Ancient Roman Garum Revisited

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#tastinghistory #garum #ancientrome

[@TastingHistory]

Don't forget to SUBSCRIBE (nearing 2 Million!) and spread the Garum Gospel on socials. 🐟🏺 You Had Me At Garum T-Shirt: crowdmade.com/products/tasting-history-with-max-miller-you-had-me-at-garum-shirt-2 The Fish shaped bottles are here: amzn.to/49nbKEK Use code TASTINGHISTORY50 to get 50% off your first Factor box at bit.ly/3Sjb0KR!

[@danielsantiagourtado3430]

Awesome as always max!😊😊😊😊❤❤❤❤

[@beepboop204]

would you ever try to make Surströmming? there is a Gordon Ramsay video of him making some, its some....... potent stuff

[@TastingHistory]

@@beepboop204 I'd like to at least try it.

[@chanceDdog2009]

@@TastingHistoryplease do it!

[@WobblesandBean]

​@@TastingHistory 21:15 Is the word you're looking for "astringent"?

[@seregloth]

I love how half of the stuff garum was alleged to treat were all things that you could do with just plain salt because it killed bacteria.

[@Rig0r_M0rtis]

I love how it was supposed to be both a laxative and a cure for dysentery...

[@etuanno]

@@Rig0r_M0rtis I mean if it flushes out the bad stuff, then it could work.

[@tamnguyen-bl7jf]

ok

[@TGPDrunknHick]

to be fair it's probably more palatable that way rather than just raw salt. especially if you're inserting it rectally.

[@mfcker]

enzymes

[@DanielGarcia-gd5bi]

I'm so happy for you. I remember the first Garum video, where you were not able to make the long version because of the old house. You have come a long way and I am very glad you decided to pursue KZbin. I know it was a hard decision and we are all very grateful and look forward to more amazing videos.

[@TastingHistory]

Definitely the right decision

[@udittlamba]

@@TastingHistory your content is absolutely amazing. Hell, you covered the history of major north indian foods better than indians. Most don't even know the origins of those dishes! Even I didn't!

[@dredgewalker]

​@@TastingHistoryGlad you decided to stay as a youtuber. I knew you were good at doing this and would go big the first time I watched your content.

[@TheWoblinGoblin]

he made garum, I am not so happy for him

[@FoxyLeeJones]

​@@TastingHistorybuying your book this week!

[@fardareismai4495]

I love how fermentation is A) not dangerous (even beneficial) and B) Often delicious despite the fact it's rotten food. Wild.

[@NorroTaku]

biology is cool like that 😂

[@jcosk8]

Seeing that we ferment everything in our guts, literally or in a way at least, what you're saying also occured to me a while back when I started fermenting foods. I imagine it as helping your gut before you eat and that it makes sense that it's happy that you're helping beforehand.

[@fardareismai4495]

@@jcosk8 Yeah, I think that makes a lot of sense!

[@TheTyrial86]

​@@jcosk8 A lot of the bacteria that are in prebiotic supplements are found in fermented foods. The ones I take have helped my chronic heartburn.

[@lolcerditorock]

​@@jcosk8much like cooking, pre-fermentation takes a load off our organisms' digestive costs

[@sungazercyan]

"Do not make this" Brother this is absolutely going to be my next summer project, food poisoning be damned

[@BxBxProductions]

im calling the EPA, cops, HOA and FBI on you for scent based terrorism!1!111

[@callmeswivelhips8229]

A whole cohort of us had this thought, especially after his description by the end of the video!

[@MutheiM_Marz]

Nahhh, You'll be fine. I made fish sauce every year, Asian fish sauce tho. Before we put it in bottle, we boil it and seasoning with sugar and adjust saltiness with water. And added pineapple during fermenting, as well as molasses.

[@GogiRegion]

Some Southeast Asian recipes for fish sauce I’ve seen include a lactoferment starter, which I assume would reduce the risk of botulism because it would help increase the acidity faster.

[@averageamericangirl6819]

Yeah. I have to get onboard with this. Has any one tried it yet?

[@TimeBucks]

This is one of your best episodes

[@MubiMalik-zm5oh]

Nice

[@noorjewellerydesigns]

👍

[@nihaakter4040]

Gd

[@maheshmeena1041]

Nice 👍

[@newspaperupdated7079]

👍

[@TTminh-wh8me]

Greetings as a viewer from Vietnam. Here our fish sauce is made almost the same way as your garum, but fermented for longer, which i think makes the flavour more mellow and umami. It is still so popular that it appears in almost every dishes just like with the ancient roman. In Vietnam and Laos, the unfiltered garum can also be used and actually tastes quite good when combined with other ingredients.

[@mikerulesart]

cool! I was wondering if fish sauce was the same! I think I remember seeing a "how it's made" or something about fish sauce. Thanks for the clarification.

[@parker.100]

Vietnamese fish sauce is all I can think of when garum is discussed. Glad to see your comment!

[@beepboop204]

i had a Vietnamese friend who introduced me into the world of fish sauce. i never even considered what it actually was until Max did Garum 😉

[@lilac_hem]

i grew up in a primarily Thai household (Mum is German, Dad is Thai), and BESTIE SAME I WAS SO INTRIGUED WHEN I FIRST HEARD OF GARUM ON THIS CHANNEL LIKE "THAT SOUNDS LIKE FISH SAUCE ?? IS THAT ROMAN FISH SAUCE ??? ROMANS USED AND LOVED FISH SAUCE, TOO ?!?!" cx lolol

[@brokenglassshimmerlikestar3407]

I have used vietnamese fish sauce in cooking but I think the one I got was way too salty. I know from Hot Thai Kitchen that different fish sauces tasted different and there are more premium low sodium types (red boat??). I’ll pay more attention the next time I go to my local asian market

[@annaandrews4252]

I love the gyrados in the back instead of magikarp from the first video, like a symbol of how your channel has grown too:)

[@TastingHistory]

That's it! Glad you noticed.

[@TryinaD]

I assume all the other Magicarp were salted to make garum

[@Gambit17]

@@TryinaD Well, we know from the cartoons that you can't EAT a Magikarp, or at least you wouldn't want to, but I don't think there's anything stopping you from making garum out of them.

[@netherdominater9960]

Garum seems like something that was discovered completely by accident. Like one guy tried to make normal salted fish, did something incorrectly, and forgot about it for a couple months and then tasted it out of curiosity and realized it was actually pretty good

[@antoniobroccoliporto4774]

Since the Roman Empire was in contact with Asia…I wonder if they brought that back into Roman cuisine.

[@MisterXenomorph]

Worcheshire sauce was created this way. It's fermented anchovies

[@fgjah]

Every food technique is discovered by accident if you think about it. Most try to achieve one thing and the results turn out to be different but interesting enough to pique their curiosity, so they keep going. Curing/preserving things with salt was common back then since refrigeration didn't exist so one person must've thought "oh why don't I preserve my fish with salt?" This could explain why they didn't throw it away because they wouldn't have checked it for days/weeks/months. Like Max mentioned in the video the smell wasn't unpleasant so they probably tried it after finding, and getting confused from seeing, the fish in a watery state.

[@antoniobroccoliporto4774]

@@MisterXenomorph most likely …it’s more modern though since it contains Tamarind, a tropical fruit who’s origins are Asia.

[@antoniobroccoliporto4774]

@@fgjah by accident and or intuition…yep!

[@tigna7548]

Fun fact: I live in Italy, next to a village where garum is still made - Cetara is the name of the village, and we consume it as a seasoning for pasta.

[@bickyboo7789]

Does the village reek of rotting fish?

[@tigna7548]

@@bickyboo7789 it's on the Amalfi coast - smells more like money.

[@To.Si.Ma.]

Can you buy it online?

[@tigna7548]

@tosima8944 mmm... it is widely available online in Italy, not sure abroad. You can check on some Italian site that sends abroad. Be careful, tough: the cheap ones start from 50€/litre, 10/15€ for a tiny bottle - but you only need a few drops of it. You can search "colatura di alici di Cetara", "anchovies filtering of Cetara".

[@GTReplayMaster]

​@@To.Si.Ma.looks like it's listed in the description as the third sauce for sale

[@meatcreap]

I made garum as a part of my final for a course on the history of Republican Rome. I had a hard time getting whole fish anywhere, but eventually found some at an Asian market. All was going well for the first month or two until my roommate (basically a stranger to me at the time) accidentally kicked it over in the middle of the night. He didn't have the heart to tell me, so he just kind of scooped it back into the vessel along with some inadvertent leaves and dirt. About two days later I went over to check on it and was horrified to see all sorts of foreign objects inside and smells that were offensive even in the context of making this putrid condiment. I made some "quick garum" based off of your recipe on this channel to pass off as my final project for the course. It worked out okay, but I haven't had the motivation to try this again.

[@WellBattle6]

A hard learned lesson in always making more than one batch.

[@kingofhearts3185]

That's actually really sad to hear, hope you try again some time.

[@meatcreap]

@@kingofhearts3185 I will if you do!

[@dennythedavinchi3832]

There is a definite reason why it was so expansive.

[@vando2476]

Damn you meatcreap's roommates!!!

[@poomsiraprapasiri8448]

My ancestors (Chinese migrants to Thailand) started a small fish sauce factory nearly 100 years ago in Northern town of Lampang, which was shut down a long time ago as we couldn’t really compete with the bigger players, and all of the descendants, my dad and aunts and uncles, pursued other careers. But it was still operating when I was young and I can still remember the smell! We visited the relatives who lived next to this factory every year. And even though the last bottle left the factory almost 2 decades ago, you can still smell it to this day.

[@Crazymachi]

I love the fact that people around the world from Rome to Japan, thought to stick fish and salt together for a couple of months, and decided to eat it.😮

[@nisnast]

People are people all over the globe, everyone had the idea to make some sort of bread, be it from wheat or corn or flower, everyone invented a bow, and had complex burial rituals (some even involved pyramids and mummies) We are truly more similar than we are different

[@PokhrajRoy.]

As someone who was hyped about an area of Max’s house being dedicated to Garum, I’m thoroughly intrigued.

[@SaphoSheep]

I need to let it be known I watched the first garum video while I was giving birth at the hospital and the look on the doctors face when he asked what I was watching and I said making fermented fish juice was priceless 😂

[@TastingHistory]

WHAT?! I hope the baby was named after me :)

[@christopherneelyakagoattmo6078]

@@TastingHistory It was: Hardtack Johnson

[@WeDwellinaFiefdom]

Naming my kid Garum

[@panjimartiandaru3081]

*clack-clack* @@christopherneelyakagoattmo6078

[@plumbthumbs9584]

@@christopherneelyakagoattmo6078 **clink** **clink**

[@auntiecarol]

My granny used to live on a tributary of the River Bann in Northern Ireland. I remember her keeping, somewhere near the turf shed, a wooden barrel into which she threw the guts, heads, and tails of the fish we used to catch. A tap at the bottom of the barrel decanted the liquid that she would then later refine/filter. Smashing stuff just on some floury spuds! (PS. I am not that ancient… a 70s born GenXer)

[@jessicaolson1880]

That is so cool! I want to hear more stories from you!

[@owlislike]

Very interesting hearing about the notes about not consuming garum when tending bees! I recently read in a bee-keeping book for beginners that consuming a lot of garlic and onions is not advisable when you are tending bees because they interpret that smell as you being sick and will treat you as such.

[@amygodward4472]

Did they stroke your hair and serve you chicken soup?

[@noesunyoutuber7680]

​@@amygodward4472While I'm not a bee expert, I imagine that like many other animals, bees will probably either avoid you because they think your sickness is a danger to them, or they'll attack you because your sickness is a sign of weakness.

[@themushroominside6540]

@@noesunyoutuber7680 Bees do have a good sense of smell better than blood hounds, the aromatic compounds found in onions, garlic and fermented things such as garum are typically that of pungent sulfurous compounds which are perceived as irritating

[@RamdomView]

Citation for Garlic repelling bees: scholar.google.ca/scholar?hl=en&as_sdt=0%2C5&q=bees+garlic+repellent&oq=bees+garlic+rep#d=gs_qabs&t=1704952802793&u=%23p%3DsGRepJ3w3GcJ

[@Fairy_on_clouds]

Yes ​@@amygodward4472

[@sheenachristina2385]

I have to say it…HOLY MACKEREL! So happy to finally see the results of this exploratory archaeological experiment!

[@vksasdgaming9472]

No, Your Highness will do. Would you like to be g'nited?

[@beepboop204]

hehe

[@LarryJohnVA]

Or wholly mackerel?

[@ReggieArford]

History as an experimental science!

[@vigilantcosmicpenguin8721]

He's clearly worth his salt.

[@zell189]

You might be the only person who can make me sit, relax and enjoy a 23 Minutes session about Fish Sauce

[@TastingHistory]

And glad you stuck around for 23 minutes of it haha.

[@D3vilB4sket]

For real I wouldn't watch anyone else do this😂😂😂

[@camquoc5718]

ok

[@TriTran-cc2go]

zzz

[@KhuongTuan-ef7hi]

zzz

[@hobbitguy1420]

I wonder if regional bacterial variations had an effect on the quality of garum from various locations - kind of like how San Francisco sourdough is so prized?

[@Fulcrum205]

Likely so. You can adjust which yeast become dominant by varying the PH and salt content in bread dough. I would think garum bacteria are much the same.

[@deerpoob]

Interesting note on the sweet dishes with Garum My Vietnamese girlfriend swears by dipping mango slices in Nuoc Mam (Vietnamese fish sauce) and chilis, its actually really good!

[@arjenh7214]

There's a recipe in Apicius for melons dipped in a garum/honey/mint/pepper/silphium/wine vinegar marinade. I made it and it's really good. Same principle, basically. It combines all five flavours.

[@foureight84]

You'll need equal parts sugar and fish sauce. Also add black pepper. Use this as a dipping sauce for green mangoes.

[@jadawhitley8655]

This and some birds eye chilis diced in it. So good.

[@meodrac]

is it green mango slices? in the Phillipines we have vendors selling skewered halves of green mango with a good helping of bagoong(some sort of fermented shrimp paste, sometimes fish paste) on top

[@HarliQuinzel]

The deep belly laugh I had when he said, "do NOT MAKE THIS" is unparalleled😂😂😂

[@vigilantcosmicpenguin8721]

That line is what made me feel like I really want to make this.

[@HarliQuinzel]

@@vigilantcosmicpenguin8721 we can skip it, friend. No botulism for you this year🙂

[@beth8775]

​@@HarliQuinzelThis is 12.5% salinity. Only 10% is necessary to prevent botulism growth. I would be willing to try this. In fact we have an invazive fish problem here... I wondef if asian carp would make decent garum?

[@ragnkja]

@@beth8775 One thing I noticed about the preferred fishes for garum-making is that they’re all very oily. How’s the fat content in your Asian carp?

[@kpinar1253]

@@ragnkjaOn par with wild salmon

[@lhfirex]

I started Tasting History with Garum, and I'm going to... continue watching it every week with more Garum!

[@grovermartin6874]

Your Tasting History was the first KZbin video I watched! I had no idea it's been so long! A joyful ride. Thanks, Max!

[@peterdurnien9084]

Many people around the world use a fermented fish sauce Japanese, Chinese, Thai, Philippines and British (Worcestershire sauce).

[@teldrah]

It wouldn't surprise me if Worcestershire sauce was a descendant of Garum. After all, southern Great Britain was part of the Roman Empire for centuries.

[@peterdurnien9084]

Story of Worcestershire sauce is that an army officer brought the recipe back from India but the Chemists who made it up for him thought it was ne good. It was only years later when they were stock taking and it had fermented that they thought WOW.@@teldrah

[@teldrah]

@@peterdurnien9084 Thank you, that is super interesting!

[@its_clean]

​@@peterdurnien9084 That is indeed the origin story marketed by Lea & Perrins, but it is unsupported by history and (like many pithy origin stories for food) probably untrue. From Wiki: The company has also claimed that "Lord Marcus Sandys, ex-Governor of Bengal" encountered it while in India with the East India Company in the 1830s, and commissioned the local pharmacists (the partnership of John Wheeley Lea and William Perrins of 63 Broad Street, Worcester) to recreate it.[2] However, neither Lord Marcus Sandys nor any Baron Sandys was ever a Governor of Bengal, nor had they ever visited India.[7] I'd encourage you to take to heart the lesson Max demonstrates repeatedly in his videos, which is that virtually every clever, cute, convenient, or fascinating tale about the invention or discovery of a new food is made up by either the inventor or later marketers. The true story is usually either "we found it by accident" or "we tried really hard to make a thing and after a bunch of attempts we did indeed make the thing". Fiction has to be logical and tell a memorable story. Real life doesn't, and is usually sloppy and boring.

[@minhducnguyen9276]

​@@peterdurnien9084 Also because of the lack of ingredients they have to experiment to substitute with what were available in Britain.

[@Makalaka]

In the area I lived in Italy, they made colatura de alici. They used large ceramic jars that look like tall vases with a tiny hole drilled in the bottom, they’re like maybe three feet tall. Layers of salt and anchovies are built up and over time a rather small bottle is filled from it. It tastes almost exactly like Thai fish sauce, which is much cheaper so a good substitute for recipes that call for colatura or garum

[@Taolan8472]

You had us at Garum. And you have us again. The dedication to your craft is palpable, Max. But oh my, the look between the spoon and the bottle after that first taste, it almost looked like you were considering a second taste.

[@mwater_moon2865]

I loved the Mary Poppins reference too much...

[@vigilantcosmicpenguin8721]

Not to sound too cliche, but this video is one for the ages. I know I can't be the only one who's been waiting with anticipation for the day you finally finished this grand project of making garum, and I'm very pleased to vicariously experience your reaction.

[@TastingHistory]

Thanks for supporting

[@unnamedshadow1866]

I think you should make the Parthian Chicken again. This time you will be using true Garum and Asafaetida, meaning it may have an even more exotic taste.

[@bromisovalum8417]

I made Parthian chicken recently using Worchestersauce for garum and asafoetida for silphium (and homemade defrutum). Used a farm-bred chicken. It was good but very exotic, reminded of Indian cuisine.

[@AppliedCryogenics]

It might be worth trying to pour the sludge into a tall container and allowing it to settle. After that, *if* it settles, one can decant or siphon off the clear portion. Works when making wine, anyway!

[@jeannecastellano7181]

This was a fun segment, for those of us who got to OBSERVE the nasty process from a great distance. Thanks for going the extra 10,000 culinary miles for the rest of us curious cowards. I really would like to see you make that unusual pear dessert.

[@tritamtran7264]

ok

[@lyagushkha8490]

ok

[@mfcker]

ok

[@joshuakuehn]

ok

[@akaLethal]

If you ever need to strain a liquid like that again, one tip I can give is to use paint strainers. They're extremely inexpensive and funnel-shaped and you can get different mesh gradients depending on how finely you need it filtered. I use them to filter my oil after frying stuff.

[@kaitlyn__L]

This is supremely helpful, I’ve often found myself annoyed at cheesecloths and coffee filters!

[@splendidcolors]

My thought was jelly strainers. Definitely food-safe.

[@stefanocomito7949]

Hi max, I‘ve discovered your channel a couple of days ago and I can’t stop watching your videos (I just ordered your book). Just wanted to add a little fun fact, I’m from Rome and all my life I spent the summer in a little town on the coast called Scauri, which I recently discovered takes it’s name from scaurus the garum guy who built his villa there ( which is reasonably close to where Pompei used to be) with all the money he made from selling Garum. You can still see some ruins of the villa outside of the modern town. Love your work thanks for the videos

[@KennethGraham-io4bh]

Making this in the summer. Remember that salt was 400% mora expensive than salt nowadays. 12.5 salinity versus 25%-30% makes economical sense in a Roman culture. I am a Latinist and going to enjoy making this!

[@kbrou74]

I love that you brought people over and made them smell your vat of fish like a proud father. Great video we have come full circle with this one feom the original!

[@radiofreedom7840]

"Oh no, he's making us smell the stinky fish baby again"

[@manon_0411]

Max's glow up is impressive. Not only is he more handsome and knowledgeable than when he made the first video about garum, he was also able to buy a bigger house with a garden that would allow him to make said garum! I'm so proud of how far he's come!

[@TastingHistory]

All thanks to viewers like you :)

[@sjdenning1]

Everyone is happy for you! Something good came out of COVID and quarantine for all us - thank you Max❤️

[@phongtran-mw9dm]

zzz

[@persnikitty3570]

Be sure to send aprons of appreciation: he has quite the collection already. And Max, you are truly a wonderful person, in body, mind and spirit.

[@RamadaArtist]

I mean... it's like, not even really a glow up. He just has the common sense to have a beard now.

[@Hegataro]

I imagine the reason why Garum was forbidden from being made near settlements was because the containers it fermented in were more open, while your big glass has a much thinner neck (it did say they left it in a baker's bowl or some such) Since odor leaves from the surface, it not only having a much narrower surface but also escape route (and you covering it to prevent stuff from getting into it) meant that the smell had a much harder time getting out and just kinda... stuck around

[@lucamatteobarbieri2493]

Still today anchovy paste in a tube is consumed in Italy. For example bread, butter and anchovy paste, or pasta with butter and anchovy paste. You otherwise can use it in many dishes.

[@helenmaghinay7304]

As a Filipino, the brown sludge during the first few weeks that you were fermenting the Garum looked like our local condiment, Bagoong. I wouldn't be surprised, if like you said, they also use the brown stuff that you strained out. In the Philippines, the Liquamen is called Patis. Your Garum looks so beautiful! I want to taste it! Fish sauce is the best! When I first started cooking, I tried to replace some of the salt in recipes with fish sauce, and it is a game changer! Please, try to replace the salt in your recipes with fish sauce! Fish sauce gives a deeper flavor--it's not just salty, it's umami as well. Use it in stir-fry, soups, stews instead of just salt, and you will get a deeper flavor. 😊

[@andriealinsangao613]

Ah, patis, the perfect pair to pork sinigang!

[@jc13781]

In Thailand it’s called pla ra.. love it!

[@GreenRasqberries]

patis is wonderful! everyone should try some :D

[@CaptHollister]

If he did that it would no longer be tasting history. The whole point of this channel is to attempt to exactly reproduce ancient recipes.

[@GreenRasqberries]

@@CaptHollister they prolly meant to replace it in every day non-historic recipes

[@baokhanhnguyen8096]

this garum making process is so similar to my mom's homemade fish sauce here in vietnam. its so fascinating how people from such far away places make fish sauce in almost the same way

[@violetskies14]

I love very much how humans tend to create the same things over and over despite being separated by time and distance.

[@brianmccarthy5557]

We know from archaeological evidence that there were Roman connected traders on Hainan Island in the first half of the first millennium. It's not off the wall to speculate that Roman traders who got hooked on garum decided to manufacture a local variant from similar fish in Southeast Asia. The trade eventually died out but the locals kept on making it for their own consumption.

[@apveening]

@@brianmccarthy5557 As the trade routes were already there a lot earlier (somewhere between 2000 and 1500 BC), the recipe might have come the other way.

[@simonl.6338]

​@@apveeningi think it's hard to say who did it first but knowing the extensive network the silkroad was and seeing what a prominent trade good garum was it's pretty likely it somehow found it's way in many directions

[@yabbadabbadoo9299]

@@apveeningPreservation and salting techniques wasn’t exactly unique to one culture. Many practiced something similar. It’s kind of like the bow and arrow.. you see tribes completely isolated from other major civilizations who came up with it too. Humanity probably has a way of coming to similar conclusions through trial and error. It is only when you get to more advanced technology and building that major civs start to shine.

[@dianapovero7319]

I haven't made garum, but I have made nam pla from local anchovies. I also took a few quarters in vector biology & worked in profesional kitchens Loved this video! ♥The nostalgia is sooo wonderful!!!

[@amandapittar9398]

Just received your book! What a treat. Thank you. , now looking forward to the next one ❤ Back in the 1970s when I was at school in Scotland, we had a small class who did Latin and Greek. Our Domine ( never teacher, he was old school and wore a tweed suit and gown) taught us the curriculum as best he could. We were 8 of the mixed students who were avoiding PE in Year 5 (17yr olds) and wanted a classic to aid in our Uni entrance. It was a hard exam, learning screeds of Latin poetry, verbs, translating, ablatives in the passive. He was in his 60s, Edinburgh educated and a great believer in a “ democratic intellect”. He espoused Catullus and Ovids love poetry- which we found in the main university library in Edinburgh. He forgot that most of it was pornography by the standards of the day, he was an old liberal, well travelled batchelor. It was a wonderful impetus to spur us on to get cracking with translating! I also found Epicurius recipes in translation and spent far too long reading those. Happy days. So I remember the recipe for Garum. Revolting. But so are lots of things on paper. I have fond memories of my Latin Domine, the large mole on his nose, Ovid, Catullus and going on to do a Masters in History… Thank you for doing the Garum, I can’t imagine doing it. Not my thing. 😮

[@bromisovalum8417]

The old school classical languages teachers were the best. These people dedicated their lives to it. I remember my Latin and Greek teacher traveled to the ruins of Troy, put on running gear and ran three times around the ancient city, like when Achilles was chasing Hector. He could also tell the stories as if you were there.

[@mattpowell06]

Garum is one of those foods that I always wonder who was the first person to try it

[@rabidfurify]

A lot of coastal cultures have similar dishes so I guess sometimes you just leave your salted fish somewhere for a while and later realise it still tastes good

[@tymonritco8578]

I have thought the same. Who left salted fish long enough to find liquid and think “yeh, it’s probably fine”

[@BaeBunni]

It's not to shocking, we drink alcohol that is just rotting vegetables in water. Humans have a proud history of thinking "This smells bad, but I still want to put it in my mouth."

[@justmyopinion3450]

Someone who was starving and only had a pot of salted fish that had gone off, I suspect. Food insecurity was endemic for most of human history and nothing was wasted. Even fish left in lye by malicious pirates, as another example.

[@butwhataboutdragons7768]

Desperation and poverty probably has a hand in a lot of things like this. I'm starving, in a near frenzy, and about to die anyway so what the hell, I'll try this stinking stuff...actually this isn't bad!

[@glennsepulveda4856]

In the Philippines, the muddy brown mixture you just made is called Ginamos(Guinamos/Fish Bagoong)..a kind of fermented fish paste used as a base for many traditional country dishes like stewed vegetables and also as dipping sauce (combined with chillies and lime juice)for char grilled seafood dishes and fresh sea weed salad..The clear amber liquid is a by-product of Guinamos or Bagoong, what we know as Liquamen.."Patis" in these parts, "Nam Pla"(Thai).."Nuoc mam"(Vietnamese)..The color flavors and concentration of the fish sauce vary depending on the type of fishes and or shell fishes used in it's making..❤

[@auroraasleep]

I fell in love with fish sauce after my adventures in making garum. Nam Pal is my favorite.

[@ookaookaooka]

When I started dating my partner (he’s Filipino) he introduced me to fish sauce, patis, and bagoong. They’re all so delicious! I can’t believe they’re not a staple in American food (actually I can believe that, judging by the American jello monstrosities in the 50s 😂😂)

[@auroraasleep]

@@ookaookaooka jello salad is generally a crime against humanity, but that's a whole other topic. Fish sauce good, jello salad not good.

[@auroraasleep]

I actually have a hypothesis that jello salad was a way of asserting dominance and social norms. It was a silent contest among the women in a family or community to see who could make their social set eat the most disgusting thing with a straight face.

[@auroraasleep]

Also, the Jell-O factory is just a few towns away from me, so we have the Jell-O museum, and some of the recipes are just wild. The history of aspics in general is nutty buggers, but... yeah...

[@janicemcalisterdouglas7351]

Yay! You finally made real garum! I've been viewing your channel for nearly 3 years and you talking about making it one day and that day came. So happy for you!

[@ZionDR1]

9:10 took me 9 mins to realize I’ve been watching at 0.75x speed. Knew something sounded off

[@TenderheartPC]

Fish sauce really is magic in a bottle. It's amazing how many cultures have (or had) their own version of it.

[@RizwanKhan-ht8ne]

Fish sauce raili is magic in a bottle its amazing

[@johnbaker6125]

All of them from what I can tell!

[@tristancreed]

Every single culture in existence just put two and two together until they figured out how to salt, cure and ferment fish. And eventually, they'd get the by-products.

[@Earthenfist]

Even ketchup, or Cat-sup, had its start as a fish-sauce.

[@ferretyluv]

Worcestershire sauce is just fish sauce and it’s heavenly.

[@CalicoShadowPlusCat]

My grandparents made garum just like this! My grandfather would save some of the smaller fish he caught and they would salt it and leave it covered with a cheesecloth in his workshop. They would use it in everything but one application I liked was mixing it with some herbs and butter to go over toast like marmite. Thanks Max for another wonderful recipe and I do love the cookbook!

[@InnuendoXP]

Love anchovy paste on buttered toast! I imagine this would be a little similar?

[@CalicoShadowPlusCat]

@@InnuendoXP Yup! Very much so! Savory and salty with just a hint of fishiness, but in a good way 😀

[@PlaySA]

Suggestion: it would be very cool if you attempted to discover the nutritional/compositional elements of the foods, garum in this case. I think it would be very interesting to know exactly what it is composed of after the whole process has been completed.

[@zacharymay3520]

I love learning about ancient foods/recipes that we still or no longer really use, especially the ones that make you question on how they figured out how to make it. Like with garum, did some lazy person just leave a pot of fish out in the sun and then never looked at it until months later and then decided they wanted to taste the sludge it produced? Wild stuff, but amazing video!

[@LaOwlett]

That sting is ammonia, a natural byproduct of the decomposition process. That's why it's recommended to leave the jar open. You don't want to ingest ammonia but let it off gas. I also think stirring it caused it to become cloudier than you needed Had you just left it to sink to the bottom, you probably would have had a much clearer liquid to pour off.

[@censusgary]

“All summer, one of my favorite things to do was to invite friends over to look at the garum, and smell it.” Max really knows how to throw a party!

[@fabrb26]

Do that two year in a row and you end up with a single friend, the raccoon.

[@tarnocdoino3857]

Is this the kind of logic where friends come over and spend time in the smallest common room in the house. We had a large porch, dining room, living room with bay windows, and sat on the floor or counters of the galley kitchen for 12 years.

[@blakksheep736]

What I find particularly funny is that any of them accepted the offer. I have close friends, but if any of them asked me to come over and sample a brew that is kinda what you'd get if you tried making wine with fish guts instead of grapes, then guess what day has suddenly become tax filing day.

[@censusgary]

@@blakksheep736 The finished garum isn’t all that stinky or disgusting (if you don’t think about where it came from), but while it’s brewing, hoo boy!

[@joshuastorlie6006]

Just bought your cookbook today 🎉 I walked into a little bookstore today and they had it right at the front, I couldn't resist. Last copy they had.

Max, please learn that your videos are enjoyed in Romania, and that I love your wit, talent, thoroughness and just about everything. If you re ever down, please remember how many people love and admire you sincerely. You rock!

[@sc5424]

Watching the Garum process on Instagram was very entertaining. I'd see Max with his garum followed by Jose and his flowers! All I could picture was Max in a little corner of the garden being a garum goblin while Jose was hanging out with his pretty flowers. 🤣

[@KetchupwithMaxandJose]

Thank you 😂

[@oldmanramblingatclouds]

Odds are good that 'Garum Goblin' will be the name of my firstborn, thank you! 🤣

[@Schplatnel]

Max making true Garum feels like a more important coming-of-age celebration for the channel than 2 million subscribers. 🤣

[@ryanford2965]

21:10 'astringent' is probably the word you're looking for

[@BigboiiTone]

Another important thing to note is that salty and umami are different "flavours" or tastes. For example, that himilayan pink is salty but not umami, while shiitake mushrooms are rich in umami but not salty

[@marinahildebrand5868]

I‘m one of those who found your channel exactly for this reason. Inspired by your experiment I ordered „Colatura di Alici“ from an italien specialties shop. I can honestly say I was blown away by the taste of it. Ever since it has become a staple in my kitchen. There is hardly any meal without a tiny dash of Colatura di Alici.

[@jasonroskom7430]

Do you get a certain brand of it?

[@kingofhearts3185]

Any specific brand?

[@billhaverchuck3745]

@@kingofhearts3185 Delfino Battista, or just Delfino. Colatura di Alici di Cetara (from the small fishing village of Cetara, near Pompeii) is the name of the product. It goes particularly well with spaghetti aglio e olio e peperoncino. Use it sparingly or it will overpower other flavors.

[@kingofhearts3185]

@@billhaverchuck3745 Thanks a lot, does it go well with chicken? I've been trying different ways to season the breasts and love salty food.

[@noob19087]

That thing at the end about using smoke to "fix" bad garum actually makes a lot of sense chemically. Pitch is a really good adsorbent, meaning that it can collect a lot of impurities from solutions by having them stick to its surface, much like how your phone screen adsorbs grease from your fingers. Activated charcoal (very close to pitch) is used these days in cleaning water, filtering vodka, air purifiers and even as an antidote for poisonings.

[@TheBackyardChemist]

Burning wood also releases phenolic compounds that are supposedly disliked by bacteria.

[@give_me_my_nick_back]

I don't even want to imagine how they came up with this recipe in the first place hahaha

[@SupahTrunks7]

Probably some guy tried preserving his fish with salt, got the ratios wrong and forgot about it because he thought it was preserved only to comeback months later and find liquid that, like we saw in the video, didn’t actually smell as bad as it looked so decided to try a bit.

[@Human-san]

some dude tried to salt his fish, ran out of salt and forgor to put more.

[@ISureDont]

That rotten smell you expected is from decomposition not fermentation. There’s something ranchers in Mexico do they take alfalfa cut it down and put it into holes in the ground then smash it and cover it up. It’s left to sit until the next year and if it smells rotten you didn’t get enough air out. It ferments with anaerobic bacteria. It smells really interesting, almost like slightly burnt grass

[@phillipsrero]

Fantastic work! I'm a Roman archaeologist and I love to see the experimental archaeology you do here - especially Roman recipes!

[@adamplace1414]

It really does make me feel good that this video has risen through everything else on KZbin to be one of the top trending videos right now. The channel is great, Max is awesome, and it's just nice to see such time and quality work rewarded.

[@TastingHistory]

I am happy, thanks for the support.

[@ReedCBowman]

Like others, you did have me at garum. Came for the garum, stayed for the all-too-rare attention to correct pronunciation of other languages. Thank you again for that. And since you do care a great deal about language, allow me to request that you differentiate "infer" from "imply" more carefully. Keep up the great work!

[@GeorgeABMoore]

Seeing baby faced Max is WILD. The beard is definitely working for you!

[@kumawktopus]

If you ever need to do the basket thing again, look for the baskets used to strain tofu. They’re used basically the same way as described in the historical text

[@lucastrever]

I read the epigram of martial from 15:44 , and he actually doesn't use "making love" or anything, it's even better. He says "you are a man of iron if your member can get hard, Flaccus", which I find even more beautiful.

[@Deutschebahn]

Lol, flaccus

[@PRKLGaming]

Wow that's exactly it "Ferreus es, si stare potest tibi mentula, Flacce" Mart. 11.27. Awesome

[@Kimizefa]

You can visit one of these factories in Spain, Baelo Claudia in Bolonia village (Cadiz), the city had a theater for 2000 people, 4 aqueducts and 4 temples, all paid with garum

[@FinkPloydFan]

I'm willing to bet the Garum you made there would be of very high quality back in Roman times. It's made from Mackerel, you had multiple modern strainers, and you took great care keeping an eye on and tending to it during the fermentation process. I'm sure if you took that Garum back to the ancient Romans they'd love it lmao

[@saranphorngers9888]

My Thai mother told me how as a kid they used to make their own fish sauce using exactly the same method. Luckily nowadays we buy them from shop 😅

[@beepboop204]

i got into fish sauce and tripe because of a Vietnamese friends hotpot. sometimes its best to not overthink where food comes from or how its prepared, its best to focus on how tasty it is 😁

[@claytonberg721]

What's your favorite fish sauce?

[@HobbesTWC]

I don't think I'd be great at expressing how much joy this channel has been giving me ever since I discovered it. You're possibly the only person who could've made me so interested in something as (seemingly) mundane as fish sauce. Now I'm reading all about the different kinds that exist or have existed! As for my boy Dioscorides he may have been on to something, because swishing salt water in your mouth is actually a good way to alleviate swelling of the tissues through osmosis!

[@TastingHistory]

Best compliment I can get. Thank you ☺️

[@georged.5595]

Yes, I also suspect that Dioscourides might have been on to something. He was, after all, one of the better physicians of his time, and while science has advanced a lot since then, some things must have worked (even if for unexplainable to them reasons), it'd be interesting to try for sure but I am certainly not volunteering. Maybe someone who already has mouth ulcers can try it though.

[@hilarylonsdale608]

My grandmother had me rinse my mouth with salt water for mouth ulcers; it works. She also had the hard core version which involves holding salt against the ulcer - not necessarily more effective but stings way more.

[@HobbesTWC]

@@hilarylonsdale608 yup my own doctor even suggested gargling warm water with salt to relieve my tonsils. It's a legit method.

[@arielc8584]

There's a reason that when you get a dental procedure done that your dentist suggests to do a warm salt water rinse if your mouth hurts. As stated, salt kills bacteria (which irritates or infects wounds), and reduces inflammation so it's very helpful if you've bitten your cheek or had a painful cleaning. The high salt content in garum would do a similar trick. Though in the modern day, clean drinking water with a teaspoon of salt mixed in is probably more effective.

[@patrickkasprik2444]

Garum salsum mihi placet! Starting learning Latin several months ago, and Garum has had a huge part in the vocabulary. Also I understand every bit of latin in this video, and that wss incredibly validating. Thanks for the great vid, Maximo.

[@DarkStar666]

The mead video is what hooked me, I made the short mead and now I have 10 gallons of mead aging (some almost 2 years now) and have drunk a few gallons worth along the way. It’s all come out pretty good so far.

[@mikeremski2102]

You have to give a lot of credit to the first person that said "Hmm. I wonder how this rotted fish liquid would go with my dinner"

[@WinstonSmithGPT]

All of cooking is like this. “How about these bitter inedible fruits off this gnarly tree? Should I squeeze them and use it to fry in?”

[@uphillwalrus5164]

That's how Worcestershire sauce was invented

[@MisterLambda]

When I went to Italy I stopped by Fabbrica Nettuno in Cetara, where they produce the finest Coloutra Di Alici. (Modern equivalent of Garum) the welcoming owner must have seen how ecstatic I was to finally get my hand on this because he lead me down the back and showed me the production center and copious amount of barrels of this golden amber, some labeled as far back as 2014. Definitely recommend to visit if you’re near the Amalfi coast.

[@goochills]

Wonder if you'll consider a video like this but i would be super interested in a taste test/comparison of the garum you made with other fish sauces around the world like nuoc mam (vietnam), patis (philippines), prahok (cambodia), nam pla (thailand), gyosho (japan)! 💗

[@RAMproductions2010]

I remember watching the first garum video and I’ve wanted to try so many of the recipes you’ve shown. They all look so good.

[@MisterNewVegas]

Huzzah, it's finally here!! This long awaited moment is finally upon us, rejoice, good viewers of the Tasting History channel!

[@TastingHistory]

Long awaited indeed!

[@antonnurwald5700]

Extra points for Huzzah

[@lordbarristertimsh8050]

I was among those introduced to this channel by your first Garum video, and I am so happy to see how much the channel has flourished since then. Also, "The House That Garum Built" Maybe you should design a coat of arms for tasting history with that as the motto, and put that on your next shirt.

[@thedirtprincess3293]

Oh but the motto must be "serve it forth"

[@Justanotherconsumer]

@@thedirtprincess3293or the Latin for the same? Quidquid latine after all.

[@vigilantcosmicpenguin8721]

The coat of arms would be supported by two mackerels.

[@KayleighBourquin]

Should be a coat of arms, with Serve It Forth, in Latin, and below that The House That Garum Built Very rough, probably inaccurate latin of Serve It Forth: praeministro id pro

[@thedirtprincess3293]

@@Justanotherconsumer yes!

[@platonicbrov5004]

Yessss I’ve been waiting to see your revisit to garum!!! It’s amazing to see how far you’ve come since that first garum video absolutely love it and great work max!!

[@cas8227]

I feel like the roman garum is the reason wouschestershire sauce exists, because that's made from fermented anchovies among other things, and it's a popular condiment

[@m.dilitto5488]

The pride on your face when you announce what you made for today's episode, well-earned 😄

[@crabman3144]

I love the touch that there was a Magikarp in the original video and a pair of Gyarados in this one. Garum is something I should try, given that I likely have Roman ancestors somewhere along the line. Congratulations on finally finishing the journey, Max!

[@sebastianguerra6358]

Max this is probably my favorite episode of yours thus far. Just great. Thank you for this.

[@user-hm9is5ke9i]

Really glad you revisited Garum!

[@HailKosm]

I wonder if in the early empire, Garum specifically referred to like a partially strained version that is more of that cloudy dark brown, whereas liquemen was the completely filtered amber color form that we use today. And the terms became interchangeable probably because liquemen was generally safer to consume and most likely no where near as potent or strong as the clouded stuff. I also just now realize how much the romans were fond of very strong flavors considering their two most favorite condiments were garum and silphium (a close relative to Asafoetida), both of which are pretty strong flavors.

[@CaptainGrimes1]

And cumin and pepper and loveage. They would have loved the chilli pepper!

[@John77Doe]

🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮

[@daniellebenitez]

I don’t even know Max personally, but I’m unreasonably proud to see this video is trending!!! 👏🏻 👏🏻 👏🏻

[@TastingHistory]

wooh wooh!

[@StKrane]

You truly have a gift for presentation. I had a really hard day in a long row of hard and taxing days. Your opening had me laugh out loud. Thank you for documenting this process! Garrum is one of these things about the ancient world that has a lasting fascination for me. Have a good day! ☀️

[@henryj.8528]

Worcestershire sauce is made by a similar process. The story of Lee and Perin is quite interesting (apparently it had to mellow for several years).

[@richardbeebe8398]

How potent is Garum? The answer can be found in how many of us (especially those of us who stumbled across your first Garum video back in mid-2020) now routinely adjust our Tuesday schedules to catch the latest Max Miller video after it is posted on your KZbin channel. I suppose the ancient citizens of Rome would never raise a toast using Garum, but here's to you, Max (and Jose!), and to your well-earned success, and to all the delicious and unexpected ways you bring delight to your viewers! Please keep researching and cooking and tasting and sharing your work with us!

[@fabiankaisen5977]

I visited a small fish sauce producer near Mũi Né (Vietnam) about 15 years ago and the process looked very similar; their facility actually looked like the Roman ruins you included in the video… I believe that they said they used a 3:1 ratio of fish to salt and fermentation lasted up to a year, but I might be wrong. Fish sauce from Phu Quoc is also famous. Maybe you could go on a fish sauce tour of South East Asia…?

[@bakatsugu]

I love the nod to the old video with the Magikarp plush in the background evolving into a Gyarados!

[@grey5626]

My Latin instructor told us that supposedly Worcestershire sauce is a contemporary descendant of garum.

[@WittyMelissa]

I just wanted to say it is AWESOME to hear the proper, classical pronunciation of Latin. I really appreciate the work you put in to pronounce things in general, and you seem so comfortable doing it - you don't Alex Trebek it (may he rest in peace) and make it stick out all weird. Much love to you Max, and I also appreciate the captioning, Jose. I see you down there!

[@KetchupwithMaxandJose]

Thank you Melissa

[@gwennorthcutt421]

i was thinking the same thing! i need to share this iwth my Latin prof :D

[@jonesnori]

Yes, thank you, José, as always!

[@katherinewilson1853]

Unmixed adoration

[@Crowbars2]

13:30 - So, I found some rough sources because I wanted to see how much Garum Sociorum would've cost today: So, one sestertius is about equivalent to $1.50 (I've seen estimates from $0.25 to $6, since the value of money and goods changed so much, it's hard to directly compare roman currency to modern currency), and one Congius is about 0.92 gal or 3.48 litres. So, that would mean Garum Sociorum would be $1500 for 1.84 gal or 6.96 litres. But what if you weren't rich and didn't own a Roman Villa? How much would a smaller quantity cost? Well, for 250ml (8.45 fl oz), it would cost around $53 (£43.36, €49.46). That's pretty expensive for a food ingredient, and if you use the higher estimate for sestertius it would be around $215.51 (£176.32, €201.14). But there are other ingredients used in haute cuisine that are very expensive as well like white truffles, caviar, foie gras etc. _"Hardly any other liquid, other than perfumes, commands such a price."_ Dior Sauvage costs $181 (£148.29, €169.16) Chanel No. 5 costs $312 (£255.26, €291.19) Chanel Coco Mademoiselle costs $312 (£255.26, €291.19) Yves Saint Laurent Black Opium costs $323 (£264.53, €301.77) Mugler Angel costs $463 (£378.79 , €432.12) Tom Ford Black Orchid costs $688 (£562.46, €641.64, this stuff smells amazing btw) Creed Aventus costs $775 (£634.05, €723.31) So, it's about right, even for today's perfumes. These are all for 250mL of the Eau de Parfum versions, using the price listed on the official website. If they didn't have a 250mL, I took the largest size they had then multiplied it to get to 250mL. EDIT: So, what about other modern, expensive ingredients? One of the most expensive balsamic vinegars ever, Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale DOP costs $2562 (£2,018.31, €2,353.33) for 250mL (damn). Beluga Caviar costs $1308.33 (£1,030.36, €1,201.77) for 250g Saffron costs $898.25 (£707.69, €825) for 250g The True Honey Co. 1500+ MGO Manuka Honey costs $476.10 (£375, €437.32) for 250g Kopi Luwak coffee costs $375 (£295.60, €344.46) for 250g Traditional Balsamic Vinegar of Modena Extra Old by Pedroni costs $357 (£281.12, €327.92) for 250mL Vanilla pods cost $189.77 (£149.57 ,€174.38) for 250g Ethical Foie Gras costs $175 (£137.81, €160.75) for 250g Jamon Iberico de Bellota costs $74.40 (£58.60, €68.34) for 250g Miyazaki Japanese Wagyu A5 costs $84.13 (£66.25, €77.24) for 250g I could've added more, but I couldn't be bothered lol.

[@torymiddlebrooks]

Incredibly interesting and thank you for taking the time to answer a question I didn't know I had.

[@angelodesantis6455]

I don't know if it's already said in previous comments but in Salerno a sort of Garum is still produced, it's called "Colatura di alici" and it's made with anchovies and salt in a barrel traditionally in Cetara.

[@Fgtr4Life]

Wow, has it already been 3 years since I randomly came across that original Garum video? I'm more surprised I hadn't subscribed at that point so now, 3 years overdue, you have my sub. :)

[@TastingHistory]

Finally!

[@hurtmei6420]

Seeing this for some reason made me remember you talking about making an herb garden full of more old and unique herbs. Has there been an update on that since?

[@nltoriola89]

I appreciate the fact that you tasted 4 month fermented fish sauce with a spoon. You are far more brave than I am, my good sir. 👏🏽

[@davidcreager1945]

I second that !

[@Ndstars1]

I thought he was going to drink it from the bottle. Relieved to see that spoon!

[@julianbarber4708]

I'm absolutely loving Tasting History....great stuff!