Buzz
For much of human history, securing food was a daily struggle, a reality that persists for many even today. Only in recent times have some in affluent societies faced the opposite problem—chronic overeating. As a result, one of the most effective ways for the wealthy to flaunt their status was by hosting lavish feasts, where the sheer abundance of food could satiate even the most voracious appetite just by description.
Below are ten extraordinary meals and the dishes that defined them.
10. The Feast of Vitellius
Roman feasts are legendary, often associated with debauchery. While such gatherings sometimes included risqué entertainment, it was the staggering extravagance of the food that truly astonished ancient historians. At the peak of the Roman Empire, delicacies from distant lands and rare wines graced the tables of the elite. Emperor Vitellius took this indulgence to unprecedented heights, transforming feasting into an art of excess.
Vitellius, as depicted in his busts and coins, was a man of considerable size and appetite. He won the army’s favor by showering them with food and drink, which led to his rise to the Imperial throne following Nero’s downfall. For eight months, he ruled Rome—or at least its dining tables.
According to the historian Suetonius, Vitellius arranged multiple daily meals with the city’s wealthiest citizens, each costing over 400,000 sesterces. “He could handle such quantities of food by frequently vomiting, a habit he had cultivated.” However, it was his creation, the ‘Shield of Minerva,’ that secured his place in history. This colossal dish included “char-fish livers, pheasant and peacock brains, flamingo tongues, and lamprey entrails, all imported from as far as the Carpathian Sea and the Spanish Straits via warships.”
9. The Feast of the Pheasant
How does one rally support for war? In 1452, Philip the Good, Duke of Burgundy, hosted an extravagant banquet to promote a crusade against the Turks. Known as the Feast of the Pheasant, it was one of the most opulent gatherings ever held.
The banquet hall was adorned with grand displays. One table featured a model church large enough to house a choir, while 28 musicians were concealed inside a giant pie. Model ships sailed among the guests, and a live lion roamed a fabricated forest. A fire-breathing dragon soared overhead, and a boy on a deer sang as he rode around. The centerpiece was an elephant, likely mechanical, led by a towering Turkish man. A woman, symbolizing Constantinople, rode the elephant and pleaded with the attendees to rescue her.
After 50 diverse dishes were served, the guests took the ‘Oath to the Pheasant’ over a live bird, pledging to join the crusade to reclaim Constantinople. However, no such crusade ever materialized.
8. The Acclimatisation Society of Great Britain
In the 19th century, many European intellectuals joined societies aimed at introducing non-native species to new regions. They believed these species could be adapted to benefit agriculture and society. Today, we recognize the potential for such species to become invasive and harm ecosystems. The Acclimatisation Society of Great Britain launched their initiative with a grand feast.
Their inaugural dinner featured a hall adorned with stuffed birds, fish, and animal heads representing species they hoped to introduce to Britain. The meal itself showcased the potential culinary contributions of these new species.
Dishes included birds’-nest soup (deemed not worth the cost), sea snail soup, perfectly boiled kangaroo, and a course featuring a rare hare-rabbit hybrid. The menu also featured birds from Dominique, Syrian pigs, Honduras turkeys, and various fish. Seaweed jelly was even served. Despite the feast’s ambition, few of these dishes became staples in the English diet.
7. The Regent’s Extravagant Banquet
George IV had a lifelong penchant for opulence. As Prince of Wales, he accumulated a staggering £630,000 in debt—equivalent to £65,568,000 today. His father, George III, agreed to settle the debt only if he married. However, as George III’s mental health declined, Prince George was appointed Regent, granting him even more freedom to indulge.
One of his most extravagant projects was the construction of a flamboyant pavilion in Brighton. In 1817, the Regent hosted a grand feast there for Grand Duke Nicolas of Russia, prepared by Europe’s first celebrity chef, Marie-Antoine Careme. Careme’s lavish culinary style perfectly matched the Regent’s tastes.
The banquet featured an array of extravagant dishes, including rice soup, sturgeon head in champagne, chicken in aspic, boar haunches, lark terrine, inverted lemon jelly, truffles wrapped in warm linen, and a shrimp pyramid. A total of 121 dishes were served. While the Prince Regent was perpetually in debt, he certainly never lacked for calories.
6. The Manchu-Han Imperial Feast
Sometimes a single day isn’t enough to accommodate all the feasting one plans. The Manchu-Han Feast was so extravagant that it reportedly took three days to serve all the dishes. This meal became a symbol of unity in China.
During Emperor Kangxi’s reign, tensions between the Manchu and Han factions grew. To bridge the divide, the emperor believed only an extraordinary feast could suffice. For his 66th birthday, he hosted six banquets over three days, serving over 300 dishes.
The feast included delicacies like Snowy Palm, a dish of bear paw and sturgeon, and Golden Eyes and Burning Brains, made from bean curd and bird brains. One dish, “imitated leopard fetus,” remains a mystery in terms of ingredients. Simpler offerings included grilled ape. While some scholars debate the feast’s authenticity, many prefer to believe it happened—or dream of attending.
5. The Fête at Vaux
Few parties have led to political downfall, but Nicolas Fouquet’s 1661 fête at Vaux-le-Vicomte did just that. The event, held at his lavish estate, was so opulent that King Louis XIV concluded it must have been funded by embezzling royal funds.
Fouquet, France’s finance minister, was already under suspicion by the young King Louis XIV for his financial dealings. Despite this, Louis accepted an invitation to Fouquet’s newly built château. The event drew 6,000 guests, with so many carriages that traffic stretched for miles. Attendees were treated to a performance of a new play by Molière and the finest art France had to offer.
During the meal, most guests dined on solid silverware, while the royal family was served on solid gold plates. The menu featured pigeon pies, veal steaks stuffed with rare ingredients, and imported oranges. Actors dressed as fauns and elves distributed diamonds to the women present. The fireworks and entertainment were so spectacular that Voltaire remarked, “On 17 August, at six in the evening, Fouquet was the King of France.”
However, Voltaire added, “But at two in the morning, he was nobody.” The king became convinced that Fouquet had embezzled funds to finance the event. Within weeks, Fouquet was arrested and imprisoned, where he remained for the rest of his life.
4. The Banquet of Chestnuts
Sometimes, the entertainment at a feast overshadows the food. At the Banquet of Chestnuts, it was the activities beneath the table that captured everyone’s attention.
The Vatican isn’t known for its lively nightlife today, but there have been moments when Popes hosted extravagant gatherings in every sense. Pope Alexander VI, Rodrigo Borgia, belonged to one of Italy’s most infamous families. Despite his vow of celibacy, he fathered children. His son, Cesare, hosted the infamous Banquet of Chestnuts.
On October 31, 1501, Cesare organized a banquet in the Papal Palace. According to the master of ceremonies, the event featured “fifty respectable prostitutes,” known as courtesans, who danced with guests—first clothed, then unclothed. After dinner, candelabras were placed on the floor, and chestnuts were scattered. The naked courtesans crawled on hands and knees to collect them, observed by the Pope, Cesare, and his sister Lucretia. Prizes, such as silk tunics and shoes, were awarded to those who performed the most acts with the courtesans.
3. Cleopatra’s Legendary Feasts
Cleopatra VII of Egypt was one of the most captivating figures of her time. Intelligent, cultured, and charming, she captivated both Julius Caesar and Mark Antony. As ruler of one of the wealthiest nations on Earth, her allure was undeniable. Yet, it may have been her culinary prowess that truly drew Roman elites to her palace.
The historian Plutarch recounted that his grandfather once visited Cleopatra’s palace and witnessed her vast kitchens. Seeing eight whole boars roasting, he assumed a grand feast was underway. Instead, he learned that only twelve guests were dining. The boars were cooked at staggered intervals to ensure one was perfectly prepared whenever the guests sat down.
One of Cleopatra’s feasts surpassed all others in extravagance. She wagered Antony that she could spend 10,000,000 sesterces on a single meal. When the meal appeared ordinary, Antony believed he had won. However, Cleopatra then called for dessert—a bowl of vinegar. She removed one of her priceless pearl earrings, dissolved it in the vinegar, and drank it, securing her victory.
Vinegar cannot actually dissolve a pearl, leading some to speculate that Cleopatra won the bet without losing her pearl. She might have simply retrieved the pearl later, avoiding the need to dive into the ocean.
2. Dining on Zoo Animals
For four months starting September 1870, Paris was besieged by Prussian forces. Rather than attacking, the Prussians aimed to starve the city into surrender. As food supplies dwindled, Parisians resorted to eating horses, dogs, cats, and even rats. One restaurant, however, offered a far more exotic menu.
Alexandre Étienne Choron, a renowned chef, ran the famous Voisin restaurant. With ingredients scarce, he seized the opportunity when the Paris Zoo announced it could no longer feed its animals. Choron prepared an extraordinary Christmas feast featuring zoo animals.
The feast began with a donkey’s head served with sardines, followed by elephant consommé, fried camel, kangaroo stew, wolf in deer sauce, and antelope with truffles. Despite limited food supplies, Choron had access to Paris’s well-stocked wine cellars, pairing the finest wines with these exotic dishes.
1. The Epicurean Masters of the World
Epicurean philosophers advocated finding joy in simple pleasures, such as a humble pot of cheese. However, the term “Epicurean” has evolved to describe those who indulge in rare delicacies. In 2007, the “Epicurean Masters of the World” convened in Bangkok, embodying this modern interpretation.
For 1 million Baht (approximately £15,000) per person, guests savored dishes crafted by six chefs, each holding three Michelin stars. Using only the finest ingredients, the chefs prepared their signature creations. The meal began with foie gras crème brûlée with Tonga beans, followed by Kobe beef tartar topped with Imperial Beluga caviar and Belons oysters. Each course was paired with some of the world’s rarest and most expensive wines. For instance, Mousseline of pattes rouges crayfish with morel mushroom infusion was best enjoyed with a 2000 Corton-Charlemagne by Alain Soliveres.
The feast concluded with an elaborate gingerbread pyramid—and perhaps a touch of indigestion.
