Lettuce with Sweet Oxyporum Dressing

Ancient Rome on a plate. This salad dressing (oxyporum) dates back to Apicius, the Roman cookbook from the 1st century, and it’s surprisingly modern in its use of honey, vinegar, and spices that still feel right at home in today’s kitchens.

The ingredient list reads like a history lesson. Cumin, ginger, black pepper, and sometimes rue (a bitter herb less common today) sit alongside a drizzle of honey and a kick of vinegar, with liquamen (Roman fish sauce, similar to Southeast Asian nuoc cham) bringing umami depth. Pitted dates mashed into the dressing dissolve into fibers that add natural sweetness and body.

What makes this dressing interesting is the balance. Roman cooking loved sweet-salty-sour combinations long before they became trendy in modern kitchens. The dates and honey balance the sharp vinegar and funky fish sauce, with the spices layering warmth and fragrance.

Serve over crisp lettuce the same way Romans would have, as a first course or palate cleanser between richer dishes. It’s a dressing that bridges millennia without feeling dated.

Kitchen Tips

• Substitute Asian fish sauce or anchovy paste for liquamen; the flavor profiles are close cousins
• If you can’t find rue, skip it; most modern home cooks do, and the dressing still works
• Squash the dates with your fingers for rustic fiber texture, or process for a smoother dressing
• Toast the cumin seeds briefly in a dry pan before grinding for deeper flavor
• Make the dressing an hour ahead; the spices bloom in the honey-vinegar base

Variations

• Swap iceberg for romaine, escarole, or a mix of bitter greens
• Add toasted walnuts or pine nuts for texture and Roman authenticity
• Use figs in place of dates for a seasonal twist