The Fishy Reason this Ancient Roman City was so Wealthy

Archaeologists know that Neapolis used to be a major trading hub for the ancient Roman empire - but what did they trade?
From the Series: Secrets: Rome's Sunken City bitly.com/2DNwJD7

[@thewiseowl3672]

The entire city must have stunk when the wind was right.

[@frankwittner1979]

The Wise Owl I don’t know what do you think was worse the fish stink or the people stink? 🤭

[@darthvaderlxxi1233]

The smell of money. The folks in Southeast Asia are still making the stuff, and Yes, it does smell, but once you get past the smell, you have it licked.

[@rhodesianwojak2095]

Hm

[@briankane3214]

Cant smell worse than jersey

[@doodskie999]

Its smelly but I cant get enough of it.

[@reckitralph1802]

Here I was thinking , fish tanks . Breeding fish for food.

[@crevice5369]

fish tanks in ancient rome? you must be dumb

[@crevice5369]

@Maverick Hargrave ponds . not fish tanks. big difference

[@sinatraforeign]

@@crevice5369 Fish tanks. watch the video.

[@RiggyRonnie]

Honestly probably more likely. Who would eat rotten fermented fish sauce.

[@RiggyRonnie]

@nick that's nasty.

[@Mark-zu6oz]

Now we have Worcestershire sauce - more or less the same idea.

[@jack1701e]

I wonder what ancient Romans would think of that, probably love it!

[@rac3r5]

Worcestershire sauce is basically an Indian recipe that was replicated in Britain.

[@Mark-zu6oz]

@@rac3r5 Didn't know that, thanks!

[@tomkandy]

And Nam Pla / Thai fish sauce. And Disodium Inosinate, which is more or less the same flavour and very widely used as a flavour enhancer - it's more meaty than MSG.

[@thehistory9187]

@@tomkandy And a condiment called Patis which is found in the Philippines

[@tatan4939]

Back home we have all sort of fermented fish sauce. İt will only be smelly once you cook it. And since we all grew up with it, we never find the smell annoying at all 😅 and the smell never lingers, unlike some spices that makes your body smelly once you eat it.

[@darthvaderlxxi1233]

You can still get a good equivalent to Garum. Vietnamese Nuk Mam, which is available in oriental food stores. It's a good source of MSG, the magic ingredient that made it so popular.

[@jasinwangjr8999]

I thought fish sauce is more of an Asian thing. Good to know that the Romans enjoyed it too

[@user-ge4uk9ui8y]

fish sauce was like ketchup in roman empire, people ate it with everything

[@alwaysturnonaircon]

@Sue Martino yea sure. Everything is invented by white people. The pyramids and stonehenge too.

[@YungNappers]

Sue Martino I’m pretty sure the Chinese were the first to invent the noodle

[@Peteandwolves]

Um it took you this long to discover they made fish sauce get outta here, leave the fish sauce to the asians please

[@Tictacpanter]

If you haven’t - read the book “Salt” by Mark Kurlansky. It describes how prolific fish sauce is in most cultures. Also how salt is important.

[@deeb3272]

As a student majoring history this really amazes me.

[@battleverdun1914]

I swear to god if this is a pun

[@DragonErin2]

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@LiterallyGod]

Don’t swear on me

[@rhodesianwojak2095]

Hm

[@polygonalfortress]

Short answer: they made fish sauce

[@nathanapplegate5374]

In modern times, we still use garum, but we don’t refer to it by that name. We know it as MSG.

[@ishmaelm1932]

And it can give you a mean headache after eating it

[@Phendoxia]

@@ishmaelm1932 No it's a myth.

[@ishmaelm1932]

@@Phendoxia How's it a myth when it happens to me every single time after eating. Some get tired, some get headaches. It's just the way some people react to it. So it's definitely not a myth

[@haharmageddontv6581]

@@ishmaelm1932 nocebo effect?

[@JamesCarter1888_]

Ishmael Moh I use msg to cook all the time and it doesn’t have any side effects on me must just be certain people

[@navajoauckland6003]

The flies would have been epic

[@Hashdollars]

Navajo Auckland that’s why they would cover the fish with salt. While rendering the fish the salt will act as a barrier for pest and Bacteria. Tabasco sauce is made the same way, chilies put in barrels covered in salt for years on end to ferment.

[@jlo8372]

Are flies prevalent on that time.. same as the recent century perhaps.. I wonder also if where they all originated from 'coz I knew a few insects that originated from a certain region of the world then spread all over the world or almost..

[@catsupchutney]

I saw somewhere else that garum was not usually prepared properly and parasites were spread though its consumption.

[@fitrianhidayat]

Not in neapolis

[@red_ashcroft]

It has a very high salt content, including adding nitrates for preserving. If it were that dangerous, the empire wouldn't have last that long. Garum is like fish sauce. Though in Asia we have several types of it, it has been produced here for thousands of years.

[@rhodesianwojak2095]

@@red_ashcroft what's the name of it?

[@red_ashcroft]

@@rhodesianwojak2095 fish sauce, though in my country we have 3 versions Patis, Patis Balayan, and Ginamos. Putting fish and guts layered with salt and ferment it for as long as a season. Both the clear liquid and the slop can be used or seperated and filtered.

[@red_ashcroft]

@@rhodesianwojak2095 shottsuru jp nuoc nam In Vietnam and nam pla Thailand and the Chinese sometimes call it ketsup. Everyone in Asia has a version of it, we even have fermented shrimp paste, salted dry fish, squid, abalones, starfish. Oh and fermented sea urchins, where we have molds grow on the urchins. And those preservation methods have insisted till today. Pho won't be the same without fish sauce.

[@danielblue4460]

My favorite condiment: garum/ patis/ fish sauce.

[@Plainejan]

Patis with calamansi

[@iMadrid11]

Ryzen Amber- Patis translated in Filipino is Fish Sauce. The Philippines is just one of the many country in the world that consumes fish sauce.

[@Angel_Gomez]

In Hispania, Garum was famous in Baelo Claudia (Cadiz)

[@leeluv96]

The tanks remind me of the ones they use to dye fabrics. Many countries still use the ancient methods today.

[@importantname]

adapt to change = what we have always done; if we stop adapting we are finished.

[@spamin8r]

It's a shame the Roman fish oil companies didn't care more for the environment. The rise in sea levels caused by their corporate greed put them right out of business!

[@erikeriks]

Title really spoiled the video for us

[@sophialoren7855]

In the Philippines we have a version of it called Patis made from fresh anchiovies preserved in brine in clay jars. It's yummy! Can be made as a condiment or as an ingredient in many dishes.

[@christinestill5002]

Great! What is Garam, Roman fish sauce? How did they use it?

[@jay-babbasi9056]

So Roman empire was made on the fish sauce production. I mean wow. No gold, money but fish sauce

[@steirqwe7956]

Not entire empire, only this particular port.

[@smallerfreeze]

I live on the coast of florida, the first "us1" highway is literally under the ocean and sand. Why is this astonishing? Coastlines can change drastically over time

[@peacerespect98]

Impressive and interesting knowledge.

[@alext7667]

the sauce was also alcoholic, leading to obvious fame for it.

[@johnkelly8915]

I’m calling click “bait”

[@ryanjones7681]

Yall need to fire your translator.

[@jwithap]

I think I found a clue...a raging clue.

[@natalkumar6132]

I had read about this in Wealth Secrets of the 1 percent.

[@nulnoh219]

Just came from the how it's made video on Fish sauce. Those tanks do look similar.

[@CosmosGwelf]

Can't imagine the smell!

[@RonsardMoolman]

I have garum and regularly eat it, takes 3 months to make it but it is wonderful.

[@jameshenry8543]

Really is a fishy reason.

[@cassandraheliahaine7636]

What do you mean they didn’t make their fortune out of the Sea when it’s a FISH PORT. 😩😂

[@RiggyRonnie]

Yummy fermented fish sauce good protein

[@TheCodEliteKiller]

What happened to them do this change or did something happened?

[@0MVR_0]

Garum is to Rome, as butter is to Swadia.

[@ChiniWanders]

Patis lang naman yan sa amin.

[@MikhaelAhava]

Wow ok.

[@roccalumera1294]

Garum, I read is was the "Ketchup" of the Gods, they slathered it on everything.

[@afiramli]

Wow. In Kelantan, Malaysia its basically called budu

[@ken-zp2tk]

In the Philippines budu is a fish saturated or marinated with salt.

[@SpartanLeonidas1821]

Neapolis in Greek means New City

[@sleepless9994]

HELLAS59 New city in Greek means Neapolis

[@SpartanLeonidas1821]

SleepLess thats what I said

[@bobbiusshadow6985]

Yeah, new city, ville neuve, villa nueva

[@frilink]

It's the Roman equivalent of MSG

[@Darkshadow-ll8ge]

Garum.. Garam... Salt?

[@letsjet9900]

I wonder what the fish sauce tasted like? It must have been pretty good.🤔

[@ChannelFredo]

its very common in Southeast Asia

[@khalee95]

I was thinking about something along the lines of pillaging and conquering.

[@bloodsweatandtearsforeverl9833]

What if those are just garbage pits, and the only thing you can find is fish bones because that was most plentiful and cheep even free if you knew how to catch a fish, and the rotten fish in a jar could have been a species they considered rare, they tried to preserve it, but it rotted, than some archeologists have a little taste and think it's fish sauce? Lol

[@marklion315]

What did garum taste like?

[@bitsnpieces11]

You can find and try some modern East Asian fish sauces to find out.

[@ryanjones7681]

Rotten fish

[@bitsnpieces11]

Well, when I was in Vietnam I got to try some, you could smell it from 2 blocks away and it smelled fairly nasty. However, once you put it on food and tasted it, the taste was really good and made the food taste great.

[@StellaCarey]

it's patis and it's delicious....secret ingredient of filipino food.

[@erinlee5936]

It tastes salty. It's basically liquid salt, but it depends on how it's made. It has a hint of a sweet flavor if it is made in Vietnam and Thailand. It is briny and fishy if its made in the Philippines. Each country has its own version.

[@borntobeaqueens8341]

I love hearing my countries name TUNISIA 🇹🇳🇹🇳🇹🇳

[@pops1507]

Garum demands a very open mind!

[@fitrianhidayat]

It's ancient Worcestershire sauce

[@pops1507]

@@fitrianhidayat Yep

[@plum_pie6402]

is it just me that always finds it surprising how advanced and how relatively early the roman empire was?

[@abyssstrider2547]

The Romans even had made a steam engine prototype before they collapsed

[@mozambique9113]

they used crypto currency before the market crashes and the empire went into ruins

[@plum_pie6402]

@@mozambique9113 ah of course! the fell for the classic pitfall of crypto

[@abaguirre8945]

I see it in the comments and I as well think this, it also could’ve been used for breeding and farming fish

[@Sumtoshi]

It’s the same thing as modern day MSG

[@HunterSentinel]

I was wondering how they supposedly made large quantities of garrum.

[@H3tansh]

Vijay Nagar Empire :"Lol Kids"

[@Chang8e]

TLDR: they made fish sauce

[@JinrohDFLL]

Lemme guess - the reason isn't explained.

[@ragingsloth6605]

Who would’ve guess a port city made money off fishing 🤷🏻‍♂️🤷🏻‍♂️🤷🏻‍♂️ thank god someone was here to tell us this info

[@anne-droid7739]

It wasn't from straight up fishing per se--it was from production of that weird addictive rotted fish-gut sauce that everybody was crazy for. I think it's fair to consider it a bit of a twist; garum was so strange.

[@erinlee5936]

@@anne-droid7739 Huh. I don't find garum strange since it's a major product in Asia. It has always been there when I was growing up. I guess foreigners find it strange since it's not something they use in everyday life.

[@anne-droid7739]

@@erinlee5936 I was under the impression that the garum of the Roman Empire was quite a bit different than today's fish sauce. They certainly used it differently. Is that a misconception?

[@muhaddesachowdhury1001]

They must have really liked fish sauce

[@speedtribejp]

Southeast Asians are still using Garum today.

[@suesfriend1431]

Cayenne to Macapa

[@atomskate4882]

well they werent lying when they said it was fishy

[@MultiSirens]

Seriously get over it! It’s how ancients got on! Gee!

[@deezynar]

That sounds pretty fishy to me.

[@maiarg2483]

Hehehe bagoong!!

[@Dante_-cg3fq]

Fun fact , there are more than one Neapolis city 🤫

[@anodyne57]

Skip to 3:20.

[@airplanetowardsthesky3265]

That area must have stank back then

[@dnztv8012]

Woaw thats like patis here in the Philippines. I would have thought its Asian thing but these a suprising fact.

[@dnztv8012]

@@Star737_yt that place is in europe

[@dnztv8012]

@@Star737_yt then what do you mean by "that place?" The only word that i used which is pertaining to a place/location is "the Philippines". If you are pertaining to that word then by you saying "I'm a Filipino but never heard of that place" means you don't know where is "the Philippines" in the world map?

[@doylefoust4802]

Something fishy about all this!🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@curiouscub2052]

That is one fishy title.

[@Thoracius]

This music is so annoying.

[@rowanfernsler9725]

THE PUNS! WHY

[@420.........]

There is a process called eDNA, in which DNA is extracted from the environment. If the bones remain, could we not do this and recreate the sauce?

[@abyssstrider2547]

It's just a Worchester sauce.

[@jcrules2413]

Are they saying Tunisia? Tunisia is in North Africa, no where near Rome!

[@aqeeldean686]

Lol. Study history is all id say to that. Hint hint punic wars, carthage.

[@MikhaelAhava]

You joking? Cause the Roman Empire included Tunisia.

[@TheRIZKYRAMA]

​@@MikhaelAhava she is the one who slept in history classes

[@MikhaelAhava]

@Rizky Wahyu Ramadhan LoL.

[@jcrules2413]

@@TheRIZKYRAMA I did not sleep in History class, lol. But thanks for your concern. I was hoping my question would spark a conversation on migration, not personal attacks on my intelligence.

[@wijialjawi7216]

In Indonesia, this sauce is called terasi

[@TragoudistrosMPH]

But how did it taste!!!???

[@Liz-sc3np]

Tragoudistros.MPH Umami. At least the ones from East Asia does

[@jiminmanoban1273]

Salty

[@DSAK55]

Smithsonian Channel has become History Channel

[@HelamanGile]

sauce

[@yeon723]

anyone feel smarter just by watching this?

[@MikeJones-oo7wi]

Why would they want their food to taste and smell like ars?

[@greengiant1017]

tunisian? Neapolis is in south Italy..

[@bobbiusshadow6985]

GreenGiant There are many Neapolis

[@greengiant1017]

@@bobbiusshadow6985 maybe i don't know that but this fish souce originates in Italy

[@TerribleTonyShow]

Ah, vietnamese.

[@fljetgator1833]

🤔 hmmm... Sumpin' FISHY about this story.. 😏 😐 😂🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@teippiviritykset]

No they didn't. They just had a lot of slaves.

[@mdkenne]

B.C ago people was lived long ago.

[@cent348]

Fish.

[@ZhangK71]

Why tf an American narrator be pronouncing "Tu-niz-ia" like that, he's not British

[@demistoclesps5465]

Need candle go there,are litle strage, benefeciary if main restauracion,and better one, schidery need revise ,thecar!! ,Stay colleccion, but one, and afect

[@ChannelFredo]

"bagoong". :D

[@Vendell_23]

Fish sauce = Patis

[@kilianstargadsky9970]

imagine the smelle

[@ianreybitay7909]

Ginamos

[@jiminmanoban1273]

Ginamos ana

[@arikosubumo2402]

Who cares?

[@dustintacohands1107]

Mmm tasty

[@johnancheta9376]

Patis lang pala dahil ng pagyaman nila hehe

[@SenorTucano]

Pecunia non olet - Money does not smell.

[@hsvr]

What’s he saying I don’t understand his foreign language

[@clip012]

Roman pun makan budu? Wow..

[@crex-pd1vv]

i cant stand the french dude speaking

[@Pielededrac]

He speaks French but he is from Tunisia, so he is Arab.......not French.

[@EMCF_]

you seem pretty unpleasant yourself

[@timrodriguez1]

🤠👍

[@adrianspets5967]

quason't