Pesto is thought to have two predecessors in ancient
times, going back as far as the Roman age. The
ancient Romans used to eat a similar paste called
moretum, which was made by
crushing garlic, salt, cheese, herbs, olive oil, and vinegar (and sometimes pine nuts) together. The use of this paste in the Roman
cuisine is mentioned in the Appendix Vergiliana, an ancient collection of
poems in which the author details the preparation of moretum.
During the Middle Ages, a popular sauce in the
Genoan cuisine was agliata, which was basically a
mash of garlic and walnuts, as garlic was a staple in the
nutrition of Ligurians, especially for the seafarers. The introduction of
basil, the main ingredient of modern pesto, occurred in more recent times
and is first documented only in the mid-19th century, when gastronomist
Giovanni Battista Ratto published his book
La Cuciniera Genovese in 1863.
Apart from the classic genovese pesto, there are many more recipes in
modern times.
We want to explore them all!
This page was built by Alena Mohsenyar