Another Roman Delicacy

The dormouse is grouped in a family that includes rats, squirrels, and gerbils. The edible dormouse (a.k.a. the fat dormouse of southern Europe) is an arboreal rodent the size of a rat that was featured on the menu of the Flamingo’s Tongue, Miriam and Phoebe’s favorite restaurant.

The Romans were the first civilization to develop a taste for the edible dormouse. In fact, the elite ate the dormouse in considerable quantities. Accordingly, the Romans went to great lengths to ensure that an adequate number were available for consumption. Aside from introducing chestnut trees across the empire, the dormouse’s natural habitat, they farmed them outdoors in terracotta vessels.

According to Marcus Gavius Apicius, a first century CE Roman gourmet and lover of luxury, the dormouse was stuffed with finely chopped pork and their own entrails. The mixture was then pounded with fat, pepper, nuts, and a fish broth. The stuffed dormouse was then placed in an earthen casserole and either roasted in the oven or boiled in a stockpot.

The flavor of the dormouse has been compared to that of a squirrel, rabbit, and chicken. But you’ll have to take my word for it because its consumption is primarily confined to Slovenia and parts of Croatia, where it is a traditional peasant dish. But even there, it’s considered a rarity. In fact, dormouse is a protected species under EU law, which limits its hunting and consumption. So, your only hope is to join Miriam and Phoebe at the Flamingo’s Tongue. Just click here.