Editing Minestrone (section)

==History==
Some of the earliest origins of minestrone pre-date the expansion of the Latin tribes of [[Rome]] into what became the [[Roman Kingdom]] (later [[Roman Republic]] and [[Roman Empire|Empire]]), when the local diet was "vegetarian by necessity" and consisted mostly of vegetables, such as [[onion]]s, [[lentil]]s, [[Cabbage#History|cabbage]], [[Garlic#Culinary uses|garlic]], [[Vicia faba|fava beans]], [[Edible mushroom#History of mushroom use|mushrooms]], [[carrot]]s, [[asparagus]], and [[Turnip#Origin|turnips]].<ref name=MagnaRoma>{{cite book|last1=di Mattia|first1=Francesca|last2=Zucchelli|first2=Federico|title=Magna Roma, cibi e bevande di Roma antica|year=2003|publisher=Scipioni|pages=9–16 }}</ref>

During this time, the main dish of a meal would have been ''pulte'', a simple but filling porridge of [[spelt]] flour cooked in salt water, to which whatever vegetables that were available would have been added.<ref name=MagnaRoma/>

It was not until the 2nd century BC, when Rome had conquered Italy and monopolized the commercial and road networks, that a huge diversity of products flooded the capital and began to change their diet, and by association, the diet of Italy,<ref name=MagnaRoma/> most notably with the more frequent inclusion of meats, including as a stock for soups.

Spelt flour was also removed from soups, as bread had been introduced into the Roman diet by the Greeks, and ''pulte'' became a meal largely for the poor.<ref name="uchicago1">{{cite web|url=https://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Apicius/5*.html|title=LacusCurtius • Apicius, De Re Coquinaria — Book V|website=Penelope.UChicago.edu|access-date=4 February 2018}}</ref>

The ancient Romans recognized the health benefits of a simple or "frugal" diet (from the [[Latin]] ''fruges'', the common name given to cereals, vegetables and legumes) and thick vegetable soups and vegetables remained a staple.<ref name=MagnaRoma/>

Marcus [[Apicius]]'s ancient cookbook ''De Re Coquinaria'' described ''polus'', a Roman soup dating back to 30 AD made of [[farro]], [[chickpea]]s, and fava beans, with onions, garlic, lard, and greens thrown in.<ref name=Wasserman>{{cite book|last=Wasserman-Miller|first=Norma|title=Soups of Italy: Cooking over 130 Soups the Italian Way|year=1998|publisher=William Morrow|location=New York|isbn=0688150314|edition=1st}}</ref>

As eating habits and ingredients changed in Italy, so did minestrone. Apicius updates the ''pultes'' and ''pulticulae'' with fancy trimmings such as cooked brains and wine.<ref name="uchicago1"/>

The tradition of not losing rural roots continues today, and minestrone is now known in Italy as belonging to the style of cooking called ''[[Peasant foods|cucina povera]]'' ('cuisine of the poor'), meaning dishes that have rustic, rural roots, as opposed to ''cucina nobile'' ('cuisine of the nobles'), or the cooking style of the aristocracy and nobles.<ref name=Werle>{{cite book|last=Werle|first=Loukie|title=Italian Country Cooking: the Secrets of Cucina Povera|year=2008|publisher=Metro Books|location=New York|isbn=978-1-4351-0126-5}}</ref>