ARCHIVED - Garum, a historical delicacy produced in the Region of Murcia

Garum, was a strong fish sauce prized by the Roman nobility

Garum was perhaps the best known culinary delight of Ancient Rome, being used for various purposes, and it was traded throughout the Empire with Spain producing a large share of the total amount traded.

As well as an item of delicatessen, garum was also considered a para-pharmaceutical product. It was very well received by the Romans, and was one of the main products traded by the Iberian peninsula (Spain) during the Roman Empire.

Citizens of Ancient Rome considered garum to be an aphrodisiac, and it was restricted to the uppermost levels of society. It consisted of a sauce which, when mixed with wine, vinegar, oil or water, was served as a condiment for other foods. Some old recipes tell us how it was made: the innards of a long list of fish and seafoods were placed in a recipient - tuna, squid, oysters, cockles, prawns, eels, cuttlefish and mackerel - and a generous amount of salt was added. Later other small fish would be added, including anchovies, sardines, horse mackerel and other small fry, and after further salting the whole mix was dried in the sun while being frequently stirred. Once it was dry, due to the heat of the sun a liquid oozed out of the solid mass created: this liquid was the prized "garum".

Another of the various ways to prepare garum was using the "blood" method. This used the innards, blood and gills of tuna mixed with salt to a certain proportion and dried in the sun for over two months. This effectively causes the fishs own digestive tract to digest itself in the presence of an anti-septic substance (salt), which prevents the food from spoiling.

There is also a certain level of microbial fermentation which causes the paste to mature in the same way as in some cheeses, according to the French specialists Grimal and Monod.

Due to the discovery of the wrecks of two ships carrying amphorae of Garum, it is believed that the main exported varieties were Garum Escogido, Mackerel Garum (Garum Scombri), Garum Selecto (Liquamina), Select Tuna Brine (Muria) and normal Tuna Brine (Muria Secunda).

Here in the Region of Murcia there is ample evidence of garum production with both archaeological remains to testify to its production and also ample evidence of its export in the amphorae recovered from sunken vessels off the Murcian coastline.

One of the most important remains of the garum production trade can be found at Mazarrón, where there are two important constructions of salting tanks. One is open to public view and the elements on the beach at El Alamillo, ( Click El Alamillo, Mazarrón) and the other is an extensive salt fish factory close to the marine port area.

The archaeology museum in Cartagena also has amphorae used in the transportation of garum, Click Archaeology Museum Cartagena