During the first centuries of the history of Rome there was nothing notable about the food eaten by its citizens. There was not a wide variety of foodstuffs available and Roman cooking was based on local produce from the immediate area. Basic foods were wheat and olives. Pork was the most common meat and fish was eaten almost exclusively in coastal areas.

This basic diet started to change when contacts increased with North Africa and the Roman eastern territories (Greece, Egypt and the Middle East). The acceptance of new tastes and different eating habits was directly related to the economic standing of the citizens. However, from the 1st century BC, certain culinary tastes appear to have been accepted by the majority. Tastes changed from the basic diet of foods made from flour ground in the mortar, vegetable stews (pulmentum) and brown bread with salt, to dishes prepared with spices and sauces.

Another definitive element in Roman cuisine is the use of honey and the combination of sweet ingredients with spices. One of the most popular and widely-used seasonings in all dishes of a certain distinction was garum, a kind of sauce made with the entrails of various types of fish pickled in brine and left to ferment and decompose in the sun.

Nevertheless, the main ingredients were those provided by the land: cereals, vegetables, fruits (especially nuts and fruits with skins), pigs and cows and the most common poultry. Dishes were seasoned with oil, honey and spices and from early times, meals were accompanied by wine. We know much of this through the gastronomic writings of many authors, including Cato and the author of De re coquinaria, Apicius.