Ancient Roman Braised Cucumbers – Apicius Recipe (Cucumeres)

Cucumeres – Braised Cucumbers

Course: Gustum (Appetizer)
Origin: Ancient Rome
Served: Room Temperature
Event: Push for Pennsic 2004 – Early Roman Feast

Cucumeres – Braised Cucumbers

Ingredients:

• 1 large cucumber
• 3 tbsp. white wine vinegar
• 3 tbsp. olive oil
• 1 tbsp. clear honey
• Salt to taste

Part of the Push for Pennsic Roman Feast Series!
This recipe was originally served as part of the Early Roman Feast at Push for Pennsic, July 9–11, 2004. Explore the full menu and other Roman recipes from this event.

Instructions:
Peel and cut the cucumber into thick slices. Pour the vinegar, olive oil, and honey into a heavy pan and cook the slices of cucumber gently in the sauce until tender, shaking the pan occasionally to redistribute the cucumber slices and ensure even cooking.

Note: Best served at room temperature.

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🌿 A Note on Ancient Cucurbits

The word cucumeres in Latin is commonly translated as “cucumbers,” but Roman references to cucurbits were broader than our modern definitions. Roman cooks had access to a wide variety of cucurbit species, including:

• Old World cucumbers (Cucumis sativus): Likely thinner, with more bitterness than modern varieties.
• Melons and gourds (Cucumis melo, Lagenaria spp.): Young melons or gourds were used like vegetables.
• Bottle gourds (Lagenaria siceraria): Also used for food when harvested young.
• Snake melon/Armenian cucumber (Cucumis melo var. flexuosus): Treated culinarily as a cucumber.

If you're cooking this dish today, any firm, mild cucumber will work. For historical flavor and texture, the following heirloom varieties are excellent options:

• Suyo Long – A crisp, curling cucumber with tender skin.
• Armenian cucumber – Technically a melon, but ideal for cucumber-like preparations.
• True Lemon cucumber – A round, yellow heirloom closer to older Mediterranean cultivars.
• Bottle gourd – Available from specialty grocers or heirloom seed sources.

Where to Source Seeds:
- Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds
- Seed Savers Exchange
- Monticello Heritage Seeds

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🍷 Want more recipes from this feast?

Explore the other dishes served at the Early Roman Feast – Push for Pennsic, July 9–11, 2004:

• Lucanicae (Grilled Sausages)
• Moretum (Herbed Cheese Spread)
• Epityrum (Olives)
• Piadina (Flatbread)
• Petaso paro Mustacei (Smoked Ham with Sweet Wine Cakes)
• Erebinthoi Knakosymmigeis (Chickpeas with Saffron)
• Krambe (Roman Cabbage)
• Itria (Sesame Seed Biscuit)
• Basyniai (Fig and Walnut Cakes)