AYLİN ÖNEY TAN
Garum: The rotten delicacy
Garum must be the culinary equivalent of the term oxymoron. Putrid and rotten, yet it was considered a delicacy. Though it might seem contradictory, garum is assumed to be very tasty, but of course, it must be an acquired taste by today’s standards. It was the much sought-after luxurious fish sauce of the Roman elite. It is a little-understood obscure taste that disappeared into oblivion, one of those oddities of lavish Roman banquets. Actually, it has its roots in Garos of ancient Greece, named as Liquamen in Latin, made with small fish, and eventually, it became a favorite of Romans. It transformed into the Roman garum made with the innards and blood of larger fish varieties and spread around the Mediterranean with the Roman Empire.
May 10 2021
