What did the Gauls eat?

The diet of the Gauls before Romanization remains poorly understood by the general public. However, archaeological excavations allow us to precisely reconstruct the broad outlines of their diet, far from the clichés of a banquet based on roasted wild boar.

Here is an overview of the ingredients present in Gaul during the Celtic period (before -52) and used in their daily diet.

Cereals: the basis of the diet

The Gauls were excellent farmers, and cereals formed the basis of their diet. They were eaten in the form of thick porridges, flatbreads, rustic breads, incorporated into stews, or even transformed into fermented beverages.

Among the cereals attested by archeology, we find covered barley (Hordeum vulgare, very common), millet (Panicum miliaceum, resistant and common), as well as covered wheats: spelled (Triticum spelta), emmer (Triticum dicoccum) and, more marginally, einkorn (Triticum monococcum).

Rye (Secale cereale) and oats (Avena sativa) are also attested, but seem to have had a secondary role: the former was probably still perceived as a weed, and the latter served mainly as fodder for horses, although it may have been occasionally consumed by humans.

On the other hand, naked soft wheat (Triticum aestivum), which today forms the basis of our diet, was not yet cultivated in Gaul before Romanization. Similarly, no trace of corn or rice exists in Gaul at this time.

Legumes

Legumes played an essential role in balancing meals: they provided vegetable protein and kept well all year round.

The main crops are broad beans, split peas, and to a lesser extent, lentils. Archaeologists also sometimes identify grass pea, vetch, or lupin. Certain seeds, such as flax or poppy, were used, particularly for oil or as a garnish.

No chickpeas or dried beans: these would come much later, with Mediterranean or transatlantic trade.

Roots, vegetables and greens

Gaul offered a beautiful diversity of rustic vegetables, adapted to the temperate climate and agricultural methods of the time.

The Gauls cultivated or harvested turnips, heirloom carrots, parsnips, kale, onions, garlic, and wild leeks. They also used greens such as nettles, turnip tops, cabbage leaves, and locally harvested wild herbs.

Of course, there were no potatoes, tomatoes, or eggplants, all of which came from America long after Antiquity.

Meat, fish, eggs

Meat was not eaten every day, but it was an integral part of the diet, especially during collective meals or celebrations.

Pork was the main source of meat, thanks to well-controlled breeding adapted to collective needs. Other domestic species supplemented this supply: cattle, sheep, goats, as well as poultry (chickens, geese, ducks, pigeons), raised on a small scale or in semi-freedom.

Game—wild boar, hare, roe deer, or red deer—was hunted opportunistically, depending on the seasons, local resources, and probably social status. The wild rabbit, endemic to southern Gaul, could be hunted and eaten occasionally, only in Mediterranean Gaul, where its natural habitat made it accessible.

Eggs, although rarely preserved in the archaeological record due to their fragility, were most likely eaten, especially poultry eggs.

As for fish, their low representation in excavated sites is largely explained by the poor preservation of bones. Nevertheless, several isotopic studies on human bones suggest occasional consumption of aquatic resources, particularly in river or coastal areas such as the Saône Valley, the Atlantic Ocean, or the Mediterranean Sea.

The delicatessen

The processing of meat, especially pork, was a controlled practice. Clear traces of charcuterie can be found in the remains:

— salted or smoked bacon
— melted fats preserved in pots
— probably forms of rustic rillettes or meat preserved in its fat
— and, in some regions, perhaps black puddings or preparations made from blood and offal

These techniques made it possible to preserve meat outside the hunting or slaughtering season, and contributed to the taste balance of dishes, by adding fat and natural salt.

Dairy products

Contrary to popular belief, the Gauls used dairy products, especially in livestock farming regions.

They probably consumed:

— goat, sheep or cow's milk, rarely raw
— fresh or curdled cheeses, eaten quickly
— fermented milks,
— and in some cases, butter, especially in northern Gaul

These products were perishable, and therefore poorly preserved archaeologically, but their use is indirectly confirmed by traces of animal fats on pottery.

Fruits, nuts and berries

Fruits, whether wild or semi-cultivated, had their place in the diet: raw, cooked, dried or fermented.

These include hardy apples, pears, plums, as well as sloes, rowanberries, blackberries, hazelnuts, and some wild grapes. Some of these fruits were incorporated into dishes or eaten as is, sometimes dried for the winter.

Herbs, spices and condiments

Even without pepper or exotic spices, the Gauls used many local aromatic plants, often gathered from the wild.

Among the most attested: wild fennel, mint, nettle, wild thyme, wild garlic, and sometimes wild coriander. Salt was used in small quantities, often offset by curing, the use of sweet vinegar, or beer as a flavor enhancer.

Drinks

Cervoise, a rustic, unhopped beer made from barley, was the iconic drink of the Gauls. It was often consumed warm, sometimes sweetened with a little honey or fruit. Mead also existed. Water, herbal infusions, and decoctions were also part of everyday life.

Wine was not yet widely distributed in inland Gaul before Roman influence. However, imports of Etruscan and Greek wine are attested from the 5th century BC in elite contexts (such as Vix or Lattara), notably in the form of amphorae and libation craters.

A cauldron kitchen

The Gauls frequently cooked in cauldrons or earthenware pots over a wood fire. They prepared cereal porridges, stews combining meat, vegetables and legumes, or even thick, nourishing mash.

Bread could also be baked in a cauldron, on a bed of leaves or straw, or in the form of a dense flatbread. Unlike baking bread, which requires a high fire and a very hot cauldron, everyday dishes were simmered slowly over embers, around 95 degrees.