Roman Street Food: Mulled Wine To Go
On a chilly Pompeii morning, the street vendor ladles out steaming hot wine, fragrant with spices, straight into your cup to take away.
Unknown — "Marble statue of a wounded Amazon" (1st–2nd century CE), public domain
Hot Spiced Wine, Pompeii Style
On a chilly Pompeii morning, the street vendor ladles out steaming hot wine, fragrant with spices, straight into your cup to take away. Roman fast food wasn't just bread and cheese—sometimes it came with a buzz.
The Original 'To-Go' Drink
Ancient Roman 'thermopolia' didn't just sell stew and bread. Many also sold 'calda'—wine heated and sweetened with honey and spices like pepper. Archaeological finds in Pompeii show mixing jugs stained red, and traces of pepper and wine residue, proving hot drinks were on the menu.
Next Time You Order a Latte…
For a few copper asses, you could grab your calda and stroll the Roman street. Romans were doing hot drinks on the go two thousand years before paper cups.
Ancient Roman 'thermopolia' didn't just sell stew and bread. Many also sold 'calda'—wine heated and spiced with pepper, honey, and sometimes even saffron. Archaeologists have found mixing jugs and serving utensils still stained red, and carbonized remains of peppercorns. For a few asses coins, you could grab a cup and sip your mulled wine as you walked the Roman street. Next time you order a to-go coffee, remember—Romans were doing hot drinks on the run two thousand years ago.
