Photograph: Beth Levendis

A meal preserved The ancient Romans were mad for garum—a pungent sauce made from chunks of salted fish (entrails included), fermented for months in the sun. They added it to nearly every sweet and savory thing they ate. While we may feel fortunate that this gastronomic preference went the way of the Empire, one small town on Italy’s Amalfi Coast has continued the tradition. Now, the sauce is referred to as colatura ($28 for 3.38 ounces at gustiamo.com), derived from the word colare, which means “to drip.” The product hails from Cetara, where the local fishermen gut the anchovies they’ve caught in the Gulf of Salerno, layer them with salt in oak containers and leave the casks out in the sun for about six months. During that time, the locals collect the fermented juices that drain from the fish. Come fall, they pour it back over the fillets, allowing the liquid to trickle down through the layers of anchovies and out a hole at the bottom of the container. The resulting precious amber fluid is what’s bottled and sold. Though the smell is rather strong, in tiny doses the flavor is a muted fishiness (think Thai nam pla). Taken straight, it’s potent enough to send you retching to the sink, but luckily, the stuff isn’t intended to be consumed on its own. As a seasoning, a few teaspoons can make an exciting dish out of steamed or boiled vegetables, such as broccoli or potatoes. Even better is a traditional spaghetti recipe that combines colatura with olive oil, garlic, parsley and red pepper flakes, creating a fresh and briny pasta that anchovies alone couldn’t replicate. This is one antiquated ritual we’ll happily revive.

—Daniel Gritzer

See previous Critics' pick