Friends, Romans, Countrymen, lend me your ears! Tonight we shall feast like the gods themselves with this simple, yet delicious Roman Fruit and Cheese Platter. And while enjoying this Ancient Rome themed appetizer, it’s necessary that the epically heavy sounds from Ex Deo play simultaneously.

Dinner & A Vinyl Inspiration: The Thirteen Years of Nero by Ex Deo

As soon as I heard The Thirteen Years of Nero in full for the first time, I was instantly inspired to create a recipe around it. I’ve always been slightly intrigued by the history of Ancient Rome. But Ex Deo, a death metal band that focuses on the history of Ancient Rome, had peaked my interests even further. Check out my review of their album on vinyl in the video below, and keep reading for my tips on creating an Ancient Rome themed fruit and cheese platter.

The Basics of This Ancient Rome Inspired Fruit and Cheese Platter

We are keeping things super ultra simple with this Roman fruit and cheese platter. That’s because I wanted to make sure that, like Ex Deo’s new album, it keeps the historical component in tact. But of course, this idea is basic enough that you can still use your creativity and go wild. The foods selected are based on what the wealthy would have access to, since it is believe the poor and slaves primarily lived on porridge. So with that, let’s talk about the main components of this platter.

Selecting Cheeses

Sargento may say in their commercials that they’re the “real cheese people”. But the Romans were the original real cheese people. In fact, they were pioneers of the cheese-making process.

Pecorino Romano vs. Romano Cheese

The most obvious item to include in a fruit and cheese platter inspired by Ancient Rome would have to be Pecorino Romano cheese. However, I could not find whole blocks of this in my local grocery stores, and I want to make sure my recommendations are as accessible as possible.

Pecorino Romano comes from Italy in a region near Rome and is made from sheep’s milk. The North American version, which is just called Romano, typically comes from cow’s milk. Normally in the US you will find it to be a harder cheese which has been aged. But Italy also has a younger and softer version.

In this recipe we’ll be substituting Pecorino Romano for Romano cheese, but you could also use Parmesan.

Selecting a Secondary Cheese

For the second cheese, you’ll definitely want to use something made from sheep’s milk, especially if you’re not using Pecorino Romano. Without that Roman staple, I feel like we’d just be making a normal fruit and cheese platter. You must not forget we’re eating and drinking like the Roman Gods themselves tonight!

Cheese made from sheep’s milk was also difficult to find in my local grocery stores, so you’ll need to read the ingredients list when selecting a cheese. But don’t be afraid to experiment! That’s the beauty of a fruit and cheese platter to begin with. I found this Boozin’ Ewe cheese which is made from sheep’s milk so that’s what you see pictured in the photos with the Romano.

Fruits & Sweeteners

Finding fruit that aligns with what was available to Romans was much simpler than cheese on my grocery store trip. Apples and grapes were common fruits so that’s what I went with. You could also use pears, quince and/or pomegranate. And while dates were an exotic import like cherries and oranges, they’re perfect for this fruit and cheese platter since it is inspired by Rome’s elite. Since honey was the only sweetener at the time, that’s the only one we’ll be including here.

Measuring Ingredients

In the full recipe below, I’ll be giving you a rough list on what I used. However, this will vary based on how many people you plan on serving.