Perhaps the most popular of all the Roman appetizers was the egg. In fact, the ancient Latin saying ab ovo usque ad malum literally means "from the egg to the fruit," which translates loosely as ...

Archaeologists said the ancient egg offerings symbolized rebirth ... about 100 miles north of Rome in the province of Siena and the larger region of Tuscany.

The ancient Rome that remains today is one of fabulous ... The appetizers, or gustatio, would include eggs, shellfish or vegetables. The entrees, called prima mensa, would usually be cooked ...