"Drinking wine in which a mullet had been allowed to rot was regarded as a surefire cure for alcoholism." I bet that would still work today for some people.
The mania was justified. My dad has been a fishmonger for over 30 years and in that time he has tasted near enough every fish there is, but has always said that Red Mullet is his stand out favourite.
Big red mullets are delicious because its red color is given by a delicious fat-soluble carotenoid pigment called astaxanthin, also present in lobsters, crabs, shrimps, salmons and red snappers.
That's a bold statement. The best fish I've ever has is scorpion fish on the coast of South Baja. The locals call them lupons. Now I want a red mullet so I can do the Pepsi Challenge.
your insights into roman life are unlike any I've found on RUclips. You give a glance at what it would have been like to actually live in Rome, while other channels focus on famous Roman battles and Roman war tactics. Which become boring when every channel is covering the same battles over and over (Caesar, Agustus, Antony, Pompey, etc). Maybe getting into some political intrigue like Ciceros great moments. but none make Rome actually feel alive, where you can envision the smells, tastes, and lives that the Romans experienced, almost like you are there to witness it as a common Roman oneself. Thank you for that. It's a rare and valuable education you being to RUclips.
Yes, I want more history that focuses on commoners. History too often focuses on kings, royalty, and lords... Positions most of us can't really relate to in any capacity. This would be like history books in the future only focusing on Elon Musk and Bill Gates.
"Lark's tongues, otter's noses, ocelot spleens!" "Got any nuts?" "Haven't got any nuts, sorry. I got wren's livers, badger's spleens..." "No, no, no..." "Otter's noses?" "I don't want that Roman rubbish!" It's from _Monty Python's Life of Brian_ if anyone wonders.
Emperor Tiberius had an entusiasm for gastronomy, and took advantage of the mullet mania. As Seneca relates, he put up for sale a big red mullet and waged that either Gavius Apicius and Octavius would get to buy it - Octavius would win, and the abstute emperor was richer by 5000 sesterces. Octavius could be happy, too, since he had acquired a greater reputation among his friends.
THIS is the single most revealing video in the ToldInStone series, for how it so beautifully and elegantly encompasses the vast difference between them and us, and yet how similar we are as cultures who prefer satiating our greed more than our survival, all in the context of what is arguably Italy's most eternal art, its universally beloved culinary supremacy. Kudos, Garrett.
The images in this video intrigued me, and got me to searching. I learned there was a style of mosaic art in the Roman triclinium (dining room) called "unswept floor", which realistically portrayed the detritus of a fabulous dinner, all strewn about. The image @ 0:34 showing a Roman dinner seems to be from the 5th century and is on display in the Chateau de Boudry, Switzerland. The floor may have such a mosaic, or it may be an actual unswept floor.
This idea has been duplicated at Bostons outside Hay market. Known for the amount of garbage made throughout the day, Bronze used newspapers, apples, banana peels and even a bronze pizza slice have been placed on the ground
@@dougg4633 Wow. Found some images of it by searching "Mags Harries Boston Haymarket art" That's pretty cool. I wonder if the artist knew about the Roman mosaics.
@@raffriff42 I'm unsure if they did. Unfortunately, the market isn't what it use to be. We use to love going there with our of town friends. Shucked oysters for .50¢ Italians yelling at each other Foods you couldn't get at the chain grocery stores (figs/persimmon/fish/etc). I believe they replaced/restored the bronze trash because the front end loader tractor they used to clean up after would damage the original bronze trash
This channel is better than any tv doco I’ve seen, including the BBC (which is now only a pale shadow of what it once was, but it used to make great documentaries)
I read all of Colleen McCullogh's wonderful ancient Rome novels and in one of them she mentions that the ultimate Roman delicacy was fish that lived near Rome's sewer outlets and the taste of their flesh was tinctured with the flavor of human excrement which rich Romans loved!
@@counterflow5719 Bivalves (oysters, clams, mussels) and Crustacea (crabs & shrimp) are champions in transforming organic matter into delicate and tasty food. Those from highly polluted areas full of heavy metals like Cadmium, Lead... must be avoided, but those from clean environments, after depuration (period to let them empty their digestive system) are safe to eat.
0:32 - I love how opportunistic cats were always nearby to fetch the scraps. Cats are the same in all generations and are featured in mosaics throughout the empire, stealing quail and pigeons which had been intended for the lavish banquets of the wealthy.
That's interesting. I hadn't heard of this before and thought you were going to say the fish in question was a turbot, which was rather large and very expensive. Great info as usual. Thanks. :)
Fascinating. You're opening up one wild world to us! But how did mullet mania bust the aristocracy? Again the narrative seems to stop short in mid-air.
Amazing the fact that you can discover so many things on the internet. I now discovered that in the Lucrino Lake, that is 10 minutes away from where I live, Romans farmed oisters.
Just a note. Garum, the Roman fish sauce, seems to be identical to Vietnamese and Southeast Asian fish sauce according to every description of it I'm familiar with. Without getting into why such a thing might be, this fish sauce is widely available here in California in our grocery stores. I currently have a pretty good Thai variety I purchased at my neighborhood 99 Cent Store. I use it in a lot of recipes, especially soups, pastas, bean and vegetable dishes. The taste is salty but hardly unpleasant. It adds the so called sixth taste, unami, which some mushrooms also do to a recipe. Classically the rule is to include all six in a dish if possible in balanced proportions. It's meant as a background flavor, much like the anchovies many Italian women toss in with the onions and garlic to make the foundation for their sauces. I can only assume you're unfamiliar with it and have never tasted it, because your comment on it is otherwise entirely second hand. By the way, it is fermented whole anchovies (which, like sardines, are normally eaten whole with the entrails by most people) so fish guts are a small part of it. We just ate a vegetable, bean and ham soup I made with fish sauce as an ingredient, and I got compliments.
my brother ate vietnamese fish paste once and the bits of it propelled from his mouth could hardly speak for its pleasantness. I doubt that the stuff which they sell in your grocery stores is much like the original, it's most likely adapted to western tastes
There are cooking shows here on RUclips that have recreated garum. One of them is Tasting History with Max Miller. This is the video. ruclips.net/video/5S7Bb0Qg-oE/видео.html
A British archaeology show once recreated garum; judging from the reaction of those induced to try it, i would say it's not the sort of thing a sane person would place in the mouth.
@@winterborn82 I enjoy his channel as well. Of the recipes of Max's that I have made, lots of new and interesting flavour combinations and only one was actually awful :)
been very bored the past 2 days. your videos, and some cocktail jazz, have made my days much more enjoyable. do any of you have documentaries or series that you recommend? my goal is to learn a little bit and watch something interesting while relaxing and sleeping through the content at times.
Thanks to your posts, Garrett, I almost have two parallel lives. One in the present and one in atiquity. I just feasted on red mullet, while being entertained by a famous lyre player and dancers. In August I was the guest of a senator and enjoyed gladiator games at the Colosseum! I go regularly to the termae, staying clear of bad neighbourhoods, visited someone living in an insula and ordered a new stola for me just yesterday … while the Black Friday deals last…
Amazing video. I wish there was more talking to the economic impact of these fishies as you say banklrupted in the title but don't mention anyone or any group that suffered greatly from there indulgence in the red mullet fish. Like how much would they spend percentage wise? What percentage can you guess consumed the red mullet? Like 50% of aristocricy? Anyway i love your videos. Please make more
Glad you enjoyed it! I suppose "bankrupted" was a rather strong word, since most of the aristocrats who squandered hundreds of thousands of sesterces on mullets had plenty to spare. We are told, however, the the great gourmand Apicius (who adored red mullet) spent his entire fortune on delicacies, and committed suicide rather than endure a life without fine food.
Today, only small red mullets are available here in Italian seas. Big red mullets are imported from the Atlantic. It's not a size difference only, there are also different species. But I don't know if in the past big red mullets were also found in the Mediterranean.
HI! I just Found out about Halteres from your book and how exercises were developed for every muscle group. it got me thinking (maybe you know or can help me find the information) Is there any chance of you doing a short video on how the Roman Army Soldiers exercised during their career and developed there bodies? What they focused on, what they thought about function, flexibility, strength. I just remember incredible stories of soldiers from Ceasers legions fighting all day surrounded by enemies. It's guaranteed they used and developed techniques on all levels that we would never think of, it's cool seeing a glimpse into the past.
I am familiar with one of the mosaics, which is fascinating. Red Mullet is one of the most expansive fish in Lebanon and is called Sultan Ibrahim in Arabic.
Sometimes the taste of the ancient people leaves me quite perplexed and even more perplexed is that the Romans spent a fortune on the Red Mullets that nearly bankrupt the Roman aristocracy. Mind you that I'm no gourmet but I see something similar nowadays with the truffles or the caviar not to mention having very good wine.....
How so? Western culture does owe a lot of its architecture, engineering, medicine, arts, to the Romans. Many habits we have today, like taking a bath frequently, were introduced by the Romans in western european provinces.
Rome was able to survive so long mainly in part to its geographic location and its ability to adopt and adapt the best of the other neighboring cultures
Moreover, how do you suppose it was first discovered that they were tasty? Some poor Roman, starving to death, comes up with a dead flamingo and, after having consumed all the more obvious parts, thinks "What the heck, I'm dying anyway, might as well try the tongue." Then, in amazement, "Hey! This was the best part! And it didn't kill me!" Dies of starvation anyway, but not before telling his friend "Next time you have a flamingo, eat its tongue. It's amazing!"
People don't photosynthesize. He made a great video for us for free, and plugs his book at the end to support himself. Win win. God bless true capitalism.
Great Video! I was wondering if you could have a list of your sources at the end of your videos or in the description? For example I was interested to know what the second mosaic is, or where it was found. Would love to have more information on that, you always find interesting images! keep up the good work!
I found most of the information in this video in Andrew Dalby's "Empire of Pleasures" and "Foods in the Ancient World from A to Z." That mosaic of the Roman banquet probably comes from late antique Syria; it's now at the Museum of Wine in the Château de Boudry.
Finally got some spending money and ordered your book -- think I'll get it before Christmas, looking forward to it :-) Io, Saturnalia! from a Norwegian woodworker
Achtually... Garum contains fish guts but to say it is only made of entrails is incorrect. Its mostly full fishes fermented in salt into liquid. Some low quality pleb garum was maybe made only from guts but not the good high end stuff. Similar to asian fish sauces garum is still produced and used today.
It's not even humour, that's what garum was! Archeologists have even found a coastal town (in North Africa, I think) which was the "capital of garum", with many large stone pits to ferment the fish entrails into. I can't even imagine how that town must have smelled...
How exactly would they have caught the mullets? if they lived on the seafloor, it would be hard to net them, and being bottomfeeders they wouldn't be attracted by bait that much. Was there a specific industry or technique for catching them, or did you just have to get lucky, and get one to take your bait?
They could use nets but also they farmed them in fish pools, although of the fish few were suitable for that option. While they live towards the bottom not all live in deep water.
Generally, fish migrate toward the surface during the night so the Romans must have caught them by then. Put up the nets at night,haul it back to port by dawn. Just a guess,though
they had special fishing boats for cating the mullet, the had large tanks to keep the fish alive for export back to rome, that is probably why the specific fish cost somuch, supply could not meet demand
At 1:36 you show a round loaf of bread from Pompeii, I think. On the lower left of the bread, it looks like writing. Is it writing or am I seeing things? If so, what does it say? Is that possibly the name of the bakery?? Thanks.
Another one of your great videos giving life to the long dead Romans. Could you give us some insight into the decline of Roman art work and/or technical ability in the Later Roman Empire. I was always curious about the lower quality of late Roman coins and statuary. Was this a matter of money or skill?
Glad you enjoyed it! I'm actually planning a video on that very topic. The short answer is: there was less demand for skilled craftsmen, and a growing sense that classical-style realism was only part of what art should be.
The fish entrail suace sounds aweful but it's actually incredibly delicious. There are many varieties and probably you will find one you enjoy. Some are made with particular fish, some are made with millions of baby shrimp squashed flat. If you can mix it with something like fresh diced chili it's great
Every culture has their hypes, either it’s some kind of food or objects. The hyped up prices for Rolex might be our equivalent as a fairly standard Rolex Submariner just sold for USD 94.000 at auction.
Never enough food history 😋. I heard of a Roman chef who eventually committed suicide, saying he'd done it all, there were no more great dishes to create.
Wine with rotten fish in it, I bet a taste of that would indeed put anyone off the cup for a while. But that cooked red mullet does sound delicious, I bet the eyeballs especially were a rare delicacy.
In the late 1980s AD I was no Aristocrat but I was Bankrupt and had a red mullet.
Please refrain from posting photos !
I'd like photos, tho! Heh. Especially if you're referring to the fish.
Best joke on this video
🤣👍🏽
@@honeybadgerisme I love your name!
"Drinking wine in which a mullet had been allowed to rot was regarded as a surefire cure for alcoholism." I bet that would still work today for some people.
I imagine it would!
Nope.
It might actually taste really good. Some famous rotten/fermented fish dishes worldwide include Surstromming, Kusaya, Burong isda, and Prahok.
@@carlramirez6339 famous? yeah. according to only one group of people that eat that shit.
Would work for a few days 🤢 lol
Some weird chef got caught catching kissing a fish and played it off as essential for fish to come out right
The mania was justified. My dad has been a fishmonger for over 30 years and in that time he has tasted near enough every fish there is, but has always said that Red Mullet is his stand out favourite.
Big red mullets are delicious because its red color is given by a delicious fat-soluble carotenoid pigment called astaxanthin, also present in lobsters, crabs, shrimps, salmons and red snappers.
That's a bold statement. The best fish I've ever has is scorpion fish on the coast of South Baja. The locals call them lupons. Now I want a red mullet so I can do the Pepsi Challenge.
I live in South East Asia, when i make my way to Europe i’ll give that fish a shot. To me the best fish i’ve had is from a mahi-mahi or dolphin fish.
@@Faustobellissimo that would explain why grey mullet tastes like mud then !
@@Faustobellissimo I haaaaaaaaaaaate shrimp and crab
your insights into roman life are unlike any I've found on RUclips. You give a glance at what it would have been like to actually live in Rome, while other channels focus on famous Roman battles and Roman war tactics. Which become boring when every channel is covering the same battles over and over (Caesar, Agustus, Antony, Pompey, etc). Maybe getting into some political intrigue like Ciceros great moments.
but none make Rome actually feel alive, where you can envision the smells, tastes, and lives that the Romans experienced, almost like you are there to witness it as a common Roman oneself.
Thank you for that. It's a rare and valuable education you being to RUclips.
This channel and Historia Civilis, in my opinion, are the best at giving insight to the actual living people of ancient Rome.
@@scottybassman I'd love to see them collab
@@scottybassman By the way, what happened to Historia Cīvīlis?
Yes, I want more history that focuses on commoners. History too often focuses on kings, royalty, and lords... Positions most of us can't really relate to in any capacity.
This would be like history books in the future only focusing on Elon Musk and Bill Gates.
I too agree my friend. Absolutely 💯 agreed with Ur statement...
"Lark's tongues, otter's noses, ocelot spleens!"
"Got any nuts?"
"Haven't got any nuts, sorry. I got wren's livers, badger's spleens..."
"No, no, no..."
"Otter's noses?"
"I don't want that Roman rubbish!"
It's from _Monty Python's Life of Brian_ if anyone wonders.
Brilliant!
Anyone who doesn't know that reference should just get out. Get out right now.
Emperor Tiberius had an entusiasm for gastronomy, and took advantage of the mullet mania. As Seneca relates, he put up for sale a big red mullet and waged that either Gavius Apicius and Octavius would get to buy it - Octavius would win, and the abstute emperor was richer by 5000 sesterces. Octavius could be happy, too, since he had acquired a greater reputation among his friends.
Joe Dirt had a mullet.
I was under the impression that Tiberius preferred minnows to mullet.
(I'm really sorry. I'll leave now)
@@nobody8328 Well that is most likely pure fiction but that was a nice joke, I'll give you that lol
@@tiberiuscave4617Sestertius (singular), sestertii (plural)
@@Juubelimies yes, I was referring to them in English
When you realize the Jaguars earlobes, otters noses, and wolf-nipple chips in Life of Brian wasn’t too far off..
Is life of Brian like life of pi
@@ruskibruski Not exactly.
@@ruskibruski probably not
@@kakyoindonut3213 That "probably not" sounded in my head like John Cleese saying it 😄
Oh god I ate too much at thanksgiving yesterday please don't say pie.
There is an old saying; You give a man a fish, he eats a day. You teach a man how to fish, you lose a great business opportunity.
where is that old saying? in which country, i mean. sorry for my english
Just ordered the book for Christmas, looking forward to reading over the break.
It’s a great read. Set out subject wise really well and is very entertaining throughout.
I’m doing the same, it looks really interesting!
Me too
Just bought mine too.
I guess I must purchase one now!
THIS is the single most revealing video in the ToldInStone series, for how it so beautifully and elegantly encompasses the vast difference between them and us, and yet how similar we are as cultures who prefer satiating our greed more than our survival, all in the context of what is arguably Italy's most eternal art, its universally beloved culinary supremacy. Kudos, Garrett.
Billionaires then and now don’t worry about food or other mundane costs. Imagine trying to spend $10M/month - that covers a lot of red mullet.
greed is not a trait . its a genetic deficiency
The images in this video intrigued me, and got me to searching. I learned there was a style of mosaic art in the Roman triclinium (dining room) called "unswept floor", which realistically portrayed the detritus of a fabulous dinner, all strewn about.
The image @ 0:34 showing a Roman dinner seems to be from the 5th century and is on display in the Chateau de Boudry, Switzerland. The floor may have such a mosaic, or it may be an actual unswept floor.
Stuff was too uniformly strewn to be real l think.
But that is cool, thank you, unswept floor
This idea has been duplicated at Bostons outside Hay market.
Known for the amount of garbage made throughout the day,
Bronze used newspapers, apples, banana peels and even a bronze pizza slice have been placed on the ground
@@dougg4633 Wow. Found some images of it by searching "Mags Harries Boston Haymarket art" That's pretty cool. I wonder if the artist knew about the Roman mosaics.
@@raffriff42
I'm unsure if they did.
Unfortunately, the market isn't what it use to be.
We use to love going there with our of town friends.
Shucked oysters for .50¢
Italians yelling at each other
Foods you couldn't get at the chain grocery stores (figs/persimmon/fish/etc).
I believe they replaced/restored the bronze trash because the front end loader tractor they used to clean up after would damage the original bronze trash
Just picked up your book at my Barnes and Noble, just finished part one and I love it!!!
Getting your book for a Christmas present, can't wait
Mullets: Classic from the AD 80s through 1980s. Business in the front; party in the back
This channel is better than any tv doco I’ve seen, including the BBC (which is now only a pale shadow of what it once was, but it used to make great documentaries)
Wunderbar....so gut presentiert. Ich bin daaa!
The BBC still does good stuff.
I read all of Colleen McCullogh's wonderful ancient Rome novels and in one of them she mentions that the ultimate Roman delicacy was fish that lived near Rome's sewer outlets and the taste of their flesh was tinctured with the flavor of human excrement which rich Romans loved!
The Masters of Rome series… I’ve read it twice, wonderful books!
Huh...interesting factoid there. And I am equally grossed out by it. lmao
Perhaps it's good. Can't really say until I've tried it. It would be an interesting and perhaps effective way of sewage treatment.
🥺🤢
@@counterflow5719 Bivalves (oysters, clams, mussels) and Crustacea (crabs & shrimp) are champions in transforming organic matter into delicate and tasty food. Those from highly polluted areas full of heavy metals like Cadmium, Lead... must be avoided, but those from clean environments, after depuration (period to let them empty their digestive system) are safe to eat.
Loved the lovely mosaics of fish. Such great work of art. But the loaf of bread, that really got my attention.
0:32 - I love how opportunistic cats were always nearby to fetch the scraps. Cats are the same in all generations and are featured in mosaics throughout the empire, stealing quail and pigeons which had been intended for the lavish banquets of the wealthy.
Thank you, I loved this. Had to watch twice as I got completely distracted by the beautiful mosaic work on first viewing!
Best you tube channel ever
Your videos are exactly the kind of thing I've always wished videos were
Great delivery!
Really enjoying your videos!
I appreciate you bro.
Very good and evocative illustrations, as usual.
Honestly, the basic Roman meal seems better than what I eat for lunch
Mullet stuffed with tulip bulbs were particularly expensive.
That's interesting. I hadn't heard of this before and thought you were going to say the fish in question was a turbot, which was rather large and very expensive. Great info as usual. Thanks. :)
Hey, you're good dude. Keep up the good work. You have a nice speaking voice and brilliant presentation. Best of luck man. Onward and upward!
Fascinating. You're opening up one wild world to us! But how did mullet mania bust the aristocracy? Again the narrative seems to stop short in mid-air.
Clickbait
One guy committed suicide because he couldn't afford to go to fancy parties anymore. It's in another comment.
Awesome stuff as usual.
Amazing the fact that you can discover so many things on the internet.
I now discovered that in the Lucrino Lake, that is 10 minutes away from where I live, Romans farmed oisters.
Thrilling video 😍
Another great video. Love the dry humor and unusual subject matter. Your book is really good also, the footnotes are worth the price alone.
Just a note. Garum, the Roman fish sauce, seems to be identical to Vietnamese and Southeast Asian fish sauce according to every description of it I'm familiar with. Without getting into why such a thing might be, this fish sauce is widely available here in California in our grocery stores. I currently have a pretty good Thai variety I purchased at my neighborhood 99 Cent Store. I use it in a lot of recipes, especially soups, pastas, bean and vegetable dishes. The taste is salty but hardly unpleasant. It adds the so called sixth taste, unami, which some mushrooms also do to a recipe. Classically the rule is to include all six in a dish if possible in balanced proportions. It's meant as a background flavor, much like the anchovies many Italian women toss in with the onions and garlic to make the foundation for their sauces. I can only assume you're unfamiliar with it and have never tasted it, because your comment on it is otherwise entirely second hand. By the way, it is fermented whole anchovies (which, like sardines, are normally eaten whole with the entrails by most people) so fish guts are a small part of it. We just ate a vegetable, bean and ham soup I made with fish sauce as an ingredient, and I got compliments.
my brother ate vietnamese fish paste once and the bits of it propelled from his mouth could hardly speak for its pleasantness. I doubt that the stuff which they sell in your grocery stores is much like the original, it's most likely adapted to western tastes
There are cooking shows here on RUclips that have recreated garum. One of them is
Tasting History with Max Miller. This is the video. ruclips.net/video/5S7Bb0Qg-oE/видео.html
A British archaeology show once recreated garum; judging from the reaction of those induced to try it, i would say it's not the sort of thing a sane person would place in the mouth.
@@winterborn82 I enjoy his channel as well. Of the recipes of Max's that I have made, lots of new and interesting flavour combinations and only one was actually awful :)
@Nik Liwanag Yeah, I don't even eat fish paste (I'm more a shrimp paste guy) but I don't remember bones being left in it.
I am loving this channel.
been very bored the past 2 days. your videos, and some cocktail jazz, have made my days much more enjoyable. do any of you have documentaries or series that you recommend? my goal is to learn a little bit and watch something interesting while relaxing and sleeping through the content at times.
Always love your videos! Thanks for another informative one!
Thanks to your posts, Garrett, I almost have two parallel lives. One in the present and one in atiquity. I just feasted on red mullet, while being entertained by a famous lyre player and dancers. In August I was the guest of a senator and enjoyed gladiator games at the Colosseum! I go regularly to the termae, staying clear of bad neighbourhoods, visited someone living in an insula and ordered a new stola for me just yesterday … while the Black Friday deals last…
Very interesting as always, looking forward to reading your book!
Your videos are top quality! Congrats!
Amazing video. I wish there was more talking to the economic impact of these fishies as you say banklrupted in the title but don't mention anyone or any group that suffered greatly from there indulgence in the red mullet fish. Like how much would they spend percentage wise? What percentage can you guess consumed the red mullet? Like 50% of aristocricy? Anyway i love your videos. Please make more
Glad you enjoyed it! I suppose "bankrupted" was a rather strong word, since most of the aristocrats who squandered hundreds of thousands of sesterces on mullets had plenty to spare. We are told, however, the the great gourmand Apicius (who adored red mullet) spent his entire fortune on delicacies, and committed suicide rather than endure a life without fine food.
@@toldinstone wow thank you for the follow-up! Super interesting learning about Apicius. The incredible waste of the aristocrats is fascinating
@@toldinstone now you have to make a video on roman bankruptcy, get out of debt fighting in the arena today! or however it was done
amazing doc!!!!!
Just bought the book on Amazon as my Christmas gift to myself!
Lesson number one… no delicacies. I learnt this decades ago.
Incredible & Brilliant ! I love it !
Can confirm his book is fucking awesome. Bought it after discovering his channel
Today, only small red mullets are available here in Italian seas.
Big red mullets are imported from the Atlantic.
It's not a size difference only, there are also different species.
But I don't know if in the past big red mullets were also found in the Mediterranean.
Thanks for clarifying this. What was lacking from the video was whether they are available today. Your comment clarified this.
@@paulkoza8652 we also have plenty of it here in Cyprus, although they are only slightly larger than mackerels.
Not true. We eat red mullet in Istanbul caught in the Aegean, not imported from Italy.
In Atlantic Southern Spain we consume them and we like the smaller ones, to be eaten without remove spines... A delicatessen
HI! I just Found out about Halteres from your book and how exercises were developed for every muscle group. it got me thinking (maybe you know or can help me find the information)
Is there any chance of you doing a short video on how the Roman Army Soldiers exercised during their career and developed there bodies?
What they focused on, what they thought about function, flexibility, strength.
I just remember incredible stories of soldiers from Ceasers legions fighting all day surrounded by enemies. It's guaranteed they used and developed techniques on all levels that we would never think of, it's cool seeing a glimpse into the past.
That would be a very interesting video - I'll add it to my list of topics.
@@toldinstone I completely agree, thank you. Keep up the great work.
I am familiar with one of the mosaics, which is fascinating. Red Mullet is one of the most expansive fish in Lebanon and is called Sultan Ibrahim in Arabic.
Thank you🙌😊
Awesome video! Love your continuously educational content!
Great video. I going to buy your book 👍
Sometimes the taste of the ancient people leaves me quite perplexed and even more perplexed is that the Romans spent a fortune on the Red Mullets that nearly bankrupt the Roman aristocracy. Mind you that I'm no gourmet but I see something similar nowadays with the truffles or the caviar not to mention having very good wine.....
I saw this and immediately thought of Hortensius !
Perfect video for day full of Thanksgiving leftovers
Very informative video.
I think I'd have passed on the dinner invitation. No wonder they needed all those aqueducts. The bread sounds good though.
Fish flesh as a condom...Im trying hard not to imagine how that would even work
You're joking, but I heard that back in their times they used lamb intestines as literal condoms
I see no reason why we shouldn't imagine it fully. I find the mental image absolutely hilarious.
“The stomach burst?” “But I kissed the fish on the mouth! I followed the recipe exactly!”
In many ways, it’s incomprehensible that Rome lasted as long as it did.
How so? Western culture does owe a lot of its architecture, engineering, medicine, arts, to the Romans. Many habits we have today, like taking a bath frequently, were introduced by the Romans in western european provinces.
Rome was able to survive so long mainly in part to its geographic location and its ability to adopt and adapt the best of the other neighboring cultures
Fantastic! Who’d have thought flamingo tongues were a delicacy! Brilliant channel, love all the content! 👍👍🥂
Moreover, how do you suppose it was first discovered that they were tasty? Some poor Roman, starving to death, comes up with a dead flamingo and, after having consumed all the more obvious parts, thinks "What the heck, I'm dying anyway, might as well try the tongue." Then, in amazement, "Hey! This was the best part! And it didn't kill me!" Dies of starvation anyway, but not before telling his friend "Next time you have a flamingo, eat its tongue. It's amazing!"
thanks for this I am always interested in the Roman diet and recipes!! The story of silphium is great. :D
This is one of the smartest ways to advertise your book. Amazing videos even if they are low key ads haha
Pretty dumb comment
People don't photosynthesize. He made a great video for us for free, and plugs his book at the end to support himself. Win win. God bless true capitalism.
@@BigDog-dw5ns I agree big dog
Great Video! I was wondering if you could have a list of your sources at the end of your videos or in the description? For example I was interested to know what the second mosaic is, or where it was found. Would love to have more information on that, you always find interesting images! keep up the good work!
I found most of the information in this video in Andrew Dalby's "Empire of Pleasures" and "Foods in the Ancient World from A to Z." That mosaic of the Roman banquet probably comes from late antique Syria; it's now at the Museum of Wine in the Château de Boudry.
I always liked the idea of "Get a lot of food and everyone tries everything" Makes it much more communal, everyone sharing...
This is like reading song of ice and fire books. No lie
That was excellent.
Caligula was assassinated right after he decapitated a peacock.
👍
Never had a red mullet or other goatfish but now looking online, I'm sold!
Finally got some spending money and ordered your book -- think I'll get it before Christmas, looking forward to it :-)
Io, Saturnalia!
from a Norwegian woodworker
The Mark Felton of greco-roman history.
Hahahaha bravo sir, good call.
Too bad Mark has been found to plagiarize a lot of stuff
"sun-ripened fish entrails" hahaha ... almost missed that bit of understated humor. Well done.
Achtually... Garum contains fish guts but to say it is only made of entrails is incorrect. Its mostly full fishes fermented in salt into liquid. Some low quality pleb garum was maybe made only from guts but not the good high end stuff. Similar to asian fish sauces garum is still produced and used today.
It's not even humour, that's what garum was! Archeologists have even found a coastal town (in North Africa, I think) which was the "capital of garum", with many large stone pits to ferment the fish entrails into. I can't even imagine how that town must have smelled...
How exactly would they have caught the mullets? if they lived on the seafloor, it would be hard to net them, and being bottomfeeders they wouldn't be attracted by bait that much. Was there a specific industry or technique for catching them, or did you just have to get lucky, and get one to take your bait?
They could use nets but also they farmed them in fish pools, although of the fish few were suitable for that option. While they live towards the bottom not all live in deep water.
Probably like catching carp or catfish. Weighted hook with a bit of smelly meat that sits on the bottom.
Generally, fish migrate toward the surface during the night so the Romans must have caught them by then. Put up the nets at night,haul it back to port by dawn. Just a guess,though
they had special fishing boats for cating the mullet, the had large tanks to keep the fish alive for export back to rome, that is probably why the specific fish cost somuch, supply could not meet demand
I have caught mullets with bait. Not impossible.
At 1:36 you show a round loaf of bread from Pompeii, I think.
On the lower left of the bread, it looks like writing.
Is it writing or am I seeing things? If so, what does it say?
Is that possibly the name of the bakery?? Thanks.
That's a bread stamp, a sort of "seal of quality" with the baker's name.
Fascinating!
red mullet is indeed the most delicious fish ever
ha… this fish is also today very popular in greece…..it is not so expensive thow… 1kgr is about 60euro served in a tavern…
Not so expensive! The Greek must be rich!😉 In Portugal it costs 25-35€/kg depending on the size, and a little bit more in restaurants.
Thanks for the information. Also, thanks for my new punk band name - Mullet Flesh
Another one of your great videos giving life to the long dead Romans. Could you give us some insight into the decline of Roman art work and/or technical ability in the Later Roman Empire. I was always curious about the lower quality of late Roman coins and statuary. Was this a matter of money or skill?
Glad you enjoyed it! I'm actually planning a video on that very topic. The short answer is: there was less demand for skilled craftsmen, and a growing sense that classical-style realism was only part of what art should be.
The fish entrail suace sounds aweful but it's actually incredibly delicious. There are many varieties and probably you will find one you enjoy. Some are made with particular fish, some are made with millions of baby shrimp squashed flat. If you can mix it with something like fresh diced chili it's great
Scrolling thru yt recommended reading titles: *finds vid* “see now thats a good video”
"mullet mania" - apparently still exists is some areas of the US, as can be viewed at some Walmarts. (sorry, sorry!)
...as well in certain parts of certain areas of Australia.
These mosaics are so detailed and beautiful
4lbs cost more than a year’s wages but now it’s $5.20
Every culture has their hypes, either it’s some kind of food or objects. The hyped up prices for Rolex might be our equivalent as a fairly standard Rolex Submariner just sold for USD 94.000 at auction.
This sounds like the tulip mania in 1600's Netherlands.
BUY THE BOOK!!
“The good stuff” 🤣
Ancient people really seem to have enjoyed honey with almost everything. But then again we put sugar in everything today.
What is the painting at 2:00 called?
"A Summer Banquet at the House of Lucullus"
Never enough food history 😋.
I heard of a Roman chef who eventually committed suicide, saying he'd done it all, there were no more great dishes to create.
Okay these first 15 seconds definitely had me thinking the actual first half to the video was somewhere else.
Have you considered creating an audio version of your book? Does one already exist?
Yes, an audiobook came out a few weeks ago (unfortunately, however, I am not the narrator).
I love this channel. What a mess on the banquet floor. Healthy diet. Not sure about the dormice though. Was Garum like Thai fish sauce?
Fresh red mullet is indeed very very nice.
"they ate reclined on their left elbow"... These guys are my kind of slobs!
You know you are a boss when you quote from your own book.😎
Wine with rotten fish in it, I bet a taste of that would indeed put anyone off the cup for a while. But that cooked red mullet does sound delicious, I bet the eyeballs especially were a rare delicacy.
O Soli Invictus! 10.000 sestertius for a fish? Just give me 1000 and you can throw me to the Tiber!
10.000 Sestertitus was just peantus for the emperor