afterwards composed of other fish, but it always retained
the name which recalled its origin. Pliny reports that the
later makers of garum macerated the ‘ intestines ’ of fish in
water saturated with salt, until putrefaction began to show
itself ; they then added parsley and vinegar. A thick garum
was also prepared, and said to be obtained by allow-
ing the entrails and other parts, generally thrown away,
to liquefy in salt. At the time of Pliny the fish termed
scomber was said to be preferred ; of this either the gills,
and ‘ intestines,’ or only the blood, taken directly the fish
left the water, were alleged to be employed. The makers
thus were said to obtain a precious liquid, which the
further ingredients and treatment, and the care necessary
for its production and preservation, rendered so dear that
eight pints of it cost from fifteen to twenty pounds sterling.
The most esteemed garum was that from Antipolis, and
from Dalmatia. Horace praises that from Bysance. Into
this compound mushrooms greatly entered, and parts of
the scomber fish. An island near Carthagena was called
Scombraria, because here many scombers were taken.
Here a company was established which manufactured
garum, and this was considered the best, and called
Garum sociornm. The word scomber has been variously
interpreted — on the one side as mackerel, on the other as
tunny. The blood and entrails, i.e., probably, roe, of
hmny fish, mixed with salt in a vase, produced also
garum. The vessel was opened at the expiration of two
months, and the rich garum was taken out. This may
well have been a kind of caviar, A garum was also made
from (it is alleged the livers of) anchovies, macerated
in vinegar, pepper, salt, parsley, garlic, white wine, and
sweet herbs. Apicius made a garum from (he alleges
the livers of) red mullet. In old Eoman economical
writers recipes are given for making garum from small
fish, with much salt, stirring, standing, and addition of
LITERATURE OF CARUM
521
wine ; a slow and a quick process are given ; this resulted
probably in the production of a kind of fish essence, like
our present anchovy essence. Although fish was generally
used, the flesh of other animals was sometimes employed
in the formation of garum. Garum, then, was a product
from different animals, shrimps, scomber fish, sardines or
anchovies, red mullet, their intestines, i.e., most probably,
roe, also called liver, both soft and cjranular, and the flesh
of other animals. It w^as probably when made by one
mode a preparation analogous to caviar ; when made of
another, analogous to extract of meat with salt, and by a
third to essence of anehovies. The liver garum of Apicius
was a freak, and never had any position ; we may dismiss
it from consideration. We have not translated the word
scomber, the fish from which the best garum was made.
We believe, with Soyer, that it could not have been the
mackerel, as the descriptions of the process do not fit that
fish ; but we think that it was probably the tunny, as
Stephanus reported, and as we have already stated above.
The expression entrails, or intestines, of the fish has pro-
bably to be interpreted as its roe, soft and hard, and not as
gut or stomach, which latter could by no means be made to
yield an essence of a savoury kind.
Page 328
Presented as published in 1895. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
AI-modernized reading of the original text
afterwards composed of other fish, but it always retained the name which recalled its origin. Pliny reports that the later makers of garum macerated the ‘ intestines ’ of fish in water saturated with salt, until putrefaction began to show itself ; they then added parsley and vinegar. A thick garum was also prepared, and said to be obtained by allowing the entrails and other parts, generally thrown away, to liquefy in salt. At the time of Pliny the fish termed scomber was said to be preferred ; of this either the gills, and ‘ intestines,’ or only the blood, taken directly the fish left the water, were alleged to be employed. The makers thus were said to obtain a precious liquid, which the further ingredients and treatment, and the care necessary for its production and preservation, rendered so dear that eight pints of it cost from fifteen to twenty pounds sterling. The most esteemed garum was that from Antipolis, and from Dalmatia. Horace praises that from Bysance. Into this compound mushrooms greatly entered, and parts of the scomber fish. An island near Carthagena was called Scombraria, because here many scombers were taken. Here a company was established which manufactured garum, and this was considered the best, and called Garum sociornm. The word scomber has been variously interpreted — on the one side as mackerel, on the other as tunny. The blood and entrails, i.e., probably, roe, of hmny fish, mixed with salt in a vase, produced also garum. The vessel was opened at the expiration of two months, and the rich garum was taken out. This may well have been a kind of caviar, A garum was also made from (it is alleged the livers of) anchovies, macerated in vinegar, pepper, salt, parsley, garlic, white wine, and sweet herbs. Apicius made a garum from (he alleges the livers of) red mullet. In old Eoman economical writers recipes are given for making garum from small fish, with much salt, stirring, standing, and addition of
LITERATURE OF CARUM
wine ; a slow and a quick process are given ; this resulted probably in the production of a kind of fish essence, like our present anchovy essence. Although fish was generally used, the flesh of other animals was sometimes employed in the formation of garum. Garum, then, was a product from different animals, shrimps, scomber fish, sardines or anchovies, red mullet, their intestines, i.e., most probably, roe, also called liver, both soft and granular, and the flesh of other animals. It w^as probably when made by one mode a preparation analogous to caviar ; when made of another, analogous to extract of meat with salt, and by a third to essence of anchovies. The liver garum of Apicius was a freak, and never had any position ; we may dismiss it from consideration. We have not translated the word scomber, the fish from which the best garum was made. We believe, with Soyer, that it could not have been the mackerel, as the descriptions of the process do not fit that fish ; but we think that it was probably the tunny, as Stephanus reported, and as we have already stated above. The expression entrails, or intestines, of the fish has probably to be interpreted as its roe, soft and hard, and not as gut or stomach, which latter could by no means be made to yield an essence of a savoury kind.