The ancient fermented fish sauce produced at Cotta and Lixus in Roman-period Morocco was garum.
Garum was made by fermenting fish, fish parts, and salt, usually in large stone or cement-lined vats. The mixture broke down under the action of salt and natural enzymes, producing a strongly savory liquid used as a seasoning. A thicker by-product was known as allec.
Cotta stood on Morocco’s Atlantic coast near Cap Spartel, while Lixus lay near the Loukkos River and modern Larache. Their coastal locations supplied fish, salt, water, and transport routes. Lixus became one of the western Mediterranean’s major fish-processing centers, with many vats and several production complexes.
Garum is often compared with modern fish sauces such as nam pla or nuoc cham, but those are different culinary traditions and modern products. Miso is also fermented, yet it is made from legumes or grains rather than fish. Roman garum was used throughout the empire, from everyday cooking to expensive elite cuisine.