A few years ago I read a post by Phyllis over at All Things Beautiful on how to make an edible Roman road. I thought, “I’m totally doing that.” Fast forward a few years, I stalked her blog, found the post and pinned it to my Mystery of History 2 board. Then I set about gathering supplies and modifying it to what I was able to find.
- Cross Section Of A Roman Road
- Typical Cross Section Of A Roman Road
- Cross Section Of A Roman Road
- What Is Typical Cross Section Of Road
Supplies for an edible Roman Road
(some of these are affiliate links, I get a small commission if you purchase from them)
The Roman roads were essential for the growth of the Roman empire, by enabling the Romans to move armies. A proverb says that 'all roads lead to Rome.' Roman roads were designed that way to hinder provinces organising resistance against the Empire. At its peak, the Roman road system spanned 53,000 miles (85,300 km) and contained about 372 links.
Photo of a Roman Road Network of Roads in the Roman Empire. Network of Roads in the Roman Empire. Robbers and Thugs During the time of Jesus it was very dangerous to travel in certain parts of Israel. Even though there was added security in various parts of the Empire, there were bandits that would lie in wait and attack unsuspecting merchants. Cross-section of a Roman road showing the layering technique and outer ditches The choice of material depended upon what was locally available; in the chalk areas like the Wessex Downs, a mix of chalk, flint, and gravel was used.
- graham crackers
- melted butter (I did about 1 stick, if you want exact measurements check out Phyllis’ post)
- chocolate pudding
- chocolate chips
- whipped cream (or whipping cream and powdered sugar)
- shortbread cookies
To cut down on sugar overload I’m eliminating one of the layers in Phyllis’ edible Roman road.
Mixing and creating your edible Roman road
First mix up your chocolate pudding and whipped cream. Somewhat off-topic, but can I just say I love my Hand Mixer, but I’m noticing I might need a new one soon.
After you’ve mixed up the chocolate pudding let it sit for a few minutes and then mix in the chocolate chips.
While those are setting up smash the graham crackers into smithereens. Mix up the crumbs with the butter.
Now, you’ve got all the mixing done and are ready to add in your layers.
- Smooth in the graham cracker crumb layer. After you’ve added it, take a moment and pat it down a little bit. That will make adding the next layer easier.
- Spread the chocolate chip pudding mixture in. Watch the kids start to drool as they imagine the sugar rush they’re going to get.
- Add the whipped cream on top. Now you’re ready for the final layer.
Cross Section Of A Roman Road
Add on your shortbread cookies for the final layer of the edible Roman Road.
What are each of these layers in your edible Roman Road?
Typical Cross Section Of A Roman Road
Well, I’m glad you asked. Here’s what they are:
- The graham cracker and butter is the sand that was laid to make the road level.
- The chocolate pudding and chocolate chips is the mortar stone that would be mixed together to make a strong base.
- The Whipped cream represents the concrete layer. Random side point, historians believe Romans invented concrete.
- The shortbread biscuits represent the limestone paving stones that are the final layer.
Roman Roads were so sturdy and well put together they were used for hundreds of years after the Roman empire fell. For years afterwards people would come and pry out the stones to use in their own buildings because they were so well cut. Even today, over 2000 years later you can still find the remains of the Roman roads throughout Europe.
Cross Section Of A Roman Road
For the rest of our Roman posts head over to Hands on Roman History a part of the iHomeschool Network’s hopscotch.
