Lecture: Something Fishy - Roman Fish Sauce (garum) in the Early Middle Ages

Garum is the Latin name for a fermented fish sauce that is often nicknamed Ancient Roman ketchup by modern scholars: the Romans put it in and on everything. 

This lecture will discuss the afterlife of garum in the Early Middle Ages (c. 500-1000 CE). It is often thought that garum went out of fashion after the dissolution of the Roman Empire in Western Europe at the end of the fifth century. Early medieval manuscripts however provide ample evidence for a continued interest in and usage of garum in later centuries. Garum appears in gastronomic recipes and in medical texts discussing this salty liquid’s putative therapeutic properties. 

Want to learn the early medieval way to add some flavour to your roast meats or to treat your sciatica? Look no further than this talk, where you will learn about garum’s surprising role in early medieval culinary and medical history.