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Revision as of 18:53, 7 March 2006 by NathanBeach (talk | contribs) (added external links)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)Garum is a type of fish sauce condiment popular in Ancient Roman society. It was considered by the Romans to be an afrodisiac, and was usually only consumed by the higher classes of society.
Although it enjoyed its greatest popularity in the Roman world, it originally came from the Greek, gaining its name from the Greek words garos or garon, which named the fish whose intestines were originally used in the condiment's production. The sauce was generally made through the crushing and fermentation in brine of the innards of various fish such as tuna, eel, and others.
Garum was a sauce which, mixed with wine, vinegar, pepper, oil, or water, was served as a condiment or accompaniment with a wide variety of dishes. Although this was its main use, it was also employed as a medicine or for cosmetics.
Today one can still see a garum factory at the site of Baelo Claudia, in Spain. This Spanish garum was a famous export to Rome, and gained the town a certain amount of prestige in its day.