ASHKELON, ISRAEL—The Times of Israel reports that a small cetaria, or production center where fermented fish sauce was prepared, has been uncovered about a mile away from the site of Ashkelon in southern Israel. Tali Erickson-Gini of the Israel Antiquities Authority said the 2,000-year-old factory consists of fish pools, giant plastered vats, jars for storing liquid, and a large receptacle that may have held the finished slimy, goopy garum, which was prized throughout the Roman Empire for its salty, savory flavor. “It’s hard for us to imagine,” Erickson-Gini said. “It was far more common than ketchup.” The small size of this cetaria suggests it produced garum only for local use. To read about Portus, where garum and other food products from across the Roman Empire were shipped to feed the citizenry, go to "Rome's Imperial Port."
