Ancient Roman Steak Sauce

[@TastingHistory]

I'm starting to work on December videos, so as we head into the holidays, are there any dishes you'd love to see?

[@KetchupwithMaxandJose]

Something good for my birthday 🥳

[@susanq223]

Feast of the seven fishes! 🐟🐟🐟🐟🐟🐟🐟 A Sicilian Christmas specialty!

[@elenagarnier1840]

Christmas cookies please!

[@Lauren.E.O]

Torre de panqueques, milanesa a la napolitana, or something by Doña Petrona. 🇦🇷

[@mylesjude233]

@@susanq223 Sounds like a marvelous idea.

[@FIAWOLpi]

This man is single handedly propping up the garum industry.

[@KatKaleen]

*Almost every asian cuisine wondering whether it's a joke to you.*

[@Taolan8472]

@@SimuLord he didnt start the fire, but fire's burnin while the world is turnin.

[@SlavicCelery]

@@KatKaleen Woah woah woah, it's not just an amazing Asian fish sauce. That's like saying A1 is the same as HP sauce. Super similar, but different.

[@vigilantcosmicpenguin8721]

Two thousand years from now, some historian will be looking through some 21st-century records and trying to piece together why there were suddenly so many references to something that doesn't seem to have been referenced in two thousand years.

[@gasun1274]

@@KatKaleen asian fermented sea creature sauces are nothing like garum. maybe colatura di alici is basically thai fish sauce, but the other was-common varieties of garum are none like asian sauces. i've had my fair share of experience tasting, using and making asian fish sauces here in north borneo (not in huge vats of course lest i want people to think im hiding a dead body)

[@Lauren.E.O]

I feel like turning down one of Nero’s dinner invitations could be more dangerous than accepting… “He couldn’t make it? Such a pity - he must be dead.” “No, my liege, he still lives.” “Yes, and that’s why he Must. Be. Dead.”

[@TastingHistory]

Ha! Good point.

[@bdavis7801]

🤣

[@christinaclark9754]

I was thinking the same thing. The dinner invite wouldn't be a request, it would be an order.

[@mnk9073]

That's honestly just Italy, try not showing up to a dinner your Nonna invited you to...

[@jeanche2420]

You mean, you would never be sure whether you are invited as guest or as festive decoration ?

[@jon-from-tx]

"Boil the meat" You know I'm pretty disappointed now when a recipe doesn't require me to "prepare the meat like I told you."

[@NODnuke45]

Too bad, prepare the meat like Max told you!

[@inisipisTV]

Meat then are tough and sinewy back then I guess.

[@BabyJonkler]

@@inisipisTV also sometimes meat is heavily boiled to ensure it’s not undercooked and capable of getting you sick! I know it’s different for beef vs pork but still

[@tobuscusfoop]

I would sous vide the steak instead lol

[@lydiathornton1999]

The wealthy could certainly get tender meat if they wanted it. It might have had to do with the humoral medicine system, where different foods were seen as having hot, cold, moist, or dry qualities (which weren't necessarily intuitive) that would have those effects on the human body and its 4 humors. So you had to cook and season foods accordingly to temper their qualities so that they don't knock your humors out of whack and make you sick lol. I know that in the Middle Ages, beef was thought to be a very "dry" (and therefore drying) food and so cooking texts often direct you to boil beef roasts and other cuts before roasting or doing anything else to them to make them more balanced so that they don't make the eaters ill. I don't know if the ancient Romans believed the same things about beef but, since the medical theories that people in the Middle Ages followed came from Ancient Greece and Rome, it would make sense. That's my speculation, no idea if it's correct. At any rate, I'll certainly skip boiling my steak and let my humors take the risk. Sometimes you gotta live dangerously.

[@lhizzlehana94]

If anyone is interested in visiting Nero's Domus Aurea, I would highly recommend it. The banquet hall, where some of the events Max talked about, currently lies underneath a modern park called the Parco del Colle Oppio, right next door to the Coliseum. Also, I highly suggest doing a guided tour so you can get a fully immersive experience of life in Nero's Rome. A little off the beaten track but definitely worth a visit if you are an ancient Rome history/art enthusiast!

[@0Sybylle0]

Totally a good experience. Plus the ticket for the Coloseum and the Monte Palatino give you enough time enjoy to both (the place is huge). I'd also recommend to visit the catacombs, there is a bus station near the Coloseum to bring you there. Very chill experience out of the city, and a lot of History to learn ^^

[@Nikki-tx6kh]

Thank you. I'm actually planning a trip to Italy next year and Rome is one of the cities we're visiting (Florence and Turin are the other two.)

[@eveakane6563]

Umu

[@lhizzlehana94]

@@Nikki-tx6kh I am so jealous! You are going to have such a lovely time.

[@Dr.TJ_Eckleburg]

I'm gonna do it for sure. Thank you for the tip.

[@manuelrodriguez9786]

"My favorite sauce is more butter" A man of culture right there

[@Williamtipq]

Some of the deepest occult wisdom

[@metalheadisme8389]

Butter + honey+ habanero = bliss

[@newironside]

@@metalheadisme8389 On steak? I'll have to try that

[@DefinitelyNotEmma]

I hope he meant garlic butter. Regular butter on a steak sounds ew

[@davidschmidt6013]

This one got me laughing but I thought I'd share my own "secret sauce"...melted butter and Worcestershire.

[@Lauren.E.O]

“Ah, to be young again.” *talking about yesterday* Relatable

[@Alaryk111]

Today is a yesterday of tomorow!

[@Tiger89Lilly]

Me everytime I watch the news

[@tanyah.9131]

@@Alaryk111 haha! Anytime I want to say something that sounds deep and meaningful, I'll say that 😂

[@Orzorn]

"The entire room rotated in real time with the heavens." Good lord I have to read how that worked. The Romans were so amazingly exquisite in their ingeniousness AND their lavish depravity.

[@AgentPedestrian]

to explain it in short: it was essentially a massive ball bearing several marbles of metal set it blocks of wood so the wooden floor could rotate on the loose marbles

[@iac4357]

So if you're drunk/high would the 2 Spinnings counter act each other ?!

[@Levacque]

If you ever find yourself wondering how Romans achieved something, remind yourself of the slavery. That's how the rotational force was produced, even if a brilliant mind was responsible for the design.

[@rickyray2794]

@@Levacque Eh, its just how it was in that time. Doesn't diminish the greatness of minds during the era.

[@DefinitelyNotEmma]

​@@LevacqueSo exactly like today, the modern era is the era of slavery for machines

[@littlecatfeet9064]

Nero singing, for several hours, with the doors barred so his guests couldn’t leave? Now I know what to do for my birthday!

[@iac4357]

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MEEEEE,,,, EVERYBODY !!"

[@michaelkores6860]

@@iac4357 Sounds like the last stage of hell.

[@corysiwiec333]

That's just karaoke with no DD

[@wesleythomas7125]

Lol

[@scarlett8782]

reminds me of that delusional owner on Hotel Hell that insisted on subjecting Gordon Ramsay to a cher impersonation performance that actually made Ramsay cry laughing, which I've never seen before or since

[@chrisbanion]

Well, that Tacitus sure sounds like a reasonable and unbiased reporter.

[@braker50]

such a reliable fella

[@Ashannon888]

@@cesaravegah3787 Ancient Roman writers were a lot more akin to Fox News really. Extremely biased, major agendas and they didn't give a damn about the truth if it wasn't supporting their narrative.

[@MayYourGodGoWithYou]

Apparently he wasn't that inaccurate. A friend did this thesis based on the writings of Tacitus, taught himself latin so he could read the original writings, and apparently there is rather a lot of accepted ''knowledge'' now that (may or may not be accurate) on a number of different peoples and their habits, religious and otherwise, which all come from Tacitus.

[@AellaIrene]

But he was an eyewitness...oh no, I'm sorry, he was 12 when Nero died

[@0neDoomedSpaceMarine]

@@Ashannon888 Don't forget about CNN.

[@ironwolfF1]

Max: "I should make a Roman desert with garum..." Max's stomach: _cries out in terror_ 😜

[@lancer525]

I can think of two, off the top of my head that would fit the bill... Dulcia Domestica or Patina de Piris. Either one would be great.

[@raburto8984]

That pikachu in the background looks like he's living his best life

[@kimberleyike2168]

Dead 😂😂

[@yamato0965]

PIKA!

[@Gambit17]

He certainly has a "Flare" for style.

[@sparklypoof]

I took 5 years of latin and I swear we never learned the level of detail on this kinda stuff like what you share in these videos! Your research and presentation really make these peeks into history come alive and are so relatable. Thank you for another great episode!

[@Commy01]

The, "cries and lamentations of a maiden being deflowered," is a real indictment of how Roman men treated the women of Rome.

[@Ashannon888]

Or you know, how it's always been when a man has sex with a virgin and breaks the hymen. It hurts. Women were treated by and large a lot better overall in ancient days then they are today after the influences of monotheism ruined a lot of stuff.

[@pantitapalittapongarnpim1581]

I mean, "The Rape of the Sabine Women" was a thing, wasn't it? An Empire that wrote that into its myth certainly was something.

[@LycanFerret]

@@Ashannon888 The hymen isn't supposed to break after having sex unless you're rough and don't prepare, and I don't know how you lost your hymen, but mine sure as heck didn't hurt. There are women who still have their hymens after childbirth because it is tissue that can stretch when lubricated like every soft tissue of the vagina. Mine just so happened to break when I was 10 by my own hands, but it was painless and there was like 1 fingertip of blood. Sex itself even now(9 years later) is agonizingly uncomfortable and nearly impossible unless the guy is super tiny due to my pelvis, but that's from my pubic arch being 1" wide. No fault of the hymen I am missing, and definitely not the norm for women whose pubic arch is 3-4".

[@LycanFerret]

@@Ashannon888 Also, no. Not at all. Treatment of women as a whole didn't improve until the middle ages. Every B.C culture viewed women as objects, early A.D cultures did as well but they began getting written into laws with individuality. If you were born in 1500B.C as a woman, your life is controlled by your father and you being raped means you lose value and are now made to marry that man. And when you do get married off by your father because you are an object only used for marriage and kids, you are now subservient to your husband. Only good thing in B.C era is kids are less valuable then you because you can make more kids. So if they could save you or your baby, your baby will "return to the spirits" and you will be spared. Opposite in cultures around God. But the Bible slowly does include women as having rights to some degree, and this shows in later Roman empire women and Medieval women being able to own businesses and divorce. Unheard of in any other time period.

[@mellie4174]

@@Ashannon888 are you kidding!? Women in thé roman Empire had no legal status and were considered thé same as other living property such as cattle or goats. Roman men could kill thier wives, daughters , or sisters if they were thier gardian at thier whim. Roman women couldn't go out in public unless given permission by thier mâle gardian and couldn't own property. The punishment for female adultery was death, but men had no such limitation. When Christianity was invented it was spread by women mostly, and most but not all the early martyrs were women.why? Because the New religion was féminist. It Said women and men were equal and that women could divorce and chose thier lire for themselves. This was a révolutionary Idea, and one which atracked the very fabric of roman society.hence why thé roman elites détested and persécutéd. Sadly, that same religion was later twisted to oppress women. :(

[@kristenw2201]

I cannot explain how much I love, as an art historian, that he gives the actual background history behind these dishes and why they exist. I love cooking and wanna try a lot of these but just the knowledge given in such a manner is so so much appreciated!!

[@murrrhasaburrinherfur237]

Asian fish sauce does a similar thing...it's there, no fishy-ness if done right, and add complexity and taste that's unfamiliar but delicious. I love Vietnamese and Thai food. We have a product in Sicily, where my parents were born, vino cotto (means cooked wine) made from the must of the wine. The must is the remnants after the grapes are crushed. We traditionally eat it on Santa Lucia, the patron saint for eyes and sight. We eat a dish called coochia...not spelt that way, but it is pronounced that way. Lol It is made from wheat grains, chickpeas and fave beans boiled together, then on the day, we pray to Santa Lucia to protect our sight before eating our coochia with vino cotto....it is delicious. Any vinter would have tons of it. It is cheap to get and easy to make....shame they make these products so expensive, these are peasant foods in Italy.

[@irishis3]

Super interesting! Thanx

[@KatKaleen]

That's because it basically IS the same thing. That taste has been - well, not discovered - but named by a Japanese scientist, it's "Umami". That's what MSG is all about, it's adds this hearty flavor to dishes.

[@Shabbymannen]

I'm Swedish, and it's funny to see someone from outside of Sweden mention Santa Lucia, and perhaps you will think it's funny to hear about our tradition :) We have not been catholic for 500 years, but still celebrate Santa Lucia, it's the only saint we care about. We have celebrated her for over a thousand years in various ways. Here she is the bringer of light, and protects us through the darkness of the winter. Also, on Lucia night, the darkest night of the year, according to tradition trolls and other dark creatures would be active, and a witch/demon named Lussi would ride in the sky along with an entourage of evil creatures. Also, on this night the animals could speak. Santa Lucia would help against all this. There are a lot of pagan elements in our celebration. The main thing is a procession of boys and girls, early in the morning, singing special Lucia hymns. One girl is chosen to be Lucia. She wears a crown of lit candles and a red band around her waist, the others girls carry candles and wear wreaths. All are dressed in white. Some of the boys ("star boys") wear a pointy hat with stars on it, other boys are dressed as goblins/gnomes, and some as ginger bread men. It's called "Luciatåg". Food-wize, we eat gingerbread, and saffron buns in a special shape called "lussekatt", and drink mulled wine with almonds and raisins.

[@georgeghleung]

Real question for us in North America is whether we can substitute with vietnamese/Thai fish sauce in someway, and it's cheaper and easier to get.

[@JohnDoe-wx2oo]

@@georgeghleung you could, but it would taste different and bring a different quality to the dish. But then again, where are you going to get Garum?

[@Lauren.E.O]

So, what would the ancient Roman equivalent of A1 steak sauce be called? AI?

[@TastingHistory]

🤣

[@sailorbrite]

I was just wondering if it was invented in Worcestershire.

[@Lunch_Meat]

Brilliant 👏🧐

[@carolinemurphy8872]

Hahaha

[@zalmial2001]

This took me a minute

[@lhfirex]

Ah, to be a fly on the wall at one of these Roman Emperor's banquets... you'd probably be caught and eaten because Apicius wanted to fool them by saying "a fly on the wall is the most delectable of hidden delicacies of the world."

[@TastingHistory]

🤣

[@SweetSunrising]

Just a tip for novice cooks trying this recipe out: @ 12:00 an alternative to adding starch directly, you can also make a "slurry" by adding the wet to dry ingredients method. It's an extra step but it can help prevent lumps: Put the starch in a separate cup first, then spoon in portions of the liquid from the pan and mix until smooth. Drizzle the liquid starch mixture back into the pan. You don't have to do this extra step - you can just strain out any lumps after the sauce is cooked...only if you're an anti-lump fanatic like I am

[@HaydenX]

I got a bottle of garum last christmas and it didn't last as long as I wanted it to. It's damn delicious. My most common usage for it was to mix it with ev olive oil and a touch of white wine vinegar. I then used that as a dressing on kale salad and finished it with shredded parmesan. Garum has a bit of a shrimp chip flavor...a super savoury flavor that is a bit "snacky" in that it makes everything it touches into something you want to finish, and will miss greatly when finished (you ever look at an empty chip bag and mourn both that you ate the whole bag, but also that you don't have more?).

[@scribeslendy595]

Highly recommend making your own. Sure, you probably can't ferment it, but at the cost of making your entire house smell like fish, you can make a delicious batch at home. Mine's lasted me quite a while

[@tylere.8436]

@@scribeslendy595 Depending on the house, you can open the windows and let the fish-scented steam escape.

[@eugenebebs7767]

Probably because thats literally MSG. Same umami taste that you get from snack food can be found in many natural sources

[@TheCheat_1337]

The feasts of Nero, they're to die for.

[@cornbreadfedkirkpatrick9647]

Wink-wink.

[@vigilantcosmicpenguin8721]

8:14

[@temptemp4174]

Fun fact about Nero: he got a random young boy off the street, forced him to wear a dress and then raped him because he looked like Nero's dead wife poppea. His name was sporus. He was also raped by Nero's general when Nero died

[@cornbreadfedkirkpatrick9647]

@@temptemp4174 That's terrible I hope their all roasting somewhere

[@Lunch_Meat]

That joke always kills.

[@Firegen1]

Wasn't as fiddly as I was expecting. I wont lyre I would love to try and make this recipe.

[@TastingHistory]

I don’t know if I should laugh or groan 🤣

[@Firegen1]

@@TastingHistoryTo be honest, groan away. This is some of my worst work. Nero out of ten.

[@EMSpdx]

I saw what you did there!

[@Pterodactylphenylalanine]

@@Firegen1 bravo, my good sir, bravo

[@oldfrend]

@@Firegen1 your commitment to the bit was superlative sir!

[@hampstersquared]

This made me so friggin' happy! I was feeling tired and like maybe I should have a nap, then I saw the new Tasting History was up and now I'm bouncing!

[@TastingHistory]

Okay, but take a nap after 😁

[@johnryan6456]

Yeah max, your work is excellent. Thank you.

[@ohrats731]

@@TastingHistory I’m literally doing that lol. I got slammed with a migraine this morning and I’m watching this while the medicine settles in my stomach and then I’m sleeping until I feel better lol. Thanks for the video! 😸

[@JohnDoe-wx2oo]

@@TastingHistory this man sleeps

[@nikokida7878]

It’s all fun and games until someone breaks out… THE LONG PEPPER

[@fabrisseterbrugghe8567]

Long pepper is great in gingerbread and apple pies.

[@ShaktiChaturvedi]

Or maybe two.. oh wait wrong channel

[@mm-yt8sf]

"how was the party?" "nero tried to kill me" "he must not have tried hard if you're telling me about it" "....oh speaking of which, his mom was there too" :-)

[@JubeiKibagamiFez]

Definitely interested in a balsamic vinegar episode. I've been a chef for a long time, but I've never considered any ancient dishes before.

[@connorgolden4]

I’m a simple man, I see a Max Miller Video and I drop everything to go watch it.

[@DarkPatu]

I'm exactly the same. Productivity screeches to a halt.

[@TastingHistory]

And that’s a good thing

[@dolphinboi-playmonsterranc9668]

Can we talk about the history of teriyaki? I totally don't have ulterior motives and I super want to learn the history of the most delcious delicacy out of the East ever.

[@tcc5750]

Weeb

[@oldfrend]

@@tcc5750 sugoi!

[@NODnuke45]

Seconded.

[@BubbyoftheMountain]

@@oldfrend Weeb detected

[@dolphinboi-playmonsterranc9668]

@@SimuLord King County REPRESENT

[@lauragutierrez4634]

I really enjoyed that Younger Max/Older Max interaction 😂

[@ericthompson3982]

I've introduced my son to your videos. He's hooked. Just so you know. A 14 year old kid is absolutely hooked on your channel. Do something Scottish please!

[@0neDoomedSpaceMarine]

Food and history are subjects with a universal appeal. Does he do any cooking?

[@ericthompson3982]

@0neDoomedSpaceMarine Not letting my kiddo out of their teens without a solid understanding of cooking. That's just a life skill. Mostly we cook together, but I often give him run of the kitchen.

[@0neDoomedSpaceMarine]

@@ericthompson3982 Excellent to hear, I think every man and woman should know how to cook, that's being an adult. It's a shame so many can't even do the bare basics. I've had a lot of fun cooking with my mom, she's taught me lots.

[@ericthompson3982]

@@0neDoomedSpaceMarine Awesome!

[@ericthompson3982]

@0neDoomedSpaceMarine My kiddo knew how to caramelize onions by the time they were 10 and loves to cook. I think I'm doing pretty good in that department.

[@vickiekostecki]

This sounds absolutely delicious. You should have done enough Roman recipes now that you could do an actual Roman feast. That might be a cool crossover or special episode.

[@vickiekostecki]

@LegoGuy87 I don't know of any off the top of my head but there must be Roman history/weaponry/costuming/Latin language channels out there.

[@aidanfarnan4683]

Sitting here watching this in my non-rotating dining room with not a single hidden ivory flower dispenser, like some sort of pleb.

[@IeshiAke]

Hey, if the parmesan ice cream worked maybe a garum dessert can be good

[@TastingHistory]

Good point!

[@lovecats6856]

Blech

[@iac4357]

I once had EVOO at a fancy ice cream shop. Deeeelicious !

[@amon5393]

Sometimes I get so invested in the history part of the video that I forget all about the food

[@urlond9371]

Production Value is skyrocketing. I love everything about the history of food more and more.

[@kelimar3014]

Oh man, that black feast sounds like a perfect Halloween episode.

[@qjames0077]

I'm going to give this recipe a grade of A1 A for Awesome And Max is 1 heck of a guy

[@TastingHistory]

Aww shucks

[@HannahMattox]

I dig your dad jokes, friend.

[@iac4357]

Yes, an A-1 Steak Sauce !

[@niceclaup1]

Father Paprika, so far I love everything about you

[@112steinway]

A feast with Nero, the only place in the ancient world where the burning sensation could be from both heartburn and the heat from a city on fire at the same time.

[@carloshenriquezimmer7543]

Or from beying a HUMAN CANDLE

[@mercenarygundam1487]

Nero back then: Roman Emperor Nero now: UMU! If you want to be immortalised in history, make sure Type Moon makes you a Servant in Fate.

[@jordlopez]

I came here looking for this kind of comment

[@yanaskhoir3657]

Umu, i eat meat everyday my meat bigger than britain king

[@yamato0965]

@@yanaskhoir3657 My steak will be served to me by Saber Maid.

[@joshuahanenburg9503]

Do an episode about lard if you haven’t done so yet. The stuff had many uses before refrigeration and was considered a necessary staple by our ancestors. A fascinating subject to look into.

[@angiebee2225]

I agree. I have a pound of lard from a local farm and have no idea what to do with it.

[@MajesticOak]

@@angiebee2225 Put it on plain white rice and add some soy sauce, it's a common dish among the poor in China (historical, present, and probably future too).

[@OzSteve9801]

@@angiebee2225 I grew up in the 60's in a very rural part of Australia. We used lard (pig fat) and dripping (beef fat) instead of cooking oils, which were not readily available there until the 70's. Some people used to use it as a layer on top of preserved vegetables before you seal the jars. Once the jars are put in a cool place the lard sets and helps to seal the jars. In the 1800's it was used to lubricate all sorts of things like the axles on your cart, before modern oils were developed. In summer this probably meant you could smell the cart before you saw it. Lol.

[@humphreh]

That pond surrounded by buildings to represent cities sounds like epcot

[@TastingHistory]

🤣 omg it absolutely does!

[@therealhellkitty5388]

I hope you’ll have a show on foods for Saturnalia and thanks for the absolutely wonderful content. Two of my favorite subjects, food and history!

[@KetchupwithMaxandJose]

He did last year! Look up Globi :)

[@eddavanleemputten9232]

“My favourite steak sauce is just… more butter” Can’t disagree with the opinion that butter and steak are a match made in heaven.

[@romuno01]

As a time traveler, I was, in fact, invited to a Nero dinner and spoke with him at length. He first wanted to know what you were doing, what recipes of his inspiration you've covered and finally, to relay your decision to focus on your channel was, in his opinion, the "Bomba" (The Bomb). I assured him, somewhere around 60 A.D, that his chariot valet parking was poor and your recreations and channel were perfect. I'm off to 1775 to convince Martha Washington that her peanut brittle was not good for her husband's teeth. All my best, sir

[@Mara-vg5fr]

If you're looking for recommendations for Roman desserts, I recommend Spiced Melon (which is in that Apicius cookbook, I believe). I took a class in my Classics department on Food & Archaeology in the Ancient World, and our midterms were making food from that book, including spiced melon! It's basically marinating melon (a honeydew or cantaloupe) in a sauce of honey, vinegar, and mint OR fish sauce+pepper. I loved it; the more-savory version has a wonderful zingy outside and sweet melon inside, and I still make it for summer treats.

[@ChelseaH1]

I like this idea!

[@Bill_Falsename]

One thing to remember about accounts of Nero's reign is that NONE of them date from the time of the man himself and were largely hit pieces from the descendants of the wealthy nobles he pissed off by actually taxing them.

[@SeventhSwell]

Another fun video. Thanks! Can I make one little suggestion though? Adding the starch works so much better if you make the starch a slurry first. Very likely to get starch clumps if you don't. I was literally like "Max, noooo!" at that moment. But I guess it all worked out.

[@jtbwilliams]

I made a bottle of this using balsamic vinegar and its great. Garum works with white chocolate by the way.

[@jackcameback]

To be fair you did a pretty good job of plugging the sponsor, kind of felt like part of the overall plot, nice job!

[@sdnw1840]

That Pikachu sure has flare.

[@julilla1]

I'm thinking you could use balsamic vinegar instead of defrutum. The flavor profile will be a little different, but it seems a reasonable substitute.

[@marcseventeen4100]

I was thinking of grape molasses.

[@extropiantranshuman]

I've seen pure grape must concentrate at the stores. It's what they put into balsamic to make it richer, sold as an additive.

[@tylere.8436]

Making Defrutum isn't too hard, It's a long enough process to crush the grapes alone, but once you boil, just let it boil until half or a third of it is left, then strain. Note, don't include all the skins, you will start burning the bottom of the pot.

[@mate53]

Makes me want to start a themed restaurant called "Nero's" or "Emperor Nero's" or "Finding Nero" or "Nero's Feast: Roman Style Buffet" or "Smothered in Flowers: A Roman Style Floral Shop."

[@VictoriaStarratt]

What about “Tower of Nero” (Percy Jackson joke/ reference)

[@annalawlz]

I LOVE that painting at 5:01 The colours are so vibrant and it really brings the history to life

[@thekeeler846]

I love Max! ... he's such a natural at this ... his promotional segues are fun, clever, and interesting ... I don't find myself fast forwarding through the ads on his channel! ... been here since the beginning, and he just cracked 2 million, awesome!

[@cammoore3196]

Great vid you should do an Ethiopia episode👍🏾

[@MasterGamer88]

I feel like it was a missed opportunity to say instead "While the feast might have had good food, it may not have been in good taste." I'll see myself out.

[@lillianb8762]

Now we need a Drinking History about *smothering guests in flowers*.

[@Kojote64]

Gotta love this channel, my friend runs a DND game and a lot of times food comes up. You always have stuff that gives us an idea of the culinary world at the time. Especially helpful because one of the cultures in her world is based off Rome. Thank you for all the wonderful history, and wonderous food.

[@musicmaniac32]

Part of what interests me about this channel (other than Max's sense of humor and lovely writing/editing/cooking) is that there is something to be enjoyed about these ancient recipes even with/from a modern palate. So, is there something innate about the foods and combination of foods that humans enjoy? Obviously, there is - particularly with regards to how we generally dislike bitter flavors because those can sometimes signal that the item is poisonous, but other than aspects like that, how did homo sapiens end up deciding what is tasty and what's not when lethality is not considered? Yes, I know a lot of it is cultural, but Max proves that we can enjoy foods from outside of our culture and/or era with ease if presented with them. I don't know - I may be trying to ask a question that isn't even a question and that can be easily answered by food historians and scientists. What makes us as individuals like what we like and dislike what we dislike? People in my culture (black American/African American) like, sometimes love and look forward to chitlins (chitterlings), but I despise them despite being exposed to them in my youth. But on the other hand, I love/crave things like umeboshi, goya, and natto from Japanese culture (foods that many people reject) even though I was introduced to them in adulthood. Why??

[@shaventalz3092]

I have to say, that pikachu's got _flare._

[@fadnama]

I normally skip past paid promotions, but that was thoroughly entertaining. Kudos on fooling me into watching an ad 😂

[@jurieccilliers]

I am both happy and hungry after just about every episode of Tasting History. Thank you.

[@hiyahandsome]

Who doesn't love a captive audience? And for my next number, I'm going to sing "The Born In A Trunk Medley from the '54 classic version of A Star Is Born...the uncut version. Bar the doors!" Love your description and illustrations for Nero's fabled Domus Aurea. Pretty impressive to watch you reconstruct and enjoy ancient Roman BBQ sauce, well done! Watching your reactions to your creations are always the best part of your videos, and you never disappoint. You have a gourmand's palate, an historian's knowledge and the presence of a matinee idol, which makes Tasting History one of the greatest KZbin shows of all time.

[@Andrea-rw9tf]

You are one of my favorite channels, I’m a chef, love cooking, I’m a nerd and love history…keep doing what you’re doing!!!

[@MariaMartinez-researcher]

I think defructum could be substituted with "arrope de uvas," which is grapes syrup. In case you have seen that in some store nearby.

[@mitchellmavec]

Nero in the past: "I really like this steak sauce" Nero now: "hashire sori yo-"

[@axelpatrickb.pingol3228]

Don't forget "Umu"...

[@oldcowbb]

UMU

[@joaogarcia6170]

PADORU PADORU~

[@mercenarygundam1487]

Empress UMU

[@shark-dj9691]

**PADORU PADORU intensifies**

[@sterlingodeaghaidh5086]

It would have been funny if his S.O eould have handed him a bouquet of flowers just as he talked about his “flower less” dining room.

[@LillaIgelkotten]

Yeah, I felt like that was an indirect comment to Jose

[@jonesnori]

Hey, they're married now! Happy husbands.

[@cobrakillingfrog646]

THAT FILA SHIRT!!!!!! OMG!!! You are AWESOME Max!!! I made that pumpkin cheesecake that you showed us about OMG! Da Bomb! Thank you so much!

[@Dianecites]

The team flare Pikachu plush and the Bach’s Double Violin concerto is a perfect chef’s kiss.

[@anamariaclaragrama-asztalo5562]

Here is a really nice evening and I was looking forward to this.

[@kalamir93]

Hey Max! I am really looking forward to make this at home! But I have to disagree with a few things in the history part. I am a historian and Neronian Rome is one of my special topics. Nero is often pictured as a delusional and gruesome madman, killing people left and right. But most of these depictions stem from a very narrow array of sources. First, there are the roman historians like Tacitus and Sueton. They both represent a very particular group of interest. Tacitus was a member of the Senate and a strong believer in the "roman way" of doing things. A traditionalist hardliner, so to speak. Sueton on the other hand was a administrative officer tied closely to the current reigning emperors. Their work has to be dated around the reign of Domitian and Trajan and neither of them would have a good direct picture of Neros reign, because at his death Tacitus was ten years old and Sueton not even born. Both the emperors of Tacitus' and Suetons time were people who despised Nero and painted a picture of themselves, which more closely resembles Augustus. All in all, given their extreme bias (and their terrible critical assessment of sources), I would not trust them with moral narratives about Nero. The further demonisation of Nero comes from the other group of people, who did not really like him: The Christians. The early christianity was a wide- and thinspread accumulation of different Jesus-following groups. And their theology was vastly different than what we know as "christian theology" today: For them, coming from a jewish backround with the believe, that the coming of the messiah will usher in a last age, their current time was said beginning of the last age. But it was more than just the traditional jewish interpretation. If you want a good glimpse of what we are dealing here, take a look into the "Book of Revelation". It was sourced from various beliefs and letters dating approximately to the time frame of Neros reign. This and the prominence of martyrdom as one of the few ways to "get to god" shows us, what we today would call a doomsday cult. Nero was a prime target for them, being the last emperor coming from the line of Augustus, which ultimately killed their messiah (Pilatus was a magistrate of emp. Tiberius). Concerning the great fire of 64 and "Neros human torches" - we know from the sources that in the night(s) of the fire roman soldiers encountered Christians who blatantly admitted that they committed the arson, even holding torches in their hands. Now, getting burned at the stake was not a death sentence for being christian, but for arsonists. So Nero didn't just burn Christians for the fun of it, but because they committed arson - or said that, at least. But that was not part of the narrative of christian historians, even up to this day. And one quick word about his mother, Agrippina: She was, that showes every one of her actions, a cold, scheming woman, obsessed with power. She did everything she could to overpower everyone in the court and bring her son, Nero, to power. Even after that, she strived to stay in power, going so far, as to plot against Nero in the last days of her life, which led to her demise. To give it a modern twist: When looking at Agrippina, think Queen Cersei from Game of Thrones, but on steroids. Being in Neros position, you'd send assassins after her, too. So, what was Nero really like? The sources, critically read, paint a picture of a young and often quite lonely guy, who really loved culture, good food, and art. He adored the greek way of living and their philosophy, what was a thorn in the eye of every "conservative" upper-class-roman, who reveled in the ideas of hardiness, manlyness and an all-in-all strengh- and bodily-focussed philosophy. In contrast, he was very beloved by the common people, who liked his reign. With that in mind, the domus-aurea-quote should be interpreted as "Now, this is how human beings should live!". And that is, what he ultimately strived towards: A good and fulfilled life for him and the people he ruled over.

[@funandfancyfree1884]

I’m very late to this but just in case you do see this do you have any good book recommendations about Nero?

[@kalamir93]

@@funandfancyfree1884 - Bergmann, Marianne: Der Koloß Neros, die Domus Aurea und der Mentalitätswandel in Rom in der frühen Kaiserzeit, Mainz 1994. - Dawson, Alexis: Whatever Happened to Lady Agrippina?, in: The Classical Journal, Vol. 64 No. 6 (1969), S. 253 - 267. - Fini, Massimo: Nero. Zweitausend Jahre Verleumdung. Die andere Biographie, (übers. v. Petra Kaiser), Mailand 1993. - Malitz, Jürgen: Neros Jugend bis zur Übernahme der Herrschaft, in: Rheinisches Landesmuseum Trier: Nero: Kaiser, Künstler und Tyrann, Darmstadt 2016, S. 24 - 33. - Malitz, Jürgen: Nero, München 1999. - Sonnabend, Holger: Nero. Inszenierung der Macht, Darmstadt 2016. - Warden, Gregory: The Domus Aurea Reconsidered, in: Journal of the Society of Architectural Historians, Vol. 40 No. 4 (Dezember 1981), S. 271 - 278. I'd especially recommend the Nero-biography from Jürgen Malitz and the biography from Massimo Fini. The former is more of a classical biography and the latter lays its focus onto the reception of Nero by his contemporaries and the later world.

[@funandfancyfree1884]

@@kalamir93 Thank-you so much!!!

[@kalamir93]

@@funandfancyfree1884 No problem! Most of it is in german, but I think there are translation into english.

[@PhotonBeast]

I like the new hire. Younger Max should be a good addition to the show. Maybe someday, he'll get a chance to guest host.

[@Just_Pele]

We now make garum 3 times a year, and it's... always memorable. 😆

[@jennifermoody487]

Won't be making this one, but I wanted to tell you that I tried the pumpkin cheese cake (1500s) and loved it. I cut the recipe in half and made it in an 8" cake pan. By the way, all that melted butter made the perfect crust and made it very easy to get to the pie. Anyway, I used Stevia instead of sugar and it worked. As to Christmas dishes: what about German Christmas fruit bread (Stollen) and French Christmas cake (Buche de Noel) (forgive no accents, the system keeps tossing me away). That is the cake that looks like a log. Would love to know more about both of those. As usual, great video, Max.

[@thomasbonatti9341]

My gut reaction to "an Invitation to dinner at Emperor Nero's" was to flee the empire. I see now that my reaction was correct.

[@breadandbrews]

Just when I needed something to watch while eating before class

[@hc6157]

Same!

[@goodguy630]

Me in the first three seconds: "I bet it's time to break out the garum!"

[@leoanthonypacis7685]

Been watching for a while now. Just realized I like your videos because you give me very strong Alton Brown vibes. Especially your comedic delivery

[@frydemwingz]

My favorite part of these videos is hearing about the off the hook ancient parties and banquets

[@AugustPerkele]

Hey Max, I'm not quite sure judging from the video, but if you really like cumin, try getting whole seeds and grinding them fresh. It's a whole other level of flavor. I just use a extra pepper grinder I bought a while back.

[@extropiantranshuman]

max would really love pig cress - it's like cumin in taste - at least to me - but much spicier

[@plappergei9469]

According to my edition of "de re coquinaria", defrutum is actually grape juice reduced to 1/6, while sapa is 1/3

[@TastingHistory]

There are multiple descriptions of defrutum from Ancient Rome and they cover about 800 years, so they vary wildly. The 1/3rd reduction comes from Cato the Elder. I’ll tell you, 1/6 would be very hard to make without it burning but I bet it’s be very sweet 😁

[@plappergei9469]

@@TastingHistory Funnily enough, it's actually rather sour but has the consistency of a sirup

[@butterball33]

Remember to take every instance of Tacitus's accounts of Nero's actions with a grain of salt. They hated him and would have done anything to slander the Emperor.

[@richardashendale922]

It really doesn't matter. He wasn't a whole lot better than he was made out to be.

[@rifter0x0000]

NGL I almost always fast forward through sponsorship segments, especially ones for products I see a lot. But Max made this one entertaining and informative. Bravo!

[@BronzedBeast]

I must say Matt, it has been awhile since I last seen your video and that intro is amazing. Im happy you kept the painting of the fat king with the servant looking towards the viewer as thats my favorite

[@duanemcguffey9483]

Could you please post a list of the wonderful artwork (and artist names) that are shown in your intro? It goes by so fast. I'd love to see a video along the lines of art inspired by food. Love your channel -- Long time fan.

[@Pontus_Vendelson]

Max I have a suggestion on a video idea that i would love to see! The history of how rice got to Europe maybe it was the silk road i have no idea but i think there might be some cool history there. And the first or one of the first European rice dishes, it would be very cool to see what they did with this new ingredient. Keep up the great work!

[@extropiantranshuman]

I'd actually like to see the spice road as it's a lot less known and has crazy stories of entire nations relying on one spice for their survival!

[@blackvial]

That captive audience joke almost killed me. For my steaks I used to be an A1 Steak Sauce user and now it's just salt and pepper on the steak while grilling.

[@tylere.8436]

Nero was so... captivating.

[@MrIgorkap]

For defrutum pretty sure you can also use grape molasses which can be bought from any middle eastern grocery.

[@Phapchamp]

You should really try making "Akide şekeri" (translates into agreement candy) given to janissaries when a new sultan comes into power. It's said if jannisarries didn't like the amount and quality money given when new sultan comes in they would flip over the gigantic cauldrons used to make said candy in topkapı palace. Which often led to uprisings and coups and eventually fall of said sultan. That candy is still being made in Turkey but i wonder what would be the difference if it was made like in 15th century.

[@lostnfoundmedia26]

Does this mean we're getting another series called "Basting History"?

[@skinni_the_P00hBear]

A whole channel full if historical recipes?? Yay🥲🙌🏽💛😩

[@TastingHistory]

😁

[@jp3576]

Thanks for the recipe and the reminder of just how horrible Nero was and that’s on a good day. Here’s a request; how would a Dickensian goose be dressed for Christmas? (Your punch line here). Thanks.

[@weldonwin]

The thing is, we don't actually know if any of the stories about Nero are true. Its worth pointing out that so much of what is written about him, came from after he was dead and was written by his enemies, who obviously had a vested interest in portraying him as this murderous, debauched psychopath, so they could justify deposing him.

[@seejur]

@@weldonwin Like Calligula. He told sarcastically that the would make his horse senator, to highlight how useless the senators were, and his enemies wrote that he actually named his horse a senator...

[@smrtfasizmu7242]

Nero wasn't actually that bad of an emperor, he was hated by the senators and the patricians (the people who wrote things down) but was so wildly beloved by the plebs that after his death there were several people who claimed to be Nero who lead plebian uprisings to try and take the throne. Nero slander came from his contemporary enemies, then was expanded upon by later Christians who read those earlier accounts and decided he was the literal antichrist

[@jp3576]

@@smrtfasizmu7242no doubt Roman history is far more complex. How would you cook a goose? ;)

[@smrtfasizmu7242]

@@jp3576 with unbridled resentment, they're evil

[@FreeJazzEnthusiast]

Honestly I’d risk death for those feasts. Days at a time. Picture days of just eating an insane banquet, only interrupted by the itis and random trolling by Nero. Honestly you’d have a lifetime of stories to tell from just attending one.

[@watergaming7543]

It's all fun and games until Nero decides your the tastiest dish on the block, and has you tied to a stake so he can have some fun with you.

[@FreeJazzEnthusiast]

@@watergaming7543 He certainly wouldn't be the first.

[@watergaming7543]

@@FreeJazzEnthusiast You do you my man, I'd just rather not be a boy toy for him

[@joaogarcia6170]

Assuming that you survive it yes

[@catslove3884]

If they let you live.

[@marcogiocondomignone9308]

I've actually improvised a similar sauce some time ago on a pork cutlet: I've used sapa, mustard seeds, red wine vinegar and some honey

[@Czechmate99]

I have been watching these videos since before your channel blew up and became really popular. Up until this point I just watched for the history and had no intentions of actually trying to replicate any of the recipes in the videos. This is probably going to be the first time I actually try out a recepe. Thanks, Max!

[@koppelia]

If you boil a meat first, or atleast pour hot water on it so it creates a layer, and then sear it then it'll have an amazing crust. Chinese do this to this day, and I've tried it myself many times.

[@ragnkja]

Alternatively you could cook it sous vide, and then sear it in a pan or under the grill element in your oven.

[@vivaldi_is_dreaming]

Are you certain you aren't thinking of passing through *oil*? Passing through oil / velveting / gou you is a huge thing in Chinese cooking, but I've never heard it referenced with boiling water, which is more of a parboil or blanch with what you're describing. :3 Parboiling or blanching definitely helps form a crust with vegetables, I didn't know it would do the same with meats as well. Interesting.

[@koppelia]

@@vivaldi_is_dreaming No, I saw a video from chinese youtuber where she first boiled the piece of meat and then cut up into smaller pieces and fried. Haven't heard about passing through oil tho. Gotta check it out.

[@vivaldi_is_dreaming]

@@koppelia Interesting! Wonder if it's a newer thing or just a different regional thing than I'm familiar with. China has a ton of different cooking styles, after all. I'll have to try it out - and definitely look at velveting! It's excellent with stir fries!

[@VulcanTrekkie45]

"Saturnalia is coming up soon." Woah, woah, woah, Saturnalia is almost two months away!

[@Sk0lzky]

Dang, getting the last silphium stalk and not fucking planting it shows how evil Nero really was. Burning half the city, assassinating own family, crucifying Christians? Who cares, silphium is what matters!

[@elizabethfortunato3371]

Another excellent episode. I will add that most good Italian markets carry SABA, especially around the Holidays. Cartellate, a classic Christmas cookie are dipped in it before being sprinkled with "codette" or jimmies.

[@michaeltaylor1603]

Ohhhh!! I should try this. I literally had a Rib-eye yesterday. I had sauteed' alligator as an appetizer & left some of the Creole dipping sauce to put on my steak. A server said "I never thought of that!" I told him the etouffee sauce is mighty fine on it as well. A deliciously entertaining video!