Simplify the following text for a Grade 12 native English-speaking person.
Original: In Roman times , they were the base for the fermented fish sauce called garum that was a staple of cuisine and an item of long-distance commerce produced in industrial quantities , and were also consumed raw as an aphrodisiac .
Simplified: In Roman times , they were the base for the fermented fish sauce called garum that was a staple of cuisine and an item of long-distance commerce produced in industrial quantities .