Ancient DNA Unlocks the Secret Recipe of Roman Fish Sauce
Ancient Romans were known for creating delicious sauces, including garum—a famous fish-based condiment. Scientists studying ancient DNA from a Roman-era salting plant in Spain have found that European sardines were the key ingredient. Fish was an important part of the ancient Roman diet, and Romans processed their catch for long-term preservation in coastal fish-salting plants called cetariae. There, they crushed and fermented small fish into pastes and sauces such as the iconic umami-flavored