The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1889-02-18
rrs pAssrUv or ROMAN eplUuRgs.
His Many Varieties of Porcine Dishes
Preparation of a Famous Condiment
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His Many Varieties of Porcine Dishes
Preparation of Famous Condiment.
Cincinnati Enquirer.l
Mr. Jefferson gives a graphic picture
OF the delights Of Roman cook over
pork meat: Tears of Joyful anticipa-
ton rolled down his cheeks when the
fat porker dropped dead at his feet; and
as he wiped from the PROSTATE Great
ure's lips the stains of the sweet intOSi-
eating drink which had induced the
fatal apoplexy, he smiled with tender
exultation He had reason to love the
animal which Afforded him materials
for his daintiest preparations. His
varieties of porcine dishes are
almost countless. The spit, the grid
iron, the frying-pan, the oven, the
boiler and the STEW pan were all en-
ployed 10y turns in preparing the flesh,
which was the passion of Roman ep-
icures, and TO which the culinary pro-
fessors could impart no less than eighty
different fiavOrS.
The Apician cook was never prouder
of himself and his profession than when
he shifted the fragrant exhalatlons OF a
small baked pig, which had been stuffed
with a compound of thrushes, beccafcos,
minced pluck, dates, onions, snails,
mallows, beets, leeks, celery, cabbage,
coriander seeds, pepper, pinenuts and
garum. His hands trembled with fine
emotion as he made a deep incisiOn
down the porker's back and poured into
il hot mixture of pepper, rue, garum,
sweet wine, honey and oil, thickened
with frumenti.
The preparation above mentioned I'M
der the name of "garum" appears to
have been the condiment in greatest de-
mand. No banquet was approved UNI
less garum dominated the flavor OF most
of the dishes. it was used in soups and
stewS, in ragouts and sausages, in force
meats aud salmagundis of fishes. I'm
pro ing most materials, and agreeing
with all, it was poured literally on
flesh, fish, game and fowl and hundreds
of messes, each Of which contained from
a dozen to fifty ingredients.
And now, at the risk of destroying
somebody's appetite for his single square
meal of the week on the Sabbath day,
a description of the method of preparing
this famous Roman condiment, without
which no meal was a 3uare one IN the
sense of being satisfactory.
This exquisite cOndiment, says our
high authority, was obtained from the
intestines, gills and blood of fishes,
great and small, stirred together with
salt, ana exposed III an open VdC 10 Ju6
sun until the compound was putrid.
Nothing is known as to the proportions
of the several piscine ingredients; but
while small fishes were thrown whole
into the vessel, the large fishes-such as
funny, sturgeon and mackerel-con-
tributed nothing to the mess save their
gills, internal parts and juices. When
putrefaction had done its work wine and
spice HERDS were added to the lilueS-
cent garbage. Finally the liquor of
this toothSome compound was strained
and sent from Greece to the Roman
market"
If there is anything in modern cook
cry that nearly approaches the infamous
compound above described as the indis
peusable adjunct of the square meal of
the ancient Romans, certainly it is not
described in any of the thousand and
one cook books, the attempt to follow
which has brought discomfort and dis
appointment to so many an otherwise
sensible American housewife.