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Archaeology & History

Ancient shipwreck filled with Roman 'ketchup'

By T.K. Randall
December 13, 2015 · Comment icon 15 comments

A replica Roman vessel used in the movie Ben Hur. Image Credit: CC BY-SA 2.0 twbuckner
Archaeologists have discovered the remains of a Roman vessel carrying thousands of jars of seasoning.
Dating back to the second century A.D., the doomed ship was found 650ft down off the coast of Liguria in northwest Italy. It sunk while transporting large quantities of a popular fish-based seasoning known as garum - a precursor to modern condiments such as tomato ketchup.

The delicacy was manufactured in vast quantities in Western Europe and then transported by ship to destinations across the Roman Empire. It was created by fermenting fish in saltwater and was added to just about every meal - often in place of salt which was a lot more expensive.
The ship, which is one of only five Roman vessels ever discovered in the depths of the Mediterranean, was thought to have been carrying thousands of jars.

"It has not been possible yet to recover a jar with residues that can be analyzed," archaeologist Vincenzo Tiné said in a statement. "However, the one we brought to light, which is identical to all the others, is of a shape that was used exclusively for garum."

Source: Discovery News | Comments (15)




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Recent comments on this story
Comment icon #6 Posted by questionmark 8 years ago
I've always wondered what "fish sauce" tastes like. A sauce made from fish just doesn't sound terribly appetizing. Which leads me to wonder if, after a thousand-plus years, the fish sauce has turned bad yet. I recommend questionmark be the one to try it first. Well, you can go to any shop where they sell Thai food and buy some fish sauce... though it is not exactly the same as the Roman. The other approach is to make your own. And, I will certainly not put anything in my mouth with an use by date that has expired 2000 years ago.
Comment icon #7 Posted by Frank Merton 8 years ago
I've always wondered what "fish sauce" tastes like. A sauce made from fish just doesn't sound terribly appetizing. Which leads me to wonder if, after a thousand-plus years, the fish sauce has turned bad yet. I recommend questionmark be the one to try it first. The Vietnamese equivalent is fermented fish paste, from which a sauce can be made if you dilute it in oil and soy and lots of sugar and some hot peppers. Taken in moderation it is quite good, but a little goes a long way.As I understand it the Greeks took the Roman taste for the stuff as proof positive how barbaric Romans were.
Comment icon #8 Posted by pallidin 8 years ago
So, if I understand correctly (?) this specific fish slime concoction was/is a "seasoning" as opposed to a primary food (?) For what reason? To add saltiness alone I can't readily see, but perhaps a complex salty flavor enhancer? Makes me wonder what they were eating that would tend towards requiring such...
Comment icon #9 Posted by Gingitsune 8 years ago
It's not just salty, the fished are there to add umami, flavor,. Roughly, on top of the four classical sense of taste, salty, sweet, bitter and acide, there is a fifth one. A Japanese scientist realized raw fish broth was tasty of its own right although it didn't have any of the four classical taste in it. Of course, the food industry didn't let the find go to waste and have been adding "flavor" in a lot of recipes for decades now.
Comment icon #10 Posted by questionmark 8 years ago
So, if I understand correctly (?) this specific fish slime concoction was/is a "seasoning" as opposed to a primary food (?) For what reason? To add saltiness alone I can't readily see, but perhaps a complex salty flavor enhancer? Makes me wonder what they were eating that would tend towards requiring such... As I pointed out before, it is because the fermentation causes a chemical reaction that produces MSG
Comment icon #11 Posted by Harry_Dresden 8 years ago
As I pointed out before, it is because the fermentation causes a chemical reaction that produces MSG Heston Blumenthal, the British chef, once recreated a Roman banquet for a TV show and he created garum. He didn't mention anything about MSG but he did say that it tasted something between Thai fish sauce and worcestershire sauce.
Comment icon #12 Posted by Oniomancer 8 years ago
I've always wondered what "fish sauce" tastes like. A sauce made from fish just doesn't sound terribly appetizing. Which leads me to wonder if, after a thousand-plus years, the fish sauce has turned bad yet. I recommend questionmark be the one to try it first. I picked some on sale in the regular supermarket to try once that was almost indistinguishable from soy sauce other than the slight fishy note.
Comment icon #13 Posted by Hanslune 8 years ago
I use fish sauce all the time, I prefer the Japanese style but for some dishes I use the Vietnamese. In my opinion this is the best version today (and I've tried them all): Shottsuru is a type of fish sauce from it is made from Hatahata - a type of fish. It probably has a taste similar to the Roman Garum.
Comment icon #14 Posted by KolchacktheNightStalker 8 years ago
I should pick some up, be good for pasta.
Comment icon #15 Posted by questionmark 8 years ago
in related news: Scientists look to fish sauces as low-sodium flavor enhancer SUBANG JAYA, Malaysia, Feb. 2 (UPI) -- If you've ever had low-sodium soup out of a can, you can understand why scientists might be looking for a more flavorful way to reduce sodium levels. Salt, of course, is the world's preeminent flavor enhancer. But too much sodium can lead to high blood pressure. New research suggests fish sauce as a better low-sodium flavor booster. Read more and once again demonstrated: there is nothing new under the sun.


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