L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, AUGUST 7, 2025 www.italoamericano.org 14 L'Italo-Americano ancient diets and food pro- duction practices." Crucially, the ability to trace the exact species used in garum also allows us to understand the cultural and economic networks of the Roman Empire better: by studying the DNA of ancient fish, researchers discovered, for instance, that there was less genetic mixing between sardine populations from d i f f e r e n t o c e a n i c r e g i o n s than there is today, which suggests that Roman garum production sites were likely relying on specific local fish populations. The discovery also sheds light on the con- n e c t i o n s b e t w e e n g a r u m and modern cooking, espe- cially Mediterranean and Asian cuisines, where fish sauces are used similarly. In Italy, for instance, the tradi- tion of colatura di alici, a type of anchovy-based fish sauce, continues to this day, ce in bringing this ancient s a u c e b a c k t o l i f e . T h e research team's innovative use of DNA analysis allowed for a more accurate under- s t a n d i n g o f R o m a n f o o d p r o d u c t i o n , a s c i e n t i f i c breakthrough that helps us take a step closer to under- standing ancient diets in a way that was not possible before. By analyzing ancient fish remains, scientists were able to identify not only the species used in garum pro- d u c t i o n b u t a l s o g a i n insights into trade patterns and the cultural importance of food in ancient times. As Dr. Paula F. Campos of the Interdisciplinary Center f o r M a r i n e a n d E n v i r o n - mental Research (CIIMAR) at the University of Porto explains, "The use of genetic i n v e s t i g a t i o n s i n a n c i e n t food remains is a relatively n e w a p p r o a c h t h a t c o u l d revolutionize how we study while in Southeast Asia, fish sauces such as nuoc mam and n a m p l a are funda- mental to local dishes, just a s g a r u m w a s t o t h e Romans. The process of fer- mentation, which creates that signature umami flavor, r e m a i n s e s s e n t i a l l y t h e same. While our interest in all t h a t i s " R o m a n E m p i r e " continues to grow, ancient ingredients like garum may even find once more their place on our tables: Roman- inspired dinners and events, c r e a t e d a n d e n d o r s e d b y chefs and food enthusiasts, b a s e d o n a n c i e n t r e c i p e s have become quite trendy: I h a v e b e e n t o o n e o n l y r e c e n t l y a n d i t w a s d e l i - c i o u s . A n d w h i l e g a r u m w a s n ' t o n t h e m e n u t h a t evening, I am sure that now, w i t h e v e n m o r e d e t a i l s about its production and key ingredients, it will soon be. enhance flavors that made it so central to cuisine and so s o u g h t - a f t e r ; i t w a s a l s o very versatile, and it could be used in everything from soups and stews to mari- nades and dressings, reason for which many food histo- rians are ready to admit it was just as essential in the Roman kitchen as olive oil and wine. Because it was popular a n d c o m m o n l y u s e d , i t s production was widespread a c r o s s t h e E m p i r e , b u t methods of production var- i e d , a n d t h e s a u c e i t s e l f came in different varieties. Some were spiced with pep- p e r , w h i l e o t h e r s m i g h t have had vinegar, wine, or oil added to create different flavor profiles. Each of these variations was sometimes l a b e l e d w i t h n a m e s l i k e garum piperatum (garum with pepper) or oenogarum (garum with wine), depend- ing on the specific ingredi- ents used in the fermenta- t i o n p r o c e s s . T h e m o s t renowned of all varieties c a m e f r o m t h e c o a s t a l regions of Hispania (mod- ern-day Spain) and North Africa, especially from the area around Carthage, and was exported all across the Roman world. As key as garum was in the Roman kitchen, its sig- nificance goes beyond its culinary use. Garum was a p r o d u c t o f t h e R o m a n Empire's complex trade net- w o r k s a n d w a s v i t a l t o Roman life; it was produced in vast quantities in indus- trial-scale facilities known as cetariae , which were scattered along the Mediter- ranean coast. The fish, as we said, would be salted, fermented, and the result- ing sauce would be filtered and stored in large contain- ers. The laboriousness of its production process was mit- igated by its widespread use and long shelf life, which made it an essential com- modity, one that traveled along Roman trade routes, from Hispania to Gaul, and even as far as Britannia. Perhaps, however, what makes the recent discover- ies even more fascinating is the role of modern scien- T h e a n c i e n t R o m a n s l o v e d food just as mod- ern Italians do. W e k n o w t h i s thanks to archaeology, as w e l l a s s e v e r a l o f t h e i r r e c i p e s t h a t r e a c h e d u s through the works of writers like Apicius. If there is an ingredient associated with their ancient c u i s i n e , t h a t i s c e r t a i n l y g a r u m , a p u n g e n t , f i s h - based sauce we can consider t h e a n c i e n t v e r s i o n o f today's soy or fish sauce. Despite its ubiquity, the exact ingredients behind the creation of garum remained shrouded in mystery until a recent, groundbreaking dis- covery finally shed light on one of its key components. T h i s n e w r e s e a r c h , p u b - lished in the academic jour- nal Antiquity, reveals the secrets of garum's recipe, including the surprising role of sardines in its produc- t i o n . T h e b r e a k t h r o u g h c a m e w h e n a t e a m o f r e s e a r c h e r s , i n c l u d i n g archaeologists and geneti- cists, analyzed ancient fish remains found in the salting vats of a Roman garum pro- d u c t i o n s i t e i n G a l i c i a , Spain. The DNA extracted p r o v i d e d a d e f i n i t i v e answer: contrary to previous a s s u m p t i o n s t h a t g a r u m was made from a variety of f i s h s p e c i e s , t h e n e w research confirmed that its primary ingredient was the sardine (Sardina pilchar- dus), a species still widely used in Mediterranean cui- sine today. About the process of mak- ing garum (a bit of an art in itself), we have known more for longer. The Romans used salt to preserve and ferment fish, creating a rich, flavorful liquid that was then used as a seasoning for a variety of d i s h e s . T h e f e r m e n t a t i o n process, which could take weeks, resulted in a sauce rich in salt and glutamate, the compound responsible for the savory umami flavor we recognize – and are so f o n d o f – t o d a y . I t w a s , indeed, garum's ability to Decoded: the secrets of garum, Ancient Rome's most popular sauce CHIARA D'ALESSIO At work to make "garum." The coast of Spain was the main producer of it during the Empire (Image created with DALL-E 2) HERITAGE HISTORY IDENTITY TRADITIONS

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