Historical Dishes: Garum, Pottage, Syllabub and Bouillabaisse
Dishes with a long history. Garum was the fermented fish sauce of ancient Rome, and Apicius the name attached to its most famous cookbook. Medieval cooks made pottage, a thick stew, and hypocras, spiced wine; Tudor and Georgian tables served posset and syllabub, creamy desserts set with wine or citrus, and kickshaws, little fancy dishes.
From France and Italy come dishes still cooked today: bouillabaisse, the fish stew of Marseille; cassoulet; coq au vin; ratatouille; and mortadella from Bologna.
Historical Dishes Vocabulary: 12 Words to Find
Words run across, up and down, and diagonally; 5 of the 12 read backwards. The longest word is Bouillabaisse, with 13 letters.
- Apicius: The name attached to De re coquinaria, the most famous cookbook of ancient Rome.
- Bouillabaisse: A fish stew from Marseille, flavored with saffron, fennel and orange peel.
- Cassoulet: A slow-cooked French casserole of white beans, sausage and duck confit from the southwest.
- Coq: As in coq au vin, rooster or chicken braised in red wine, a classic of Burgundy.
- Garum: The fermented fish sauce of ancient Rome, used in almost every dish.
- Hypocras: A medieval drink of wine sweetened with sugar and spiced with cinnamon and ginger.
- Kickshaw: An old word for a fancy little dish, from the French "quelque chose", something.
- Mortadella: A large Italian sausage from Bologna, flavored with pistachios and peppercorns.
- Posset: An old English dessert of cream set with lemon juice or wine.
- Pottage: A thick medieval soup of vegetables and grains, the everyday food of most people.
- Ratatouille: A Provençal stew of eggplant, zucchini, peppers and tomatoes.
- Syllabub: A frothy Tudor and Georgian dessert of cream whipped with wine, sugar and lemon.
How to Solve the Historical Dishes Word Search
"Bouillabaisse" is the longest word, 13 letters with a double L and a double S, reading normally across. "Coq" has the only Q and runs upward. "Kickshaw" has the only K and W, and "posset" and "pottage" both start with PO.
Food History Lesson Ideas
- Place each dish on a timeline from ancient Rome to modern France.
- Read a recipe attributed to Apicius and compare it with a modern one.
- Make a simple lemon posset, a dessert that is still popular.
Historical Dishes Word Search FAQ
Who is the Historical Dishes Word Search for?
History and food lovers, culinary students and adults.
Which directions do the words run in?
Words run across, up and down, and diagonally; 5 of the 12 read backwards. 3 of them are diagonal.
Is there an answer key for the Historical Dishes Word Search?
Yes. Download it from the printable section above: it is a separate PDF with all 12 words marked. Online, each word is crossed off the list the moment you find it.
More Dishes & World Cuisines Word Searches
- Food History Eras Word Search: the eras of food history.
- European Pastries Word Search: pastries with a long story.
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