garum lusitano – CAN THE CAN

LUSITANIAN GARUM

Garum in Lusitânia

Archaeological site of Troia

In Lusitânia, there is solid evidence of production of Garum and parsley since the second quarter of the first century CE in the Tagus and Sado estuaries.

The archaeological site of Tróia, located between the estuary of the Sado River and the Atlantic Ocean, produced garum on a large scale, considering its numerous fish salting tanks, which often reveal a layer of fish remains at the bottom, demonstrating the importance of sardines.

The Roman Tróia would be the island of Ácala referred to by the Roman writer Rufus Festus Avienus, who lived in the 4th century, in his book Ora Maritima, an attribution widely accepted by researchers, although it is difficult to prove that the Troia peninsula was originally an island or a line of Islands.

Image: Biblioteca Nacional de Portugal

Archaeological evidence shows that it was an important urban-industrial cluster that produced fish sauce and salted fish from the second quarter of the first century AD to the second quarter of the fifth century, with an interruption only at the end of the second century - beginning of the third, with causes still unknown.

Its production capacity, which results from its 29 salting workshops identified, with almost 200 tanks, many of them very large, with a capacity of 30,000 or 35,000 liters, makes Troia the largest fish salting center in the Roman Empire currently known.

In the 1st and 2nd centuries, it would have a minimum production capacity of 1,429m3, and an estimated total capacity of not less than 3,200m3, taking into account the workshops with only a small part uncovered and others that have already lost part of their tanks due to marine erosion.

Tróia benefited greatly from the abundance of fish and salt that the Sado estuary and the surrounding sea offered, but also from the economic dynamism of the Roman Empire, especially after the peace conquered by Augustus. It has certainly become an important economic engine in the region, requiring tons of fish and salt to fill its tanks and thousands of amphoras for finished products and export them.

A second phase took place between the 3rd and 4th centuries CE, and some signs of the socio-economic changes that took place in the 3rd century are visible. The large salted fish workshops were divided into smaller productions, with a notable change in the production of amphoras, with the appearance of new models.

The third period is between the 4th and 5th century CE, and there are traces of continued occupation until the 6th or 7th centuries. However, the so-called “barbaric invasions” of the 5th century CE, the interruption of trade routes and the consequent decline in trade establish the collapse of Portuguese production.

Oficinas 1 e 2

Images: An overview of the fish-salting production centre at Tróia (Portugal) Inês Vaz Pinto, Ana Patrícia Magalhães, Patrícia Brum

The garum produced in Tróia was made mainly with sardines, in open tanks, with exposure to air, although protected from direct sunlight by roofers.
The ancient authors differentiated salty fish sauces (liquids) from salted fish, with different preparations (tarichos in Greek and salsamenta in Latin) based on fish.

In general, the Romans placed fish in tanks, especially anchovy, sardines and mackerels, adding salt in prescribed proportions and, sometimes, various aromatic herbs, spices or wine. They used weights to press the mixture, covered it and allowed it to remain in the sun for several months. At the end of that time, they removed the liquid Garum using a basket, proceeding to filtering and carrying out the transport in amphorae.

There are many of the problems that we face to understand how these sauces were made in antiquity due to the huge lack of consensus on the way they were produced and above all because they were made over several centuries, which presupposes many changes.

t is possible to use experimental archeology, analyze the nature of fish sauce residues and observe their formation trying to reproduce the same conditions and recipes used in antiquity. Experimental archeology is supposed to replicate the past and seeks to reproduce the conditions under which the historical activity we studied could have happened.

But there are many difficulties in reproducing the exact conditions of the past, because “it is not really known what the past was like, therefore, it cannot be reconstructed” (Octram 2008: 2).

Images: Un grand complexe industriel a Tróia (Portugal) de Robert ETIENNE, Yasmine MAKAROUN, Françoise MAYET 1994

THE EXPERIENCE

We have already carried out several experiments under controlled conditions, but in this case our choice was to replicate the possible conditions, and not to replicate a recipe from antiquity directly in a tank open to the heat of the sun.

Thus, sardines (Sardine pilchardus) fished in the waters of Setúbal the day before Garum was prepared, and salt produced in the Sado estuary, two ingredients that are decisive for the final product, seeking to replicate the conditions of the ancient times regarding the raw material used at the time.

Other factors that have a decisive influence on the quality of Garum are the geographical location where it is produced, which in this case is strictly the same. Also the time when Garum was produced, keeping it the same period of the year, in order to try to have similar atmospheric conditions, such as sun exposure, temperature and air humidity.

Since the original tanks have worn walls, with fractures and moss or lichens, direct contact with the walls was not recommended. We therefore chose to use a polypropylene bag of 90 microns, with 1000 liters of capacity, (Flexitank Embatank), with food quality certification, which was in contact with the walls of the cetary, thus absorbing the heat of the stone walls and reproducing thus the day and night temperature of the time of year when Garum was produced.

FLEXITANK EMBATANK 1000LT.
IBC flexible designed to transport liquids on liners
Volume: 1,000 L
Top Filling
Dimensions: 1050 x 1050 x 970

Another factor that influences the production of Garum is the contact or not with the air. It is assumed that the tanks were covered with mats by the Romans, thus having total contact with the air, although Garum can also be produced in an airtight manner. However, the release of gases is expected and, in order to approximately reproduce the mode of production in Tróia, our option in this case was to leave the bag partially open to allow gas exchange, but at the same time avoid the possibility of exaggerated evaporation, that could dry the Garum.

When Garum was produced in open tanks, there is evidence that the loss of liquid was compensated with the replacement of water, a factor that we intend to avoid, not least because in a Roman production workshop the activity and control were permanent, and for us it is logistically complicated at present to verify consistency of the preparation daily.

A wicker mat was placed on top of it in order to avoid unprotected sun exposure.

This project also counts on the participation of researchers in the food field Marisa Santos, Catarina Prista and Anabela Raymundo from the Centro de Investigação em Agronomia, Alimentos, Ambiente e Paisagem of the Instituto Superior de Agronomia (Agronomy, Food, Environment and Landscape Research Center), and the zooarchaeologist Sónia Gabriel and the palinologist Patrícia Mendes, both of the Portuguese Laboratório de Arqueociências da Direcção Geral do Património Cultural (Archeosciences Laboratory of the Directorate-General for Cultural Heritage).

The evolution of Garum will be accompanied by regular analyzes, which will allow us to better understand this process and record the evolution of this precious sauce.

Technical supervision of the text: Archeologist Inês Vaz Pinto - TROIA RESORT - Roman Ruins of Tróia

LUSITANIAN GARUM

Production of Garum at Tróia archaeological complex

Sardine from the Sado estuary, fished by Sesibal, fishing cooperative in Setúbal, Sesimbra and Sines.

Salt from the Sado valley, Carlos Bicha & Filhos, Alcácer do Sal.

Preparation: cutting and evisceration

Salt and water mixing

Press

Team

CAN THE CAN
Manager, Elsa Henriques
Chef Pedro Almeida
Sous chef Ruben Oliveira
Producer, Marlene Amaro
Investigação e projecto, Victor Moura Vicente

ROMAN RUINS OF TROIA
Archaeologists Inês Vaz Pinto and Patrícia Brum

ANICP, Associação Nacional dos Industriais de Conservas de Peixe
Marta Azevedo

Photography
Mariana Motta Veiga

Centro de Investigação em Agronomia, Alimentos, Ambiente e Paisagem do Instituto Superior de Agronomia
Marisa Santos, Catarina Prista e Anabela Raymundo

Laboratório de Arqueociências da Direcção Geral do Património Cultural
Zooarqueóloga Sónia Gabriel e da palinóloga Patrícia Mendes

Sardines supply
Sesibal – Cooperativa de Pescas de Setubal, Sesimbra e Sines, Ricardo Santos

Supply of salt from the Sado Valley
Carlos Bicha & Filhos, Lda, Alcácer do Sal

Special collaboration
Prata de Mel, João Pratas e Ana Cavaca

Tuna Haimation Garum

LUSITANIAN GARUM

Garum in Lusitânia

Archaeological site of Troia

Oficinas 1 e 2

But there are many difficulties in reproducing the exact conditions of the past, because “it is not really known what the past was like, therefore, it cannot be reconstructed” (Octram 2008: 2).

THE EXPERIENCE

LUSITANIAN GARUM

Production of Garum at Tróia archaeological complex

Sardine from the Sado estuary, fished by Sesibal, fishing cooperative in Setúbal, Sesimbra and Sines.

Salt from the Sado valley, Carlos Bicha & Filhos, Alcácer do Sal.

Preparation: cutting and evisceration

Salt and water mixing

Press

Team