Cookery and Dining in Imperial Rome

fish. The intestines were exposed to the sun and fermented. This has stirred up controversies; the ancients have been denounced for the "vile concoctions," but garum has been vindicated by modern science as to its rational preparation and nutritive qualities. Codfish oil, for instance, has long been known for its medicinal properties, principally Vitamin D; this is being increased today by exposure to ultraviolet rays (just what the ancients did). The intestines are the most nutritious portions of fish G. still remains a sort of mystery. Its exact mode of preparation is not known. It was very popular and expensive, therefore was subject to a great number of variations in quality and in price, and to adulteration. For all these reasons GARUM has been the subject of much speculation. It appears that the original meaning of G. became entirely lost in the subsequent variations In 1933 Dr. Margaret B. Wilson sent the author a bottle of GARUM ROMANUM which she had compounded according to the formulae at her disposal. This was a syrupy brown liquid, smelled like glue and had to be dissolved in water or wine, a few drops of the G. to a glass of liquid, of which, in turn, only a few drops were used to flavor a fish sauce, etc. ---- SOCIORUM, the best kind of G.; ALEXGARI VITIUM, the cheap kind of G., cf. ALEX, HALEC. OENOGARUM, G. mixed with wine; HYDROGARUM G. mixed with water; OLEOGARUM, G. mixed with oil; OXYGARUM, G. mixed with vinegar GARUS, small fish from which the real GARUM was made GELO, cause to freeze, to congeal; GELU, jelly GELU IN PATINA, gelatine: "QUOD VULGO GELATINAM VOCAMUS"--Platina Georg, Carl, Bibliographer, p. 257 Gesamt-Katalog, bibliography, p. 261 Gesner, Conrad, Swiss scientist, bibliographer, polyhistor, see Schola Apitiana, p. 206 GETHYUM, --ON, same as PALLACANA, an onion Giarratano, C., editor, Apiciana, pp. 18, 19, 26, 271, 273 GINGIBER, ginger; also ZINGIBER, faulty reading of the "G" by medieval scribes GINGIDON, --IUM, a plant of Syria; according to Spengel the French carrot. Paulus Aegineta says: "BISACUTUM (SIC ENIM ROMANI GINGIDION APPELLANT) OLUS EST SCANDICI