Max Miller Bypasses Two-Month Rot to Make Ancient Roman Fish Sauce

Tasting History with Max Miller

Heavy salt saturation halts bacterial decay, yielding a clean ocean-flavored seasoning rather than the putrid rot condemned by Roman critics.

AI-assisted summary of I finally made GARUM | Ancient Rome's favorite condiment — original source. Check the original for full context.

Source published: 2020-06-09

Key ideas

Max Miller demonstrates a rapid, same-day Roman garum recipe from the 10th-century Byzantine agricultural text Geoponica, bypassing the traditional two-month sun-fermentation process by boiling oily fish in heavy brine. (2:38)
The brine salinity in the historical recipe is calibrated using a raw egg as an ancient hydrometer, adding salt until the egg floats freely. (4:45)
Beyond seasoning everyday dishes and desserts, garum was prescribed by Roman physicians like Galen and Pliny the Elder as a humoral cure for dysentery, ulcers, and dog bites. (7:11)
Due to the overwhelming stench of commercial production, Byzantine zoning codes in the Hexabiblos mandated that garum facilities be constructed at least three stades (roughly three-eighths of a mile) away from towns. (11:03)

Detailed notes

## Background Published on YouTube on June 9, 2020, by Tasting History with Max Miller, this video tackles ancient Rome's most ubiquitous condiment: garum, or liquamen. While traditional fermented fish sauce takes up to two months to cure, Miller follows an ancient same-day boiled recipe from the Byzantine agricultural text Geoponica, using the rapid cooking method as an opportunity to explore the condiment's history, culinary prominence, and cultural impact.

## TL;DR To bypass the pungent, two-month sun-fermentation process of classical garum, Max Miller prepares a rapid same-day recipe using an ancient technique from the Geoponica, testing brine salinity with a floating egg before boiling and mashing small whole oily fish with oregano. As the mixture reduces, he explores how garum served as Rome's primary source of salt and umami, tracing its empire-wide industry, bizarre humoral medical uses under Galen, and the fierce backlash against its stench from writers like Seneca. After straining the sauce through multiple filters and bottling it, Miller dilutes a sample in water per Pliny the Elder's advice, braving a taste test that surprisingly delivers a clean, intensely savory flavor reminiscent of pure ocean brine.

## Atmosphere & style The presentation is scholarly yet self-deprecating and lively, blending domestic culinary experimentation with playful pop-culture references ranging from Star Wars to Duolingo. Miller maintains an engaging, conversational rhythm, narrating historical horrors and ancient medical absurdities with dry wit and genuine curiosity. The mood builds with comical trepidation as the pungent fish breaks down in the kitchen, culminating in an apprehensive, suspenseful sip that quickly gives way to relief and culinary fascination.

## Bulletin - [02:38](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5S7Bb0Qg-oE&t=158s) Max Miller demonstrates a rapid, same-day Roman garum recipe from the 10th-century Byzantine agricultural text Geoponica, bypassing the traditional two-month sun-fermentation process by boiling oily fish in heavy brine. - [04:45](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5S7Bb0Qg-oE&t=285s) The brine salinity in the historical recipe is calibrated using a raw egg as an ancient hydrometer, adding salt until the egg floats freely. - [07:11](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5S7Bb0Qg-oE&t=431s) Beyond seasoning everyday dishes and desserts, garum was prescribed by Roman physicians like Galen and Pliny the Elder as a humoral cure for dysentery, ulcers, and dog bites. - [11:03](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5S7Bb0Qg-oE&t=663s) Due to the overwhelming stench of commercial production, Byzantine zoning codes in the Hexabiblos mandated that garum facilities be constructed at least three stades (roughly three-eighths of a mile) away from towns.

## Key takeaways - [00:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5S7Bb0Qg-oE&t=0s) Garum was an empire-wide commercial staple in ancient Rome, serving as both an essential flavor enhancer and the primary salt delivery method at the dinner table. - [00:35](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5S7Bb0Qg-oE&t=35s) Modern global equivalents like Worcestershire sauce, Asian fish sauces, and Italian colatura di alici demonstrate that fermented fish condiments remain widely embraced today. - [01:15](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5S7Bb0Qg-oE&t=75s) Traditional garum production relied on layering whole oily fish, herbs, and heavy salt in barrels exposed to direct Mediterranean sunlight for two months. - [02:38](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5S7Bb0Qg-oE&t=158s) The 10th-century compilation Geoponica records multiple garum formulations, including the luxury haimation made from tunny blood and viscera, as well as an emergency same-day boiled recipe. - [03:15](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5S7Bb0Qg-oE&t=195s) The ancient same-day garum method uses a raw egg float test to verify sufficient brine saturation before boiling fish with oregano and optional grape must syrup (defrutum). - [05:31](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5S7Bb0Qg-oE&t=331s) During a 30 to 40 minute boil, whole oily fish must be periodically mashed with a spoon to break down the flesh and viscera into the reducing brine. - [07:11](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5S7Bb0Qg-oE&t=431s) Pliny the Elder documented garum as an extraordinarily expensive luxury, rating elite Spanish mackerel blends second in cost only to fine perfumes. - [08:02](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5S7Bb0Qg-oE&t=482s) Roman physicians applied humoral theory to garum, categorizing it as hot and dry while prescribing it for ailments ranging from sciatica and ulcers to diarrhea and constipation. - [11:03](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5S7Bb0Qg-oE&t=663s) The industrial stench of garum manufacture sparked severe urban zoning laws in antiquity, requiring factories to be located at least three stades outside town borders. - [11:43](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5S7Bb0Qg-oE&t=703s) Roman moralists like Seneca the Younger vehemently condemned garum as expensive, putrefying rot that corroded digestion and debased bodily health. - [12:45](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5S7Bb0Qg-oE&t=765s) Biochemically, authentic garum does not rot; heavy salinity prevents bacterial putrefaction, enabling autolysis via the fish's own digestive enzymes. - [13:04](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5S7Bb0Qg-oE&t=784s) Properly straining boiled garum requires multiple passes through dense materials like paper towels or tea towels, rather than loose cheesecloth, to remove fine sediment. - [13:39](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5S7Bb0Qg-oE&t=819s) Due to its saturated salt content, homemade garum resists spoilage and has an indefinite shelf life when sealed in sterilized bottles. - [14:08](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5S7Bb0Qg-oE&t=848s) Diluting pure garum with water—a historical method recorded by Pliny—yields a broth that tastes clean and intensely reminiscent of ocean seawater rather than rotten fish.

## Detailed walkthrough ### [00:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5S7Bb0Qg-oE&t=0s) Fermented Fish Sauce and the Quest for Garum

Leaving a barrel of dead fish in the scorching Mediterranean sun for two months yields nothing more than a putrid, rotten mess. However, adding a generous amount of salt to that very same barrel transforms it into one of the ancient Roman world’s most prized and ubiquitous culinary staples: garum. Host Max Miller sets out to teach viewers how to recreate this legendary condiment at home without waiting two full months and without alienating the neighborhood. Urging the audience to “smash that like button the way Caesar smashed Pompey's army at the Battle of Pharsalus,” he introduces garum—also frequently known as liquamen—as a fermented fish sauce that modern palates should not dismiss as merely ancient Roman weirdness.

Fermented fish sauces remain widely consumed across the globe today. Western Worcestershire sauce relies on fermented anchovies, while East Asian kitchens depend on staples such as Thai nam pla, Vietnamese nước mắm, and Korean aekjeot. Closer to the Roman heartland, the small fishing village of Cetara in Campania, Italy, still produces *colatura di alici* (“anchovy drippings”), widely regarded as garum’s direct living descendant and an ideal commercial substitute for historical recipes. Max initially intended to reproduce Roman garum via the ancient sun-fermentation method by layering whole fish, aromatics, and two-finger-thick strata of salt in a sealed container for two months. That plan came to an abrupt halt after a friend shared a cautionary tale from Laos about the overpowering stench of industrial fish sauce factories. Max realized that brewing rotting fish on an apartment balcony would be disastrous, noting: “They would probably call the cops thinking that there was a dead body over here.”

- **Modern Equivalents:** Worcestershire sauce (anchovy-based), nam pla (Thailand), nước mắm (Vietnam), aekjeot (Korea), and *colatura di alici* (Cetara, Italy). - **Traditional Layering Technique:** Repeating layers of whole oily fish, fresh herbs, and salt measuring roughly two fingers thick, sealed and exposed to direct sun for up to two months with occasional plunging and aeration.

[02:38](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5S7Bb0Qg-oE&t=158s) Ancient Recipes from the Geoponica

Refusing to abandon the project, Max turned to ancient culinary texts and struck gold in the *Geoponica*, a 10th-century Byzantine agricultural treatise derived from a 6th-century Latin work. The compilation preserves five distinct methods for producing garum, employing different fish, seasonings, and wine reductions. The most luxurious variation recorded is *haimation*, which translates to the blood sauce. The text instructs: “The best garum, called 'haimation', is made as follows: take the entrails of tunny fish and its gills, juice, and blood, and sufficient salt sprinkled on.” After letting it sit in a vessel for at most two months, the bottom of the container was pierced, allowing the clear amber liquid to drain from a spigot—a mechanic Max humorously compares to a modern cold-brew dispenser.

The real breakthrough, however, was an alternative emergency recipe for cooks unable or unwilling to wait two months. The *Geoponica* explicitly provides instructions for a boiled, same-day fish sauce: “If you wish to use the garum at once - i.e not expose it to the sun, but boil it - make it in the following manner: take brine and test its strength by throwing an egg into it to see if it floats; if it sinks it does not contain enough salt.” The technique calls for boiling the fish with oregano and the tested brine until the volume reduces, optionally enriched with *defrutum*—a thick syrup created by reducing grape must (the freshly crushed grape juice containing seeds, skins, and stems). Lacking fresh grape must and eager to let the pure flavor of the fish lead the dish, Max bypasses the defrutum entirely, cheerfully declaring that while some ancient cooks added grape syrup, “I ain't some people!”

```mermaid flowchart TD accTitle: Methods of Garum Production from the Geoponica accDescr: Flowchart comparing the two-month sun fermentation process for haimation against the rapid boiling method for same-day garum.

subgraph SUN["Traditional Fermentation (Haimation)"] A["Tunny entrails, gills, blood & heavy salt"] --> B["Layer in vessel & seal for up to 2 months"] B --> C["Pierce bottom of vessel; strain running garum"] end

subgraph BOIL["Quick Same-Day Garum"] D["Prepare water & salt brine"] --> E{"Float Test with Raw Egg"} E -- "Egg Sinks" --> D E -- "Egg Floats" --> F["Add oily fish, oregano & optional defrutum"] F --> G["Boil & mash for 30-40 min until reduced"] G --> H["Strain multiple times until clear liquid remains"] end ```

[04:45](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5S7Bb0Qg-oE&t=285s) Cooking the Same-Day Garum

The ingredient list for rapid garum remains remarkably approachable: approximately 2 quarts of water, close to 1 pound (around 400 grams) of coarse sea salt, 2 heaping teaspoons of dried oregano, and 2 pounds of small, whole oily fish. Suitable species include mackerel, sardines, anchovies, or herring. While ancient Romans also processed tuna, their immense physical size makes smaller coastal species far more practical for domestic cooking. Honey or defrutum can optionally be introduced if sweetness is desired. A raw egg is used not as an edible component, but as a flotation hydrometer to gauge brine salinity.

To prepare the base, Max adds roughly 400 grams of sea salt to water, dissolving it gradually. Because a wide stockpot leaves the liquid too shallow to evaluate the egg accurately, he tests the solution in a smaller, deeper pot; once the egg bobs on the surface, the brine has achieved adequate saturation. Any excess salt that fails to dissolve simply settles harmlessly to the floor of the vessel. The brine is transferred to a large stainless steel stockpot to substitute for the original recipe's unglazed earthenware vessel. The whole fish and dried oregano are dropped in, and the mixture is set over high heat to boil for 30 to 40 minutes. Max explains the essential physical manipulation required during reduction: “You're going to boil it for between 30 and 40 minutes and every 10 minutes go ahead and kind of give that fish a mashing with your spoon just to break it up.” Within ten minutes, the fish flesh and entrails break apart completely, releasing an unmistakable aroma throughout the kitchen that his cat found utterly delightful.

- **Liquid Base:** 2 quarts (1900 ml) water. - **Salt Ratio:** Roughly 1 lb (around 400+ grams) of sea salt, adjusted until an unbroken raw egg floats freely. - **Fish Selection:** 2 lbs (900 grams) whole oily fish (herring, mackerel, sardines, or anchovies). - **Flavoring:** 2 heaping teaspoons dried oregano (with optional honey or grape must reduction). - **Cook Time:** 30–40 minutes at a rolling boil, mashing the decomposing fish every 10 minutes until reduced by roughly half.

[07:11](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5S7Bb0Qg-oE&t=431s) The Roman Obsession: Culinary Uses and Medicinal Madness

Once bubbling away, garum represented far more than a simple pantry item—it was an empire-wide commercial juggernaut and cultural obsession lauded as “the taste of the sea.” Pliny the Elder celebrated it as a “choice liquor,” holding a Spanish mackerel blend called *garum sociorum* (“garum of comrades”) in the highest esteem. Marveling at its premium cost and status, Pliny wrote that “Scarcely any other liquid except perfume has become more highly valued.” The condiment had migrated into Roman life from the Greek sauce *garos* (likely derived from a specific fish of the same name). Because Romans rarely added mineral salt directly to their food at the table, garum served as their primary sodium delivery vehicle, infusing dishes with rich, savory glutamates. It saturates the foundational Roman cookbook *De re coquinaria*, where it frequently appears under the name *liquamen*. Far from being restricted to meat and seafood dishes, garum appeared in vegetable preparations, salads, fruit purees, and even ancient desserts known as *dulcia*.

Beyond the kitchen, Roman physicians treated garum as a potent panacea governed by the humoral theory championed by Galen. Galen categorized garum as excessively hot and dry, recommending it for treating putrefying skin ulcers, sciatica, and dysentery. Max stops the historical overview to issue a firm disclaimer to modern viewers: “Now if you take anything away from this video, it should be that, despite what Galen says, you should never ever inject anyone with fermented fish sauce... EVER!” Galen's medical reasoning proved contradictory elsewhere, listing garum as an effective treatment for diarrhea in one text and a cure for constipation in another. Pliny similarly promoted fish sauce for treating dog bites and ear infections, even prescribing that patients afflicted with stomach pain consume an odd number of African snails marinated in garum.

- **Socioeconomic Influence:** Garum processing centers clustered on shorelines across the Mediterranean to guarantee cheap salt access and immediate processing of fresh catches; Judean facilities supplied certified kosher variants to Jewish consumers, while Pompeii flourished through luxury brands like *gari flos scombri* ("Flower of Garum"). - **Divergent Medical Views:** While advocates viewed garum as a sovereign remedy, detractors argued that habitual consumption brought about melancholy, triggered severe gout attacks, and corroded the teeth. - **Freshness Standards:** High-end garum demanded pristine raw material, celebrated by the epigrammatist Martial: “Accept this exquisite garum, a precious gift made with the first blood spilled from a living mackerel.”

[11:03](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5S7Bb0Qg-oE&t=663s) Ancient Backlash: Stench, Seneca's Tirade, and the Science of Fermentation

As the Roman Empire developed an insatiable appetite for garum, coastal populations began pushing back against the overpowering stench produced by its industrial manufacture. Local towns were forced to intervene, establishing zoning restrictions to keep the smell at bay. A Byzantine regulation preserved in the *Hexabiblos* mandated that any newly constructed garum factory had to be situated at least three stades away from any town or village—a distance of roughly three-eighths of a mile, though Max Miller expresses skepticism that even that buffer would suffice.

Beyond complaints about civic zoning, garum drew sharp moral and dietary condemnation from prominent Roman intellectuals. In an Epicurean tirade attacking the excesses of high living, Seneca the Younger delivered a scathing review:

> “What? Do you not think that the so-called 'sauce from the provinces', the costly extract of poisonous fish, burns up the stomach with its salted putrefaction? What? Do you not judge that the corrupted dishes which a man swallows almost burning from the kitchen fire, are quenched in the digestive system without doing harm? How repulsive then, and how unhealthy are their belchings, and how disgusted men are with themselves when they breathe forth the fumes of yesterday's debauch! You may be sure that their food is not being digested, but is rotting.”

Writers like Martial and Pliny the Elder held deeply conflicted views on the condiment. Martial mocked its breath-fouling properties by commending a young man's bravery for attempting romantic advances toward a woman who had consumed six helpings of garum in a single evening. Pliny the Elder, who elsewhere praised it as a proud sauce and an exquisite liquor, candidly described garum as "the guts of fish and other parts that would otherwise be considered refuse, so that garum is really the secretion of putrefying matter." Miller notes that while Pliny is functionally correct about the ingredients, he is technically wrong about the chemistry: garum is fermented rather than putrefied. The heavy salt content halts bacterial decay, allowing natural enzymes present in the fish's digestive tract to break the flesh down over several months until it essentially digests itself—a process Miller jokingly likens to the digestion inside *Star Wars*' Sarlaac pit.

- **Hexabiblos mandate**: Garum factories were required to be built at least 3 stades (~3/8 mile) outside inhabited settlements. - **Biochemical mechanism**: High salinity inhibits rot, enabling autolysis via the fish's own digestive enzymes over months of curing.

---

[13:04](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5S7Bb0Qg-oE&t=784s) Straining, Bottling, and the Duolingo Dilemma

Returning to the kitchen's quick-method version, the boiled fish mixture is taken off the heat and left to cool once it has simmered for 30 to 40 minutes. The ancient source text advises straining the mixture two or three times, but Miller found that cheesecloth was inadequate and created a massive mess. To obtain a clear, pale yellow liquid free of sediment, he had to filter it roughly seven times, ultimately getting the best results by pouring the liquid through a paper towel followed by a standard tea towel.

```mermaid flowchart LR accTitle: Garum Straining and Bottling Process accDescr: Steps to separate boiled fish solids from liquid garum and safely store the final product. subgraph S1["Straining Process"] A["Boiled Fish Mixture (Cooled)"] --> B["Coarse Colander"] B --> C["Fine Filter (Paper & Tea Towels)"] end subgraph S2["Storage"] C --> D["Sterilized (Boiled) Bottles"] D --> E["Pale Yellow Garum (Long Shelf Life)"] end ```

Because of the exceptionally high salt content, garum will keep almost indefinitely, but Miller emphasizes that the storage bottles must still be properly sterilized in boiling water before bottling. Turning to the final evaluation, Miller addresses the culinary custom of Tasting History: normally, he would simply take a hearty swig of whatever he made. However, anyone who has touched the Duolingo Latin course knows one of its earliest and most memorable rules of survival: *"Garum non bibis"* ("You do not drink garum").

- **Simmer duration**: 30 to 40 minutes over medium-high heat until reduced by roughly half. - **Filtering advice**: Skip cheesecloth in favor of paper towels and tea towels to remove fine particulate matter. - **Preservation**: High salt levels preserve the sauce indefinitely, provided bottles are pre-boiled and sterilized.

---

[14:08](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5S7Bb0Qg-oE&t=848s) The Taste Test: Ocean Water and Apicius Preview

Miller is determined to sample the garum in its pure liquid state before cooking with it in future recipes. He turns to Pliny the Elder for a historical loophole: Pliny recorded that garum could indeed be consumed as a beverage if it was properly diluted with water until it matched the color of honey wine. Preparing a diluted glass alongside his neat sample, Miller pauses to take a sniff of the undiluted sauce, reporting with wide eyes that it smells aggressively fishy.

Steeling his nerves for the tasting, he likens his dread to the classic *Friends* scene where Ross Geller contemplates drinking a glass of pure fat, psyching himself up by pretending it is merely a vanilla milkshake. When he finally takes a sip of the diluted brew, the sensory experience turns out to be far less horrific than anticipated:

> “So whoever said that it was the taste of the sea... is right.”

Rather than an overwhelming punch of rotten fish, Miller finds that the concoction tastes intensely like clean ocean saltwater. While he recognizes its immense culinary potential as a savory seasoning agent, he admits he has no intention of finishing the glass or pouring it over a salad. Closing out the episode, Miller announces that the following week will see the condiment put to its proper culinary use, preparing *mitulis* (mussels) from Apicius's cookbook *De re coquinaria*, and reminds viewers to subscribe and ring the notification bell.

## Notable quotes > [11:03](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5S7Bb0Qg-oE&t=663s) Do you not think that the so-called 'sauce from the provinces', the costly extract of poisonous fish, burns up the stomach with its salted putrefaction? — Seneca the Younger

## Mentioned Max Miller, Tasting History with Max Miller, Julius Caesar, Pompey, Battle of Pharsalus, Geoponica, Pliny the Elder, Galen, Martial, Seneca the Younger, Hexabiblos, Apicius, De re coquinaria, Duolingo, Friends, Ross Geller, Star Wars, Cetara, Campania, Pompeii

## Video description In nearly every recipe we have from Ancient Rome, a key ingredient is Garum or Liquamen; fermented fish sauce. While it usually takes two months to make, I use an ancient recipe for same day garum which gave me plenty of time to look at the history of Ancient Rome's favorite condiment.

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LINKS TO SOURCES** The Roman Cookery Book by Elizabeth Rosenbaum: https://amzn.to/2zg73QV

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Ferment by Holly Davis: https://amzn.to/37bDtIK

https://coquinaria.nl/en/roman-fish-sauce/

The rise and reorganization of the Pompeian salted fish industry - Steven Ellis: https://www.academia.edu/678386/The_rise_and_reorganization_of_the_Pompeian_salted_fish_industry

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LINK TO Making A Cure for the Black Plague | Galen and the Four Humors: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jtCKA_NeEQ0&t=211s

GARUM ORIGINAL RECIPE From The Geoponica If you wish to use the garum at once - i.e. not expose it to the sun, but boil it - make it in the following manner: Take brine and test its strength by throwing an egg into it to see if it floats; if it sinks it does not contain enough salt. Put the fish into the brine in a new earthenware pot, add oregano, put it on a good fire until it boils - i.e., until it begins to reduce. Some people also add defrutum. Let it cool and strain it two or three times, until the liquid is clear. Seal and store it away.

MODERN RECIPE INGREDIENTS (Amounts are approximate) - 2 Quarts (1900ml) Water - 1lb (450g) Sea Salt - 2 Teaspoons Dried Oregano - Defrutum or Honey - 2lbs (900g) Whole Fish (oily)

METHOD 1. Add salt to the water and stir to dissolve. You may not need the full amount, so start with about 3/4s. Place an egg in the water and if the egg floats, stop adding salt. 2. Add the whole fish and the oregano (and defrutum if you are using any) to the water and place over medium-high heat and boil for 30 - 40 minutes. Every ten minutes, mash with a spoon to break up the fish. 3. Once the water has reduced to about half the amount, remove the pot from the heat and allow to cool. 4. First, pass through a colander and then strain through a kitchen cloth or paper towel until the garum is free of particles. Then bottle in a sterile bottle and refrigerate.

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Music Credit Gigue From 3rd Cello Suite Exzel Music Publishing (freemusicpublicdomain.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Photo Credits chef PNG Designed By CHENXIN from https://pngtree.com/ Garum Mosaic - Claus Ableiter / CC BY-SA (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0) Adana Mosaic - Dosseman / CC BY-SA (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0) Galen - Wellcome Collection / CC BY (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0) Snails Mosaic - Carole Raddato from FRANKFURT, Germany / CC BY-SA (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0) Seneca & Nero - By Eduardo Barrón - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=17141593

#tastinghistory #garum #ancientrome #foodhistory

[Source](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5S7Bb0Qg-oE)

中文简报

麦克斯·米勒省去两月腐化期复刻古罗马鱼露高浓度盐饱和阻止了细菌腐烂，带来纯净海洋风味的调味料，而非罗马评论家所谴责的腐臭物。为了跳过传统鱼露（garum）长达两个月的气味刺鼻的日晒发酵过程，麦克斯·米勒采用拜占庭农学典籍《地学志》（Geoponica）中的古老技术，制作了一份可在当日快速完成的配方；他先用一枚浮起的生鸡蛋测试盐水盐度，随后将小型多脂全鱼与牛至一同煮沸捣碎。随着混合物浓缩，他探讨了鱼露如何成为罗马盐分与鲜味的主要来源，梳理了其横跨整个帝国的产业、在盖伦体液学说下的离奇医疗用途，以及塞内卡等作家对其恶臭的强烈抨击。在将酱汁经多层过滤并装瓶后，米勒依照老普林尼的建议取样用水稀释并勇敢尝试，品尝后惊奇地发现它呈现出干净、浓烈且极具鲜味的口感，让人联想起纯净的海洋盐水。麦克斯·米勒展示了出自10世纪拜占庭农学典籍《地学志》的一道快速罗马鱼露配方，通过在浓盐水中熬煮多脂鱼，省去了传统长达两个月的日晒发酵过程。 (2:38) 该历史配方利用生鸡蛋作为古老的比重计来校准盐水盐度，持续加盐直至鸡蛋完全浮起。 (4:45) 鱼露不仅用于日常菜肴和甜点的调味，还被盖伦和老普林尼等罗马医家依据体液理论用作治疗痢疾、溃疡和犬咬伤的处方。 (7:11) 由于商业化生产产生的恶臭令人难以忍受，拜占庭《六书》（Hexabiblos）中的区域规划法规强制要求鱼露工场必须建在距离城镇至少三斯塔德（约八分之三英里）之外的地方。 (11:03)

Source quotes

[11:03] Seneca the Younger: Do you not think that the so-called 'sauce from the provinces', the costly extract of poisonous fish, burns up the stomach with its salted putrefaction?

Original transcript

[0:00] Leave a barrel of dead fish out in the hot Mediterranean sun for two months [0:03] and you're going to have a rancid putrid mess. [0:08] But leave a barrel of dead fish and salt out in the hot Mediterranean sun for two months [0:13] and you're going to have one of Ancient Rome's most prized and oft used condiments: [0:19] So today I'm going to teach you how to make your own garum at home [0:22] in a lot less than two months and without offending your neighbors. [0:26] So smash that like button the way Caesar smashed Pompey's army at the Battle of Pharsalus [0:30] and get ready to learn about garum this time on Tasting History! [0:35] (music) [0:41] Garum, sometimes called liquamen, is fermented fish sauce. [0:45] And before you say, "Ewww, Rome! Gross!" [0:48] You have to realize that we still have fermented fish sauces with us today [0:52] Worcestershire sauce is made with fermented anchovies [0:55] and different varieties of fermented fish sauce can be found throughout cuisines in East Asia [1:01] Nam Pla in Thailand, [1:02] Nước mắm in Vietnam, [1:04] and Aekjeot from Korea, just to name a few. [1:06] And I am apologizing for my pronunciation of probably all of those sauces. [1:11] And in the small fishing village of Citara in Campania, Italy, [1:14] they make something called "colatura di alici" [1:18] which translates to "anchovy drippings" [1:20] and is probably a direct descendant of garum. [1:23] If you don't want to make your own garum [1:24] you can go ahead and use this as a good substitute. [1:27] I will put a link in the description where you can find some. [1:29] But since Tasting History is all about trying to recreate [1:32] the dishes of the past rather than just by their modern cousins, [1:35] I decided to make my own garum. [1:37] Now when I ventured down this fool's path, [1:40] I assumed it would take me a couple months because the traditional way of making garum, [1:46] like the Ancient Romans, did would be to take a large vessel [1:50] put a layer of whole fish, then a layer of herbs, and then a thick layer of salt about two fingers thick, and then just [1:58] layer that up all the way until you fill the entire vessel. [2:01] Put a stopper in it and set it out in the sun for two months. [2:04] Every once in a while kind of plunging it and mixing up all the juices [2:09] and I was going to do this, for you, the viewer, who I care for so much [2:13] But then a friend of mine who had ventured to Laos [2:18] told me about a run-in he had with the factories that make their fermented fish sauce [2:23] and he basically said you cannot do that living in a condo [2:28] surrounded by neighbors... [2:30] They would probably call the cops thinking that there was a dead body over here. [2:33] So I was disheartened but I kept up my research into Roman cuisine anyway. [2:38] And I'm so glad that I did [2:39] because I found out that making garum is covered extensively in a work called the Geoponica [2:46] Which dates from the 10th century and is from Byzantium, which is the Eastern Roman Empire [2:51] and it's said that it's based on a sixth century Latin treatise. [2:55] Now it actually mentions five different recipes for garum and some of them have wine, [3:01] some of them have different fish, different ways of preparing the garum [3:05] But I'm going to read you two just to spare you from reading all five [3:09] The best garum, called "haimation", is made as follows: [3:13] take the entrails of tunny fish and its gills, juice, and blood, and sufficient salt sprinkled on. [3:20] Leave it in a vessel for two months at most. [3:22] Then pierce the vessel and the garum called haimation will flow out. [3:27] Kind of reminds me of that little spigot on the bottom of our cold brew jar [3:30] and I'm guessing that just like the cold brew, a tall ice glass of garum in the morning will really get you going! [3:35] But it's this next recipe that rekindled my hope of making my own garum at home because [3:41] clearly the author of the Geaponica knew that sometimes you just can't wait for your fish juice fix. [3:46] If you wish to use the garum at once [3:49] - i.e not expose it to the sun, but boil it - [3:52] make it in the following manner: [3:53] take brine and test its strength by throwing an egg into it to see if it floats; [3:59] if it sinks it does not contain enough salt. [4:02] Put the fish into the brine in a new earthenware pot, [4:05] add oregano, put it on the fire until it boils - i.e until it begins to reduce. [4:10] Some people also add defrutum. [4:13] Let it cool and strain it two or three times, until the liquid is clear [4:17] Seal and store it away. [4:19] Now defrutum is a syrup that's made from reducing must, [4:22] which is freshly crushed grape juice with the stems, seeds, and skins in there [4:28] and I don't have any of that right now. [4:31] So I decided not to use it and that's okay because he does say [4:35] "some people use defrutum" and I ain't some people! [4:39] So with the Geoponica giving us full permission to make quick garum [4:44] Let's do it! [4:45] First you'll need about 2 quarts of water, [4:48] then [4:49] a ton of sea salt - probably close to a pound. [4:52] It's going to depend on different things like the salt, the water, and the temperature of it, but [4:57] he gives us instructions on how to tell when it's ready, so we will do that with the egg later on. [5:03] Then some dried oregano. I went with 2 heaping teaspoons. [5:06] Then, if you want, you can add some defrutum - if you have it or have musk that you can reduce. [5:12] I'm not going to - one because I don't have it, and two because [5:16] I want the star of the dish, the fish, to really shine through [5:21] but you can also use honey [5:22] there are records of honey being used or other kind of sweet things [5:25] so go ahead and use it if ya want. [5:28] Then you'll need about 2 pounds of small whole fish. [5:31] You can use mackerel, or sardines, or anchovies, or herring... [5:36] Anything that is an oily fish. [5:39] Now they also use tuna as as in that first recipe, the tunny fish but... [5:44] I mean, how much are you making? A tuna is like this big so... [5:48] Stick with mackerel at most because even a mackerel is kind of big. [5:51] Lastly you'll need that egg that I mentioned, but that's more of a tool rather than an ingredient. [5:57] So first we make our brine. Go ahead and start adding salt to the water. [6:02] I'd start with about 400 grams at first and then work your way up. I ended up using just over 400 grams. [6:08] I ended up switching pots because [6:11] the large pot is actually better for making this but [6:15] the small pot was better for testing it with the egg, because in the large pot the egg wasn't even covered [6:19] so I couldn't tell but mix it in and every once in a while put the egg in there and once it floats stop adding salt. [6:26] Now if you end up adding too much salt, that's okay. [6:29] It's just gonna fall to the bottom not a huge deal. [6:32] Then the recipe says to add the fish to the brine in a fresh earthenware pot... [6:36] I don't have that so I ended up using a stock pot. [6:40] So add the whole fish to the water, and the oregano, and stir everything together [6:45] Then it's time to boil it. So put the pot over high heat, and let the fire do its work [6:51] You're going to boil it for between 30 and 40 minutes and every 10 minutes [6:54] go ahead and kind of give that fish a mashing with your spoon just to break it up. [6:58] It should break up after the first 10. [7:00] So as your house fills with the scent of boiling fish [7:03] - (my cat loved it by the way) - [7:05] I'm going to show you why garum was such a popular condiment in Ancient Rome... [7:11] (epic intro) [7:14] Noble garum! [7:16] Lordly garum! [7:18] The taste of the sea! [7:20] There was no end to the accolades that ancient writers put on garum. [7:25] Pliny the Elder called it "choice liquor" and his favorite was garum sociorum, [7:30] often translated as "garum of comrades". [7:33] It was made of mackerel and came from Southern Spain, and he said that, [7:37] "Scarcely any other liquid except perfume has become more highly valued." [7:41] And while not all garum enjoyed such a price tag, [7:45] it did become quite the booming business in the Roman Empire [7:48] It's thought that garum started in Greece with a sauce called garos, [7:53] probably made from a fish called garos, [7:55] which is the Netflix Remake of A Fish Called Wanda. [7:57] But when Rome took over Greece, the garos took over Rome and became garum. [8:02] See, the Romans didn't really salt their food. So instead in pretty much every recipe that we have from antiquity, [8:08] they use garum to Impart sodium to their dishes [8:12] and in doing so it also gave a certain umami flavor which the Romans must have loved [8:18] because in the most famous collection of Roman recipes that we have, De re coquinaria, [8:23] nearly every recipe uses it, [8:25] though by then it was called liquamen, but that is the story for another day [8:29] Not surprisingly, it was used in fish dishes, and meat dishes, and in most of the sauces [8:35] but it also found its way into vegetable dishes, and fruit dishes, and used as a salad dressing, [8:41] and even in some of the dulcia recipes, or sweets, [8:45] because fish sauce in dessert... what could go wrong? [8:50] And it wasn't just used as flavoring, because it was quite the cure-all if Galen had anything to say about it. [8:56] Now you might remember Galen from the episode on the Black Plague cures [9:01] - which I'll put down in the description below - [9:03] Galen thought that foods controlled the humors in your body which control your health. [9:10] Every food had some degree of hotness, dryness, coldness, or wetness, and garum was no exception. [9:16] He says that garum "has the considerable capacity for heat and dryness, and on account of this, some doctors treat putrefying ulcers with it, [9:23] and inject it into people with dysentery and sciatica." [9:27] Now if you take anything away from this video, [9:29] it should be that, despite what Galen says, you should never ever inject anyone with fermented fish sauce... [9:36] EVER! [9:37] Also while in one writing Galen says that it's a treatment for diarrhea... [9:42] In another he says it's a treatment for constipation. [9:45] So... Hmm... [9:46] Just kind of seems like Wacky Galen's Miracle Tonic. [9:49] I don't trust this Galen guy. [9:51] Pliny the Elder, who I usually think of as a little bit more reputable, [9:55] says that it was a good treatment for dog bites and earaches, [9:58] and if you had stomach troubles, then the best cure was to eat African snails marinated in garum. [10:03] Oh, but it needs to be an odd number of snails... [10:07] because... [10:08] that's a thing... [10:09] But while it was medicinal to some others thought that the condiment exacerbated gout, caused melancholy, and destroyed your teeth... [10:16] So I don't know who to believe. [10:19] But regardless the fact that it was in almost every roman dish and it was used as medicine [10:25] means that it had become quite the precious commodity by the time the Empire took off. [10:31] Garum factories were sprouting up all around the Mediterranean. [10:34] In Judea, they made a kosher version for the Jewish population. [10:37] And in Pompeii, it was known as gari flos scombri, or the "Flower of Garum". [10:43] Now production centers tend to be, of course, on the coast [10:47] because plenty of salt and moving fish probably expensive, [10:51] but also because the fish had to be very fresh. [10:55] The poet Martial said, "Accept this exquisite garum, a precious gift made with the first blood spilled from a living mackerel." [11:03] But as the Empire's greed for garum grew, coastal towns had to say, "Hold your horses this stuff stinks!" [11:10] There was a Byzantine regulation from the Hexabiblos that stated that any new garum factories needed to be built [11:16] three stades away from any village or town. [11:18] It's about three-eighths of a mile. [11:20] I'm not even sure that that would be enough [11:22] So yeah, lovely as the flavor might be, [11:25] there were some that had less than great things to say about it [11:30] In an Epicurean tirade, Seneca the Younger said, [11:33] "What? Do you not think that the so-called 'sauce from the provinces', [11:38] the costly extract of poisonous fish, burns up the stomach with its salted putrefaction? [11:44] What? Do you not judge that the corrupted dishes which a man swallows almost burning from the kitchen fire, [11:50] are quenched in the Digestive system without doing harm? [11:53] How repulsive then, and how unhealthy are their belchings, [11:58] and how disgusted men are with themselves when they breathe forth the fumes of yesterday's debauch! [12:04] You may be sure that their food is not being digested, but is rotting." [12:10] Not exactly commercial copy for garum there... [12:12] And even Pliny the Elder and Martial had trouble making up their mind about how they really felt about garum. [12:20] Martial once commended a young man for making romantic advances toward a woman who had already had six helpings of the stuff that night [12:26] and Pliny the Elder, who had called it proud sauce and exquisite liquor, [12:31] also described garum as "the guts of fish and other parts that would otherwise be considered refuse, [12:37] so that garum is really the secretion of putrefying matter." [12:41] And he's kind of right, but, to be pedantic, it is not putrid but rather fermented. [12:47] With the salt there to stop putrefaction, [12:50] the breakdown actually comes from enzymes in the fish's own digestive system [12:56] so that essentially it's digesting itself over the period of several months [13:02] Kind of like the sarlacc pit... [13:04] Anyway, let's get back to our own sarlacc pit in the kitchen. [13:09] So once the fish has boiled for 30 to 40 minutes, [13:12] take it off the heat and let it cool. Then pour it through a colander. [13:16] Now, it says to strain it two or three times [13:20] I ended up doing it like seven times. Making a huge mess while doing it because I started with cheesecloth. [13:25] I wouldn't do that, it's just not enough. [13:28] The best thing that I actually used was a paper towel and then a tea towel. [13:34] So here is my bottle of garum: a nice kind of pale yellow color. [13:38] Also if you are bottling this, because it's going to last Forever due to the high salt content, [13:44] but you do need to make sure that the bottles have been sterilized. [13:48] So, you know... boil those bottles. [13:51] Now, usually this is where I would taste the food that we've made. [13:54] So I would just take a swig of this, but if you've ever taken the Latin course from Duolingo, [14:00] as we all have, one of the first things you learn is: Garum non bibis. [14:05] Or: You. Do. Not. Drink. Garum. [14:08] But I really want to try it in its pure form before I add it to another dish. [14:12] And luckily Pliny the Elder says that if you dilute it to the color of honey wine, you can go ahead and drink it. [14:19] So before I try it - I've diluted a glass here - I'm going to first tell you how it smells in its purest form so... [14:31] Fishy... [14:33] Smells veeeery fishy... [14:37] Okay. [14:38] So I'm going to try this in the name of science [14:40] But before I do I want to let you know that next week I'm actually going to use the garum for its intended purpose: [14:46] which is as an ingredient. [14:48] I'm going to be making mitulis, or mussels, as described in the De re coquinaria by Apicius. [14:54] And that's what we'll be talking about [14:56] so make sure to hit that notification bell when you subscribe so you'll be notified when that comes out! [15:01] Okay! [15:02] Enough stalling [15:03] Here we go [15:05] Garum [15:07] Oh, I feel like that episode of Friends where Ross is going to drink the fat [15:13] It's just a vanilla milkshake with... [15:15] pieces of... [15:17] fish in it... [15:17] There aren't actually pieces of fish. It's been well strained. [15:19] But okay, here we go - enough [15:28] So whoever said that it was the taste of the sea... [15:32] is right. It tastes like... the ocean, [15:36] It's not actually as fishy as I thought, it's more of just like salt watery. [15:40] It tastes like the ocean [15:43] I think that it actually might be a very nice ingredient. That said I'm not going to be putting it on a salad [15:49] and I'm definitely not going to be finishing this glass so... yeah. [15:53] Anyway, please like, subscribe, and I will see you next time on Tasting History!