Alright, so this one's not the prettiest. However, it may have great ramifications for our future consumption of meat, as supplies will dwindle and we will need to extend its shelf life without refrigeration. Our ancestors didn't have access to fridges, so they had to preserve meat in a number of ways: by curing, salting, drying and fermenting. One of these methods was to make garum, an ancient animal protein sauce considered to be the mother of all modern condiments. It is thought to originate from North Africa around the 500BC mark in present-day Tunisia, and was also popular with the Carthaginians; however, the Romans are credited with the discovery of garum itself, which they used with fish. In the Roman kitchen, garum sauces played a crucial role in the flavor profile of dishes: one such condiment was called oenagarum, a wine and fermented meat sauce widely used. There were many names for garum, such as liquamen, referring to the properties of the final sauce, but the idea is the same: take raw animal protein, add salt and let sit for a while. Sounds simple enough, right? Well, it is and it isn't, because fermenting animal proteins is a little more dangerous. Since meat and fish flesh are almost entirely protein and fat, devoid of any carbohydrates, the usual materials that support positive bacterial growth aren't present, so the risk of contamination by dangerous microbes is higher. Especially during slaughter, when the interior flesh is sterile and then exposed to a multitude of microbes, decay and putrefaction can occur in addition to fermentation, spoiling the final product. Thus, heavy salting is crucial to prevent organisms like Clostridium Botulinum: no less than 25% by weight in many recipes, although 10% is enough according to the International Handbook of Foodborne Pathogens. The water activity measurement, or how tightly the water is bonded to the product and how much free water there is, can be used as a tool to determine the conditions for which certain microorganisms grow. Because the water molecules are sequestered by the sodium ions, microbes cannot use them for their life functions, and thus the higher the salt concentration, the lower the number of organisms that can live within the solution and the less hospitable it is. Most bacteria need a water activity environment of more than 0.9 to grow although fungi can withstand levels above 0.7. This explains why salting is crucial to prevent bacterial and microbial contamination: according to Sandor Katz, “C.Botulinum, for example cannot grow in an environment without a water activity (aw) measurement below 0.94, while inhibiting Listeria monocytogenes requires a drier environment, below 0.83aw." Salt also inhibits certain microorganisms and enzymes from degradation; however, percentages of salt may vary depending on what other methods are used to preserve or ferment the meat (i.e acidification, smoking, curing) rather than the production of garum. The flesh of all animals contains proteolytic enzymes that contribute to autolysis, an enzymatic digestive process where the entire organism is consumed by its own biochemicals, and hydrolysis, where amino acids degrade from their polypeptide structures. Autolysis might sound familiar, because it sound like sourdough's initial rest period before mixing, but it's not the same. Although all of us also contain these enzymes, usually they are stored in cell components known as lysosomes, which are broken down as salt penetrates the cell membrane and the proteins degrade. For example, fish protein hydrolysis is primarily catalyzed by enzymes present within the viscera of the fish and their organs, but it doesn't occur until after rigor mortis has set in and the fish has been left to sit. This is why the mixture of proteins are usually left out for 24-48 hours prior to salting, as the fermentation process is jumpstarted and certain microorganisms are pre-selected in the environment. However, as aforementioned, salt is necessary, as it both expedites autolysis and safeguards against harmful microbes. No water is added, as salt pulls moisture from the fish cells through osmosis. The number of bacteria present in the solution slowly decreases as the salt is added, although halophilic (salt-loving) bacteria likely play an integral role in the flavor development according to the Noma guide to fermentation. Salt is also key to enzyme function, as they need to be suspended in a liquid medium to function effectively, otherwise they won’t float from one protein chain to another and break them down into amino acids. Along with salt, heat also precipitates enzyme reactions, which explains why ferments were left out in the sun to accelerate the fermentation process. When made properly, garum is quite delicious because of its umami, or the glutamic acid components present within the solution. The proteolytic enzymes free glutamic acid, which then reduces to become glutamate (C5H8NO4), and then binds to mineral ions like sodium to form monosodium glutamate (MSG), the same compound found in many processed foods. Just goes to show that it is in fact entirely natural. We feel sated sooner and longer when we eat a high-umami meal, because we have glutamate receptors in our gut that signal when we eat these foods, and we also are hardwired to seek them out. Ever had a bowl of pho and feel deeply satisfied, whereas with some other foods you might not? Part of that is due to the fish sauce that goes into the broth. Although it doesn't look or smell great, often times there is a misconception between actual rotten meat and fermentation. For example, the odor of“fishiness” indicates the spoilage of the fish flesh and fat, but it doesn’t occur in strictly fermenting sauces. Garum has experienced a sort of culinary revolution as chefs look back to old techniques for flavor production and ingredient preservation. It has become a critical component of mayonnaise, stock and other seasonings, and it's even present in condiments some of us might consume daily, like Worcestershire sauce! At Noma, they have revolutionized the process of garum making by fermenting animal proteins with warm water, salt and koji, the innoculated rice with the goal of autolysis only. This is actually quite ingenious, as koji takes advantage of the protease enzymes to speed up autolysis, and Noma uses Aspergillus Sojae, which produces more proteases than the other strains. So maybe you don't want to make this one at home, understandably because of the smell and the yuck factor, but consider incorporating it into your food if you consume meat products as a sustainable method of preservation. It's quite healthy, due to the vitamins and minerals present within the organs, and the high concentration of amino acids. It's one of those seasonings where if you incorporate it into a dish, it makes the final product shine, but on its own it may not taste amazing. However, don't be discouraged; give it a try, and who knows, you might already be using garum.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorFood is the universal language. Archives
May 2020
Categories |