Nice Garum Review

[guy]

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Garum was a fermented fish sauce used as a condiment in the cuisines of Phoenicia, ancient Greece, Rome, Carthage and later Byzantium. Liquamen was a similar preparation, and at times they were synonymous. Although garum enjoyed its greatest popularity in the Western Mediterranean and the Roman world, it was earlier used by the Greeks.

Nice review of garum history and use in the Roman world. Below is a video by Max Miller on his initial attempt to make garum:

 

 

There may have even been a kosher Garum (although this is controversial) found in Pompeii:

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Wikipedia: Pliny the Elder spoke of a type of garum that Roman Jews may have used, as normal garum would not have been considered kosher. 

In the ruins of Pompeii, jars were found containing kosher garum, suggesting an equal popularity among Jews there. Each port had its own traditional recipe, but by the time of Augustus, Romans considered the best to be garum from Cartagena and Gades in Baetica. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garum

An opposing view, however:

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In sum, while I think that Pliny’s comments do refer to the existence of a kosher garum and that garum castum [pure] sold in Pompeii was most likely that product, doubts remain. Because of the uncertainty in our knowledge of pagan mystery cults and because Pliny’s reference cannot be corroborated in Greek, Latin, or Jewish sources, I am still not able to state unequivocally that the expression garum castum was meant exclusively for Jews. 

https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/archaeology-today/biblical-archaeology-topics/the-garum-debate/

 

Here's an interesting post about the modern version of garum made in Italy today made from anchovies (Colatura Di Alici).

http://www.sheridanrogers.com.au/everything-old-is-new-again/

 

 

Edited January 1 by guy