You had me at garum
this post was submitted on 10 Jan 2026
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I think you forgot something to put your garum on, clack clack 
I can't hear anyone say "Hard Tack" without immediately hearing clack clack in my head.
Explanation: Romans were inordinately fond of a kind of fermented fish sauce they called garum. Like wine, it had low-quality varieties, which, also like low-quality wine, were considered the essential part of even a slave's rations; and high-quality varieties, which could cost a year's wages for a common laborer for a single container! The Romans put their fermented fish sauce in everything - on their bread, in their porridge, on their salads, even in their wine! De gustibus non disputandem est - there's no accounting for taste!
Philippines a common combination is fermented shrimp paste and mango.
It's kinda a pineapple + ham on pizza effect. The super salty combines with sweet/sour surprisingly well.
Cheapish protein and salt I guess?
USians love our sugar that overwhelms the rest of the world, though, so can’t throw stones on taste weirdness lmao
The protein in it probably doesn't matter nutritionally. Modern fish sauce is like 25% salt and <10% protein, you use only a couple of drops or small splashes per meal. You generally want to filter most solids out to keep it easy to pour/splash/drop.
It's a bit hard to tell if roman fish sauce was the same, but judging by Tasting History's attempt at making historically accurate garum it was probably quite similar to modern east/south-east-asian fish sauces.
Even as an American, US sweets are a bit much at times tbh XD
And it becomes so full of umami.
You can still buy it. Supposedly the recipe was recreated based on old manuscripts and analysis of some excavated pots that held original garum.
Isn't garum basically fish sauce? And before you tell me fish sauce is mainly a cooking ingredient and not a condiment, all summer I ate homemade Bún Thịt Nướng and the dressing is mainly fish sauce and some lime juice. It's a good condiment, okay?
I miss weather so warm that cold noodles hit the spot.
Fish sauce is a great condiment! I put it on a ton of stuff that's supposed to be salty and savory.
I have Worcestershire and fish sauce in my fridge already . Both are old fish sauces
In case you don't know or in case anyone reading this doesn't know, neither of those need to be refrigerated. However, refrigeration will help to preserve quality. I only refrigerate more expensive fish sauce (and soy sauce because the same deal goes for that) personally.
Today we've got soy, Worcestershire, and oyster sauces. Or fermented shrimp paste if you're adventurous.
I saw this guy's video and I'm tempted to try it.
It tastes good but it smells horrendous out of the jar 😅
I made fish sauce after the tilapia I was farming got too old and I wanted to start a new farm.
The steps were to kill the fish, but them in a jar with a water seal, wait.
It tastes amazing.
It's usually made with oily fish, so I'd be very curious to taste the one you made and compare.
Pla Ra too!