaziantep Province of south-central Turkey, according to Anadolu Agency (AA). The site lies along ancient trade routes and shows evidence of habitation dating back thousands of years, the same source said. 

While digging there, archaeologists found artifacts — both written and visual — that offered clues to ancient culinary practices.

ARCHAEOLOGISTS UNEARTH ANCIENT BREAD THAT SURVIVED UNDERGROUND FOR 5,000 YEARS

With this wealth of new information, historians and chefs worked together to prepare a multitude of ancient dishes. Samples were offered to visitors during the GastroAntep Culture Route Festival 2025, which took place between Sept. 13 and Sept. 21.

The foods included a distinct, round loaf of bread called Pompeii bread, also known as panis quadratus. Officials also presented an olive paste called olivatum, as well as linum, or honey cake.

They also recreated globuli, a type of honey cheesecake, and dulcis piperata, a honey cake.

Umut Yılmaz, the mayor of Şehitkamil, told AA that the Gaziantep Province is known for its cuisine.

"[When] we presented the breads and foods from the Roman period that we prepared to our minister of culture and tourism, he found them incredibly delicious," Yılmaz said.

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"God willing, we want to promote these breads and dishes on Gaziantep flights," he added. "No matter where travelers come from, when they fly to Gaziantep, we want them to taste these foods and get to know Dülük through them."

Yılmaz said that Pompeii bread, for example, has a "unique" flavor that cannot be found in any other Turkish region.

"These flavors belong to this land," the mayor said. "Everyone visiting here will be able to taste it. We'll promote these foods and tell the story of Dülük."

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Mutlu Durgun, the chef behind the recreation project, said the ingredients of the dishes were suited to the wartime conditions of that era.

Ancient people tried the recipes many times before nailing down a method, Durgun said.

"Our professors gave us the recipes for the foods and breads they found depicted in mosaics and inscriptions during the excavations," he noted. 

"We are making the dishes exactly according to those recipes."

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For example, Durgun said, there was "no sugar back then, so we used honey for the desserts." 

He was guided by professors in following the original recipes as closely as possible.

"After explaining the history of Dülük to visitors, we'll teach these recipes to locals so they can produce them in series and offer ancient breads and desserts to guests before they leave," the chef added.

"We want visitors to experience these flavors."