Ancient Anchovy

The anchovy was a well known to the Greeks and Romans, by whom the liquor prepared from it, called Garum, was in great estimation.

Anchovy species was to the ancient world what the herring has became to the modern, compensating in some degree for its inferiority.

The ancient anchovy was under a variety of names, some definite and specific, others more general and vague.

The word anchovy was introduced to English in 1596 by Shakespeare, who made the tiny fish a favorite of his most corpulent character, Falstaff.

The word anchovy comes from Basque, a language spoken in parts of Spain and France but related to no other language in the world.

The Basque source of anchovy – anchoa, meaning dry, was probably bestowed upon the fish because they are usually dried and salted before being sold: such preparations are necessary because small fish go bad more quickly than large fish.

In ancient times anchovies had the capability of being stored for long periods though the process of drying and grinding.

In ancient Greece, anchovies have been the most praised salted fish in the Mediterranean, and since the Middle Ages those of Collioure have been regarded as the east salted anchovies in the world.

More than 130 species of anchovies are currently recognized. The family name for anchovies has been widely cited as Engraulididae.

The anchovies primarily found in coastal marine environments of the tropics and temperate regions. Some species enter freshwater environment sporadically and other species appeared to be restricted to freshwater.
Ancient Anchovy