Libum (LEE-bum)
Cheesecake
Libum, an ancient Roman delicacy, invites you to a taste of history. Resembling what we now know as cheesecake, this simple yet elegant dish was often used as an offering to the gods, made from cheese, flour, and egg, and baked to perfection.
Recipe Directions
Grease a baking tray and place two large bay leaves in the centre.
Beat the cheese until smooth, add the egg and beat again to incorporate it.
Sieve the flour, and add two tablespoons to the cheese mixture one at a time, stirring gently and slowly between each addition until they are incorporated.
Gather the remaining flour and sprinkle over the mixture and on to the hands before gathering up the soft dough and very gently forming it into a round ball.
Do not knead or in any way attempt to blend all the flour fully into the mixture.
Place the ball directly onto the bay leaves.
You can cover the cake in an earthenware vessel for authenticity or bake it as it is in a hot oven (200°C) until golden brown and firm to the touch for 20–25 minutes.
Remove from the oven and immediately score the cake across the centre and pour the warmed clear honey into the gap.
Serve at once before it begins to cool.History
Libum means 'cake' in Latin. There were many types of Roman cakes from sacrificial cake, offered to household spirits, to farmhouse cake, served hot, and delicate honeyed cake that was served at the very end of an elaborate Roman dinner. The poet Ovid, writing of Roman religious festivals, tells us some tantalising details. He talks of a libum infused with clear honey – and he traces the origin of these cakes all the way back to mythology, and to the discovery of honey by the god Bacchus.
In Roman tradition, Libum was more than a culinary delight; it was part of religious and social rituals, symbolizing reverence and respect for the divine.
'Libum to be made as follows: 2 lb cheese well crushed in a mortar; when it is well crushed, add in 1 lb bread-wheat flour or, if you want it to be lighter, just half a pound, to be mixed well with the cheese. Add one egg and mix all together well. Make a loaf of this, with leaves under it, and cook slowly in a hot fire under a brick.'This recipe is inspired by Cato's recipe but uses honey to make it sweet. You can make a savoury version without the honey by using a salted cheese, such as feta.
Ingredients
90g plain flour250g ricotta cheese
1 egg
2 bay leaves
2 tbsp clear honey
Item type
Consumable, Food / Drink
Creator
Related ethnicities
Raw materials & Components
Baking tray, mixing bowl, greasing oil or butter, bay leaves.
