Cookery and Dining in Imperial Rome Part 11

This is one of the few medical formulae found in Apicius.

Edward Brandt, _op. cit._, Apiciana No. 29, points out the similarity of this formula with that of the physician, Marcellus, who lived at Rome under Nero, Marcell. med. 30, 51.

XIV

[30] TO KEEP GREEN OLIVES _OLIVAS VIRIDES SERVARE_

TO KEEP OLIVES, FRESH FROM THE TREE, IN A MANNER ENABLING YOU TO MAKE OIL FROM THEM ANY TIME YOU DESIRE JUST PLACE THEM [in brine]. [1]

HAVING BEEN KEPT THUS FOR SOME TIME THE OLIVES MAY BE USED AS IF THEY HAD JUST COME OFF THE TREE FRESH IF YOU DESIRE TO MAKE GREEN OIL OF THEM.

[1] The original does not state the liquid in which the olives are to be placed.

Hum. _in illud, legendum puto, in muriam_.

Hum. is correct. Olives are preserved in brine to this day.

Schuch's version of this formula (his No. 27) follows our No. 28, together with his own No. 28, To Keep Damascene Plums [etc.] which is wanting in List., G.-V., and all the earlier editions because it is from the codex Salmasia.n.u.s and will be found among the Excerpts of Vinidarius at the end of the Apician recipes.

XV

[c.u.mINATUM. Hum., List. and G.-V.--Tac. and Tor. at the end of Book I.]

XVI

[31] LASER FLAVOR _LASERATUM_

[Tor.] LASER IS PREPARED IN THIS MANNER: LASER (WHICH IS ALSO CALLED LASERPITIUM BY THE ROMANS, WHILE THE GREEKS CALL IT SILPHION) FROM CYRENE [1] OR FROM PARTHIA [2] IS DISSOLVED IN LUKEWARM MODERATELY ACID BROTH; OR PEPPER, PARSLEY, DRY MINT, LASER ROOT, HONEY, VINEGAR AND BROTH [are ground, compounded and dissolved together].

[1] Cyrene, a province in Africa, reputed for its fine flavored laser.

[2] Parthia, Asiatic country, still supplying _asa ftida_.

The African root furnishing laser was exterminated by the demand for it. Cf. Laser in Index.

[32] ANOTHER [LASER]

_ALITER_

[ANOTHER LASER FLAVOR WHICH TAKES] PEPPER, CARAWAY, ANISE, PARSLEY, DRY MINT, THE LEAVES [1] OF SILPHIUM, MALOBATHRUM [2] INDIAN SPIKENARD, A LITTLE COSTMARY, HONEY, VINEGAR AND BROTH.

[1] Tor. _Silphij folium_; List. _Sylphium, folium_; G.-V. _Silfi, folium_, the latter two interpretations meaning _silphium_ (laser) _and leaves_ (either nard or bay leaves) while both Tor. and Tac. (_silfii folium_) mean the leaves of _silphium_ plant.

[2] _Malobathrum_, _malobatrum_, _malabathrum_--leaves of an Indian tree, wild cinnamon.

XVII

[33] WINE SAUCE FOR TRUFFLES _NOGARUM _[1]_ IN TUBERA_

PEPPER, LOVAGE, CORIANDER, RUE, BROTH, HONEY AND A LITTLE OIL.

ANOTHER WAY: THYME, SATURY, PEPPER, LOVAGE, HONEY, BROTH AND OIL.

[1] Also _Elaeogarum_.

V. Directions wanting whether the above ingredients are to be added to the already prepared _garum_, which see in dictionary. Gollmer gives the following direction for _garum_: Boil a _s.e.xtarium_ of anchovies and 3 _s.e.xtarii_ of good wine until it is thick _puree_.

Strain this through a hair sieve and keep it in gla.s.s flask for future use. This formula, according to Goll.

should have followed our No. 9; but we find no authority for it in the original.

_Oenogarum_ proper would be a _garum_ prepared with wine, but in this instance it is the broth in which the truffles were cooked that is to be flavored with the above ingredients. There is no need and no mention of _garum_ proper. Thus prepared it might turn out to be a sensible sauce for truffles in the hands of a good pract.i.tioner.

Note the etymology of the word "garum," now serving as a generic name for "sauce" which originally stood for a compound of the fish _garus_.

Cf. _Garum_ in index.

XVIII

[34] OXYPORUM _OXYPORUM_

[Tor. OXYPORUM (WHICH SIGNIFIES "EASY Pa.s.sAGE") SO NAMED BECAUSE OF ITS EFFECT, TAKES] 2 OZS. OF c.u.mIN, 1 OZ. OF GINGER [List. 1 OZ. OF GREEN RUE] 6 SCRUPLES OF SALTPETER, A DOZEN SCRUPLES OF PLUMP DATES, 1 OZ. OF PEPPER AND 11 [List. 9] OZS. OF HONEY. THE c.u.mIN MAY BE EITHER aeTHIOPIAN, SYRIAN OR LYBIAN, MUST BE FIRST SOAKED IN VINEGAR, BOILED DOWN DRY AND POUNDED. AFTERWARDS ADD YOUR HONEY. THIS COMPOUND, AS NEEDED, IS USED AS OXYPORUM.

Cf. No. 111, A Harmless Salad.

Bran. _op. cit._, p. 25-6, of Greek origin.

XIX

[35] HYPOTRIMA [1]

_HYPOTRIMA_

[Tor. HYPOTRIMA, MEANING IN LATIN A PERFECT MESS OF POTAGE, REQUIRES THIS]: PEPPER, LOVAGE, DRY MINT, PIGNOLIA NUTS, RAISINS, DATE WINE, SWEET CHEESE, HONEY, VINEGAR, BROTH, WINE, OIL, MUST OR REDUCED MUST [2]

[1] List. and G.-V. _Hypotrimma_.