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Fried Thrush Was a Popular Roman Street Food
Archaeology Magazine ^ | June 6, 2025 | editors / unattributed

Posted on 06/09/2025 7:43:36 AM PDT by SunkenCiv

Several ancient Roman writers describe how thrushes were a culinary delicacy, often elaborately prepared and served at banquets attended by society's wealthiest members. However, a new study suggests that the rich were not the only ones dining on these small songbirds, La Brüjula Verde reports. Excavations in a cesspit connected with a taberna in the Roman city of Pollentia on the island of Mallorca uncovered a myriad of animal bones from mammals, fish, and, birds. Tabernae were the Roman world's fast-food establishments that often served hot food for the working classes. The archaeologists were surprised to find an abundance of skeletal remains of thrushes found in the food waste pit. This implies that the avian treat was not just reserved for the elite, but was also widely consumed by the masses as a type of street food. The researchers believe that the birds would have been spatchcocked, a process where the sternum is broken and flattened, and fried whole in oil. Read the original scholarly article about this research in International Journal of Osteoarchaeology.

(Excerpt) Read more at archaeology.org ...


TOPICS: History; Science; Travel
KEYWORDS: dietandcuisine; godsgravesglyphs; romanempire; thrush
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To: SunkenCiv

Thought at first they were referring to oral thrush. Yuck!


21 posted on 06/09/2025 10:38:09 AM PDT by 9YearLurker
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To: 9YearLurker

Hey, don’t knock it if you hav- uh, never mind...


22 posted on 06/09/2025 10:44:42 AM PDT by SunkenCiv (NeverTrumpin' -- it's not just for DNC shills anymore -- oh, wait, yeah it is.)
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To: JZelle

Yep. I used to think it was the Roadrunner’s head from the cartoons.


23 posted on 06/09/2025 10:51:02 AM PDT by FKASomeoneElse (Heads on swivels, boys and girls. The Zombie Apocalypse ain't got nothing on what's coming.)
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To: Red Badger

Weren’t they the bad guys in the Man From Uncle?


24 posted on 06/09/2025 10:53:59 AM PDT by scrabblehack
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To: scrabblehack

IIRC..............


25 posted on 06/09/2025 11:02:50 AM PDT by Red Badger (Homeless veterans camp in the streets while illegals are put up in 5 Star hotels....................)
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