In the cuisine of modern Rome ''quinto quarto'' (literally the "fifth quarter") is the

offal Offal (), also called variety meats, pluck or organ meats, is the organs of a butchered animal. The word does not refer to a particular list of edible organs, which varies by culture and region, but usually excludes muscle. Offal may also refe ...

of butchered animals. The name makes sense on more than one level: because offal amounts to about a fourth of the weight of the carcass; because the importance of offal in Roman cooking is at least as great as any of the outer quarters, fore and hind; and because in the past slaughterhouse workers were partly paid in kind with a share of the offal. Until modern time the division of the cattle in Rome was made following this simple scheme: the first "quarto" was destined to be sold to the nobles, the second one was for the clergy, the third one for the Bourgeoisie and finally the fourth "quarto" was for the soldiers. The proletariat could afford only the entrails. Offal cuisine is particularly rich in

Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus (legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...

in spring, when not only beef and pork but also suckling

lamb Lamb or The Lamb may refer to: * A young sheep * Lamb and mutton, the meat of sheep Arts and media Film, television, and theatre * ''The Lamb'' (1915 film), a silent film starring Douglas Fairbanks Sr. in his screen debut * ''The Lamb'' (1918 ...

and

kid Kid, Kids, KIDS, and K.I.D.S. may refer to: Common meanings * Colloquial term for a child or other young person ** Also for a parent's offspring regardless of age * Engage in joking * Young goats * The goat meat of young goats * Kidskin, lea ...

offal appears on '' trattorie'' menus. Typical dishes include: *'' pajata'' (suckling kid, lamb or veal intestines) * (

heart The heart is a muscular organ in most animals. This organ pumps blood through the blood vessels of the circulatory system. The pumped blood carries oxygen and nutrients to the body, while carrying metabolic waste such as carbon dioxide to t ...

, lung and

oesophagus The esophagus (American English) or oesophagus (British English; both ), non-technically known also as the food pipe or gullet, is an organ in vertebrates through which food passes, aided by peristaltic contractions, from the pharynx to th ...

of lamb or kid, sautéed with

artichoke The globe artichoke ('' Cynara cardunculus'' var. ''scolymus'' ),Rottenberg, A., and D. Zohary, 1996: "The wild ancestry of the cultivated artichoke." Genet. Res. Crop Evol. 43, 53–58. also known by the names French artichoke and green artich ...

) * (whole roasted lamb's or kid's head)

Bibliography

* David Downie,
Cooking the Roman Way
'. New York: HarperCollins, 2002

External links

Quinto quarto
Offal Cuisine of Lazio

See also

Bibliography

External links