Puls

Before bread became the central food of Rome, it was puls that nourished the people, from the humblest peasant to the senator in times of recalled frugality as virtue. The Romans themselves sometimes referred to themselves, with a certain rustic pride, as "pultiphagi," porridge eaters, in contrast to the bread-eating Greeks. Cato the Elder, in his treatise on agriculture, mentions the cereals necessary for its preparation, and Pliny the Elder sees in it a legacy from ancient times when wheat was not yet transformed into bread flour. This modest dish accompanied legionaries on campaign as well as peasant families during ordinary meals, embodying a subsistence cuisine, without artifice, but essential to the survival of Roman social fabric. Its very simplicity made it a symbol: that of a Rome prior to luxury, still close to the land.

• 300 g of crushed emmer wheat (or crushed barley as a substitute)
• 1 liter of water
• 1 pinch of salt
• 2 tablespoons of animal fat or melted lard (optional)
• 100 g of dried legumes (fava beans or split peas, depending on availability)
• 1 drizzle of olive oil for serving (optional)

1. Soak the crushed emmer wheat (or barley) for several hours, or overnight, to soften the grain.
2. Bring salted water to a boil in an earthenware or bronze pot, according to ancient customs.
3. Pour in the drained grain in a thin stream, stirring constantly to prevent lumps.
4. Cook over very low heat for a long time, stirring regularly, until a thick, smooth porridge is obtained.
5. If adding legumes, cook them separately then incorporate them into the porridge at the end of cooking.
6. Add animal fat or melted lard to enrich the dish, according to household means.
7. Serve hot in a bowl, drizzled with a little olive oil if desired to soften it.

Puls offers a dense and compact texture, closer to a thick porridge than a soup, with a rustic taste of grain slightly toasted by slow cooking. Depending on additions, it can become more creamy and fatty, or conversely dry and austere, carrying within it the memory of a cuisine without excess. The aroma remains subtle, dominated by cooked cereal and, when fat is added, a rounder and slightly smoky note.