this post was submitted on 19 May 2025
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[–] PugJesus@lemmy.world 18 points 1 week ago (2 children)

Explanation: Romans were inordinately fond of a kind of fermented fish sauce they called garum. Like wine, it had low-quality varieties, which, also like low-quality wine, were considered the essential part of even a slave's rations; and high-quality varieties, which could cost a year's wages for a common laborer for a single container! The Romans put their fermented fish sauce in everything - on their bread, in their porridge, on their salads, even in their wine! De gustibus non disputandem est - there's no accounting for taste!

[–] Jake_Farm@sopuli.xyz 6 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Clearly they were onto something given the plethora of fermented fishes around today.

[–] PugJesus@lemmy.world 9 points 1 week ago (2 children)

Still not sure I'd want it in my wine!

[–] WadeTheWizard@fedia.io 13 points 1 week ago (1 children)

The salt and umami really bring out the taste of the lead.

[–] PugJesus@lemmy.world 8 points 1 week ago

Sauce AND sweetener? Aren't you a daring one!

[–] PillowTalk420@lemmy.world 7 points 1 week ago

If the choice is rotting fish juice or drinking from lead, I'll take the rotting fish juice.

[–] jet@hackertalks.com 4 points 1 week ago

As someone who just ate steak marinaded in fish sauce last night... This sounds pretty good

[–] massive_bereavement@fedia.io 8 points 1 week ago (2 children)

Tuna and large fish were traditionally used for "garum", while small fish were used for "liquamen". (Though the naming changed with time to reflect production processes rather than raw materials).

Garum was always expensive, while liquamen was initially cheaper and the byproducts of garum production (muria and allec) were the cheapest of them all, and probably the latter was what was given to slaves.

It is available in some specialized supermarkets, I think at least one Spanish version is available in the US. In fact, there are several versions available from the same country, but with modernized recipes.

If you can find a bottle, here's a recipe for you: https://www.historicalcookingclasses.com/garum/

In fact, some high-end places tend to fabricate their own garum with different bases than fish: https://www.foodandwine.com/condiments/why-chefs-have-loved-garum-since-ancient-times

[–] grue@lemmy.world 7 points 1 week ago (2 children)

Or just get some Worcestershire sauce and call it a day.

[–] Smokeydope@lemmy.world 5 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Nothin better than sippin down some shire' hits the spot for sure

[–] smee@poeng.link 4 points 1 week ago

Sippin on 'shire doesn't hit the spot, it hits everywhere!

[–] captainlezbian@lemmy.world 3 points 1 week ago (1 children)
[–] PugJesus@lemmy.world 1 points 1 week ago

My friend swears by Thai fish sauce, though he cautions that more than a touch of it will overwhelm the dish.

I've been content taking his word for it thus far.

[–] massive_bereavement@fedia.io 3 points 1 week ago

And if someone didn't get enough sauce out of my comment, here's some discussion on what to call them: Garum, Liquamen and Muria: A new approach to the problem of definition

[–] grue@lemmy.world 3 points 1 week ago

What a weird blue tunic.