Summer Smith (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
somethingwithturquoise) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
fandomhigh2022-07-15 04:58 am
somethingwithturquoise) wrote in fandomhigh2022-07-15 04:58 am
Entry tags:
Ancient Food Crimes; Friday, First Period [07/15].
In addition to the usual cloches of mystery food waiting to be revealed in front of her, Summer also had a large amphora in front of her, a pitcher of....something, surrounded by glasses, and a pleased smile on her face. Now, whether or not you wanted to take that as a worrisome sort of thing was up to you.
"Morning, everyone," she started. "Glad to see the maggots didn't chase all of you off. I almost feel, after starting with a doozy like that, some of you are about to be disappointed with today," let's face it, Summer always felt people would be disappointed, "as we're definitely taking quite a few steps back from the edge with today's focus, going straight to the basics, essentially, and that's going to be with garum.
"Now, garum, a quote-unquote 'frequently misunderstood food, was a staple in the Ancient Mediterranean world and it's essentially a sauce made from fermented fish intestines that have been salted and sitting in the sun and in some brine for a considerable amount of time. This stuff was, like, ubiquitous, too, people would put this shit on everything like a condiment or mix it in with other dishes to enhance the flavor. The quality of the garum you used would definitely be a status symbol, although not everyone was down with pouring rotted fish gut juice all over their food. Seneca even described it as an 'expensive bloody mass of decayed fish' that'll definitely lead to 'consum[ing] the stomach with its salted putrefaction, and one anthropologist credits garum specifically with the spread of fish tapeworms throughout the ancient world, too, so even back then, it was causing a little bit of controversy.
"It's frequently compared to current, more contemporary Asian-style fish sauces, just less saltier and bit a funkier. You know, probably because of all the rotting fish guts, blood, and viscera. Some batches could sit for just a few days, some for up to a year. I've had this bad boy," she plopped a hand on the amphora, "sitting in a pocket dimension with an accelerated timeframe, so it's only been a week for us, but a month there. In general, the thinner the garum, the better it was considered, because it was mostly just the good stuff skimmed off the top while the thicker stuff was more dense with the gross stuff, and therefor less refined.
"Of course, I encourage everyone to sort of try the garum on its own and maybe speculate on what you'd use this with, if you'd want to use it at all. I have some meats and breads if you want to see how it works with something to carry it, and I've also whipped up some pear patina, because who doesn't want fermented fish sauce in their desserts? And also a pasta dish, because it guess it sort of works like an even smellier puttanesca.
"And, to wash it all down, we have posca, or at least, our best estimation of it, because the details on it are a little fuzzy. But, basically, it's vinegar water. And it was mostly considered a soldiers' drink to keep them marching. Odds are, the vinegar helped cover up any questionable elements of the water you were drinking and may have helped kill bacteria, as well as lead to a fuller-feeling stomach, so drink up, guys.
"And I should definitely start bringing mints for everyone after this class...."
"Morning, everyone," she started. "Glad to see the maggots didn't chase all of you off. I almost feel, after starting with a doozy like that, some of you are about to be disappointed with today," let's face it, Summer always felt people would be disappointed, "as we're definitely taking quite a few steps back from the edge with today's focus, going straight to the basics, essentially, and that's going to be with garum.
"Now, garum, a quote-unquote 'frequently misunderstood food, was a staple in the Ancient Mediterranean world and it's essentially a sauce made from fermented fish intestines that have been salted and sitting in the sun and in some brine for a considerable amount of time. This stuff was, like, ubiquitous, too, people would put this shit on everything like a condiment or mix it in with other dishes to enhance the flavor. The quality of the garum you used would definitely be a status symbol, although not everyone was down with pouring rotted fish gut juice all over their food. Seneca even described it as an 'expensive bloody mass of decayed fish' that'll definitely lead to 'consum[ing] the stomach with its salted putrefaction, and one anthropologist credits garum specifically with the spread of fish tapeworms throughout the ancient world, too, so even back then, it was causing a little bit of controversy.
"It's frequently compared to current, more contemporary Asian-style fish sauces, just less saltier and bit a funkier. You know, probably because of all the rotting fish guts, blood, and viscera. Some batches could sit for just a few days, some for up to a year. I've had this bad boy," she plopped a hand on the amphora, "sitting in a pocket dimension with an accelerated timeframe, so it's only been a week for us, but a month there. In general, the thinner the garum, the better it was considered, because it was mostly just the good stuff skimmed off the top while the thicker stuff was more dense with the gross stuff, and therefor less refined.
"Of course, I encourage everyone to sort of try the garum on its own and maybe speculate on what you'd use this with, if you'd want to use it at all. I have some meats and breads if you want to see how it works with something to carry it, and I've also whipped up some pear patina, because who doesn't want fermented fish sauce in their desserts? And also a pasta dish, because it guess it sort of works like an even smellier puttanesca.
"And, to wash it all down, we have posca, or at least, our best estimation of it, because the details on it are a little fuzzy. But, basically, it's vinegar water. And it was mostly considered a soldiers' drink to keep them marching. Odds are, the vinegar helped cover up any questionable elements of the water you were drinking and may have helped kill bacteria, as well as lead to a fuller-feeling stomach, so drink up, guys.
"And I should definitely start bringing mints for everyone after this class...."
Re: Sign In - ACTUAL Ancient Food Crimes, 07/15.
Re: Sign In - ACTUAL Ancient Food Crimes, 07/15.
Re: Sign In - ACTUAL Ancient Food Crimes, 07/15.
Re: Sign In - ACTUAL Ancient Food Crimes, 07/15.
Re: Sign In - ACTUAL Ancient Food Crimes, 07/15.
Re: Sign In - ACTUAL Ancient Food Crimes, 07/15.