Kitchen tools of Ancient Rome. Garum was the favorite sauce of the Romans
The garum as a medicine ?
It happened in Ancient Rome , where even medicinal virtues could be attributed to a culinary condiment.
How much this bizarre sauce based on fish entrails was important in Roman gastronomy I have already spoken in this post https://www.pilloledistoria.it/1787/storia-antica/garum-liquamen-salsa-preferita-dai-romani:the citizens of Rome were literally in love with it and used it to flavor any dish, from meat to vegetables, from the first to the second, without neglecting the contours.
Less well known, however, is its medicinal use which, too, was quite well known and widespread in Rome.
Pliny the Elder also talks about it in his Naturalis Historia.
In it the writer states that the garum, or liquamen, it was useful for treating various ailments and, mainly, dysentery and dog bites.
And it doesn't stop there.
Given the high content of proteins animals, it was believed that the garum was able to stimulate the appetite and therefore proved to be extremely useful in case of inappetence.
Regardless of how true this was or not, it is certain that the Romans were literally crazy for this sauce with its pungent smell and unmistakable flavor.
Although it was of Phoenician-Greek origin, in fact, they were the first to give life to a real industry to produce it ( Photo from :alamy.it).