Sardine Garum, Portuguese Fermented Fish Sauce

Sardine Garum, Portuguese Fermented Fish Sauce is a Portuguese garum, a fermented fish sauce made from sardines and salt. For cooks who like to experiment, a few drops give depth to a whole dish.

Flavour and texture

Garum is the fish sauce of the Roman world. Sardines are fermented in salt until they release an amber liquid, intensely salty and full of umami, closer to a savoury seasoning than to a fishy taste.

Food pairing

Use it like salt or soy sauce, a few drops at a time: in salad dressings, on grilled vegetables, in a tomato sauce, on raw fish or in a Bloody Mary. Try it with a crisp, salty white such as an Arinto.

About garum in Portugal

The Romans made garum along the Portuguese coast, and the ruins of their fish salting tanks can still be seen at Tróia, near Setúbal. A few Portuguese producers have brought the sauce back using local sardines.

Good to know

• Keep in the fridge once opened, cap closed.
• A little goes a long way: use it drop by drop.
• A rare gift for a curious cook.