[Sca-cooks] Interesting Garum article in the latest, Petits Propos Culinaires
Suey
lordhunt at gmail.com
Mon Aug 13 12:00:55 PDT 2007
Huette von Ahrens wrote:
> Starting on page 93 there is an interesting article by Sally Grainger,
> called "A New Approach to
> Roman Fish Sauce". How apropos to our current discussion of garum!
>
>
I do not receive this magazine and the article does not seem to be
online yet but I would be very interested to know if she defines the
differences between garum, liguamen and murri there or in her book which
I am also lacking as well a international library loan at this time.
From what I see of her work she is quite particular in saying they are
not the same but am becoming confused between these terms and the
definitions I have. Liquamen, in my case, is the strained pickling
brine from liquefied fish. Murri is the brine and the fish persevered in
it. Are these not two of the same? Then is garum processed strained
liquamen? If I define these items as such I am not back to three terms
for the same! Apicius takes liquamen adds honey and vinegar. Is that not
"processed liquamen," i.e. garum?
When you are making garum are you making murri, liguamen and/or
garum? (By the way I have not thought of trying it next summer in Chile
yet cause I read when the air tight containers are opened then the
concoction begins to oxidize and that makes it stink! My apartment
neighbors would have me evicted!!!)
Further I read a claim that garum died out because ordinances
prohibiting garum factories in areas of dense populations because of the
smell. That could explain for fermentation variants developed later on
and especially in northern regions of Europe such as bullion but then
why do we continue with oriental fish sauces? (Being washed out cause of
the monsoons is not the answer I am looking for!)
Suey
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