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Worcestershire Sauce = Garum ???
#31
Okay, the great experiment has been made. Nuoc Mam smells awful. Strangely, it doesn't smell fishy, just awful. It doesn't taste as bad as it smells, but it still tastes pretty bad. Maybe it shouldn't be used full-strength. I cut it with soy sauce and that improved it but not enough. It's definitely a taste you have to acquire young.<br>
Maybe garum is what made the Romans so mean. <p></p><i></i>
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#32
John,<br>
Perhaps only really vicious Romans used garum as dipping sauce...<br>
In the meantime, you could try to use nuoc mam as an ingredient for some Roman recipes, instead of garum and find out what results.<br>
<br>
Aitor <p></p><i></i>
It\'s all an accident, an accident of hands. Mine, others, all without mind, from one extreme to another, but neither works nor will ever.

Rolf Steiner
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#33
Ok, yesterday I joined the fish sauce taste-testing crowd.<br>
I was wandering through the Oriental section of the grocery store and found Golden Boy Brand Fish Sauce. It says, "Winning first prize guaranteed by Kasetsart University, Thailand year after year as the best Thai authentic fish sauce." It only cost $1.78 so I bought a bottle, took it home, smelled it My first impression was sweaty socks, but that wasn't quite right so I smelled it again and thought--barnyard. I heated up a spring roll to dip in it, and as long as I didn't breathe while eating it, it was tolerable. I'm thinking that wet-dog-smelling stuff in the restaurant was either not fish sauce, or a very mild type.<br>
<br>
Wendy <p>"I am an admirer of the ancients,but not like some people so as to despise the talent of our own times." Pliny the Younger</p><i>Edited by: <A HREF=http://pub27.ezboard.com/bromancivtalk.showUserPublicProfile?gid=rekirts>rekirts</A> <IMG HEIGHT=10 WIDTH=10 SRC="http://www.cased.ca/images/Eliz.jpg" BORDER=0> at: 3/12/04 1:37 pm<br></i>
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#34
Ya know, sometimes it's best not to know what's in food that you eat. And yes, I did like a sausage at the Lupercallia party.<br>
<br>
Ignorance is sometimes, truly bliss...<br>
<br>
Deb <p></p><i></i>
----------
Deb
Sulpicia Lepdinia
Legio XX
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#35
Until I read this thread, I never realized Worcestershire sauce had anchovies in it... ack! I hate fish, but like Worcestershire, go figure.<br>
<br>
As for Garum, I have seen the real thing. My ex-roommate, years ago when he got into Roman reenacting (where I got the bug), made some. I remember him putting all this stuff an a coupla fish in a crock and sealing it. He left it outside and I remember him attending to it. It was <strong>NASTY</strong>... the fish disintegrated and there was all this nasty white goo in the crock, but he had made some kind of filter and got it out... Most of us figured he'd promptly die of poisoning, but he didn't and seemed to like it...(he does eat and enjoy nasty things though, as a matter of course) I however, was not about to try it then. Maybe now, as I understand how the process works, but <em>aaaiiiheeee</em>, it looked <strong>really</strong> nasty.<br>
<br>
Lately, I have seen some different kinds of fish sauce at local markets -- we have some pretty well-stocked Asian food areas in the markets. Besides the Vietnamese stuff I've seen, I also remember seeing a couple of kinds of Filipino fish sauce, looks like the same stuff. Next time I'm there, I'll get a bottle and if it IS nasty, well, I have six cats and dog who thinks he's a cat, so they'll have a tasty snack ;-)<br>
Varianus <p></p><i>Edited by: <A HREF=http://pub27.ezboard.com/bromancivtalk.showUserPublicProfile?gid=varianvs>VARIANvS</A> at: 3/26/04 7:42 am<br></i>
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#36
One Philippine variant?, good!<br>
Varianus, if you come across it, please tell us the name of the stuff and the brand!<br>
I've got nothing against home-made garum but if you use bottled one you can at least go against the company which is selling the stuff if you get poisoned!<br>
<br>
Aitor <p></p><i></i>
It\'s all an accident, an accident of hands. Mine, others, all without mind, from one extreme to another, but neither works nor will ever.

Rolf Steiner
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#37
Quote:</em></strong><hr> One Philippine variant?, good!<br>
Varianus, if you come across it, please tell us the name of the stuff and the brand!<br>
I've got nothing against home-made garum but if you use bottled one you can at least go against the company which is selling the stuff if you get poisoned!<hr><br>
<br>
No problem, but it might be a few days... I am leaving in about an hour for Oregon and won't be back until Sat eve and am not sure if I will make it to the store, as I go back out Sunday morning and back Monday. Ahhh the life of a Mail Truck Driver<br>
<br>
I will get it for you though!<br>
Best, VARIANvS <p></p><i></i>
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#38
OK Aitor, you've convinced me.. i might as well try it in the name of true re-enactment.. Best tell me where I can find it and lead me to my doom.<br>
<br>
Valete,<br>
Valerius/Robert <p></p><i></i>
Robert Vermaat
MODERATOR
FECTIO Late Romans
THE CAUSE OF WAR MUST BE JUST
(Maurikios-Strategikon, book VIII.2: Maxim 12)
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#39
Just fantastic, Robert!<br>
(BTW, do you want some special thing engraved on your funerary slab? )<br>
I've found this address:<br>
<br>
HEUSCHEN & SCHROUFF FOODS GROUP BV. (HOLLAND)<br>
T. (31) 45 533-8200 F. (31) 45 533-8282<br>
MR. PETER STROUCKEN<br>
<br>
on www.tiparos.com <br>
AND REMEMBER, GARUM WAS MORE A CONDIMENT THAN A DIPPING SAUCE!<br>
<br>
Aitor <p></p><i></i>
It\'s all an accident, an accident of hands. Mine, others, all without mind, from one extreme to another, but neither works nor will ever.

Rolf Steiner
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#40
You know, all this talk of garum recently, and its presumed composition, but I have never thought to ask: what exactly did the Romans eat garum with/on? :wink:
Lucius Aurelius Metellus
a.k.a. Jeffrey L. Greene
MODERATOR
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#41
Lots of things. Garum was used as a strong salty spice/sauce.
Greets!

Jasper Oorthuys
Webmaster & Editor, Ancient Warfare magazine
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#42
Well, Aitor would be proud of me, I finally broke down and bought a bottle of Thai Fish Sauce from the local Oriental market, rather than settle with Worcestershire Sauce. Rather hesitantly, I tried a little of it on my finger, and was pleasantly surprised! It didn't have the gross, nasty flavor that I had envisioned, and was actually very good. Big Grin lol:
Lucius Aurelius Metellus
a.k.a. Jeffrey L. Greene
MODERATOR
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#43
Almost anything, really. But it goes very well with chicken and pork, IMO.

Unfortunately, all the Roman recipe redactions I have on hand are in German.
Der Kessel ist voll Bärks!

Volker Bach
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#44
Mmmh, if it would not were so difficult (or impossible) to find it here, I would have already tasted the bottles that Tony Dahm so kindly sent me, but I want to reserve them for real cooking :? (I'm chasing one of the group who might be interested on Roman cookery! 8) )

Aitor
It\'s all an accident, an accident of hands. Mine, others, all without mind, from one extreme to another, but neither works nor will ever.

Rolf Steiner
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#45
The first one sells different sauces and prepared dishes. But no garum.
[url:354yc7cf]http://www.provence-prestige.tm.fr/boutiques/taberna_romana/index_us.cfm[/url]
This one sells the wine to go along with it.
[url:354yc7cf]http://www.vins-etonnants.com/ma_36_87_Tourelles.htm[/url]
And here are the recipes..
[url:354yc7cf]http://www-2.cs.cmu.edu/~mjw/recipes/ethnic/historical/ant-rom-coll.html[/url]
Aitor I am surprised you can't find nuoc mam in Bilbao. Confusedhock:
Also: someone asked about the sauce they give you to dip the nem or the spring rolls in. That is nuoc mam diluted in water.
And indeed it is a condiment, not a sauce. It is to be used parcimoniously. Just like salt.
Pascal Sabas
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