garum

Garum was a fermented fish sauce used extensively in ancient Roman cuisine, similar to modern Asian fish sauce and considered a precursor to Worcestershire sauce. This savory condiment was added to a wide variety of dishes, including those that would be considered desserts today. The Romans also frequently used herbs like lovage, cumin, and coriander, and a prized extract from the giant fennel plant called laserpitium, or laser. These flavor profiles, particularly the heavy reliance on garum and laser, distinguish ancient Roman cooking from contemporary Italian cuisine, which rarely features these ingredients.12