garum

[ersatz-read.livejournal.com]

garum (gā´rŭm). A pungent sauce made from fish (or parts of fish) that are fermented in a brine solution in the sun.

There are many similar seafood-based sauces in regional cuisines, both modern and ancient.  Garum originated in Greece, and was extremely popular in ancient Rome.

Etymology:  Greek, from garon, a fish often used to make the sauce.

From The Permaculture Book of Ferment and Human Nutrition:
"It was made from cleaned fish intestines, livers, blood, small fish, and trimmings of fish pickled in layers of sea salt, and cured for weeks in the hot sun....The enzymes from the livers and intestines are needed to hydrolize the protein in fish scraps and offal, so that the sauce contains as much protein as the waste."

Apicius, a collection of Roman cookery recipes, contains numerous references to garum.

Comments

[dagonell.livejournal.com]

"Apicius, a collection of Roman cookery recipes, contains numerous references to garum."

A vast understatement. It's in nearly every recipe. I know of some folks in the SCA who tried to make it. Their neighbors reported to the police that there was a dead body in their backyard because they could smell it. People who have tasted it said it was nearly indistinguishable from cheap worchestershire sauce. When I play with Roman recipes, I usually use a teaspoon of worchestershire sauce and a small dab of anchovy paste.

[prettygoodword.livejournal.com]

Worcestershire sauce with anchovy paste is the usual quick replacement, yes. It does not inspire me to try the authentic stuff.

---L.

[ersatz-read.livejournal.com]

I think I'll stick to the worchestershire sauce.

The Ferment and Human Nutrition book is creepy-fascinating. Garum is one of the tame recipes: there's also an entry for kiviak (hundreds of baby auks fermented inside a whole seal), and a statement that "all cockroaches are edible, and...may be preferable to cannibalism in hard times".