Anchovy paste

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An open pot of Gentleman's Relish anchovy paste Gentleman's Relish (cropped).jpg
An open pot of Gentleman's Relish anchovy paste

Anchovy paste is a fish paste food product prepared using anchovies as a primary ingredient. [1] It is used as a condiment and as an ingredient in various dishes, such as Scotch woodcock, and is a mass-produced product. It has been used for centuries to provide flavor to foods and as a source of nutrients, and it is a part of the cuisines of Great Britain, Italy, the Philippines and Vietnam. It is a major export product of Morocco.

Contents

Overview

Anchovy is used as a condiment and as an ingredient in various dishes. [1] [2] Basic ingredients in its preparation include mashed anchovies, vinegar, spices and water, and some commercial preparations are produced using these ingredients. [3] Butter is also sometimes used as a base ingredient, and the resultant product is sometimes referred to as "anchovy butter", and in French as beurre d'anchois. [1] [4] [5] [6]

History

Anchovy paste has been used for centuries as a source of nutrients and to provide flavour to foods. [6] [7] Allec, a food byproduct used as a condiment that dates to the times of classical antiquity and Ancient Rome, is the paste left over from the preparation of liquamen (a predecessor to garum prepared using various oily fish, including anchovies) that has been described as a "precursor to anchovy paste". [8] [9] [10] [11] [12] Anchovy paste has also been described as a "descendant of garum". [13]

Mass production

Anchovy paste is mass-produced, and is sometimes produced using leftover anchovies from anchovy packing facilities that are processed, mixed with additional ingredients, and packaged into tubes. [2] Around the early 1900s, food colouring was sometimes used in commercial preparations of the paste. [14] Today, anchovy paste is a major export product of Morocco. [13]

Notable brands

Gentleman's Relish is a brand of mass-produced spiced anchovy paste that was introduced in England in 1828. [15] [16]

Use in dishes

Uses of anchovy paste include a condiment or ingredient in egg dishes and on toast. [17] It can be used as an ingredient in some hors d'oeuvre . [1] Anchovy paste is a common food in Italy, where it is used served atop canapés and vegetables and as an ingredient in sauces and pasta dishes. [18] It is also a part of the cuisine of the Philippines, where it is referred to as bagoong balayan , and of Vietnam, where it is referred to as mam nem. [19] [20] [21] Anchovy paste can be used as an ingredient in the preparation of anchovy sauce. [22]

Scotch woodcock is a British savoury dish prepared using scrambled eggs atop toast that has been spread with anchovy paste or Gentleman's Relish. [1] [23] [24] [25] Whole anchovies are also sometimes used in the dish. [26]

See also

Related Research Articles

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fish sauce</span> Condiment made from fish

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sauce</span> Liquid, cream, or semi-solid food served on or used in preparing other foods

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Garum</span> Historical fermented fish sauce

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gentleman's Relish</span> British anchovy paste

Gentleman's Relish, also known as Patum Peperium, is a British commercial brand of anchovy paste created in 1828 by John Osborn. It is a savoury paste with a salty and slightly fishy taste, and contains salted anchovies, butter, herbs and spices. Today, the secret recipe is withheld from all but one employee at Elsenham Quality Foods in Elsenham, England, the licensed manufacturer.

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<i>Myeolchi-jeot</i> Korean salted and fermented anchovies

Myeolchi-jeot (멸치젓) or salted anchovies is a variety of jeotgal, made by salting and fermenting anchovies. Along with saeu-jeot, it is one of the most commonly consumed jeotgal in Korean cuisine. In mainland Korea, myeolchi-jeot is primarily used to make kimchi, while in Jeju Island, meljeot is also used as a dipping sauce. The Chuja Islands, located between South Jeolla and Jeju, are famous for producing the highest quality myeolchi-jeot.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anchovies as food</span> Preserved fish

Anchovies are small, common saltwater forage fish in the family Engraulidae that are used as human food and fish bait. There are 144 species in 17 genera found in the Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific Oceans. Anchovies are usually classified as oily fish. They are small, green fish with blue reflections due to a silver longitudinal stripe that runs from the base of the caudal fin. They range from 2 centimetres (0.79 in) to 40 centimetres (16 in) in adult length, and the body shape is variable, with more slender fish in northern populations.

<i>Mắm nêm</i> Condiment

Mắm nêm is a sauce made of fermented fish. Unlike the more familiar nước mắm, mắm nêm is powerfully pungent, similar to shrimp paste. Many of the regions that produce fish sauce, for example Central Vietnam, also produce mắm nêm. It is commonly mixed with sugar, pineapple, and spices to make a prepared sauce called mắm nêm pha sẵn, the key ingredient in neem sauce.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 The Housekeeper's Guide to Preserved Meats, Fruits, Vegetables, &c. Crosse & Blackwell. 1886. pp.  4–5. Retrieved May 7, 2017.
  2. 1 2 Joachim, D. (2001). The Clever Cook's Kitchen Handbook . Rodale. pp.  3–4. ISBN   978-1-57954-549-9.
  3. ↑ Herbst, S.T. (2010). The New Food Lover's Tiptionary. Harper Collins. p. 6. ISBN   978-0-06-201167-1 . Retrieved May 7, 2017.
  4. ↑ Multilingual Dictionary of Fish and Fish Products. Wiley. 2009. p. 6. ISBN   978-1-4443-1942-2 . Retrieved May 7, 2017.
  5. ↑ White, William (1904). Notes & Queries. Oxford University Press. p. 72.
  6. 1 2 Viard, A. (1812). Le Cuisinier Impérial, ou l'art de faire la cuisine et la pâtisserie pour toutes les fortunes ... Septième édition ... augmentée, etc (in French). p. 48. Retrieved May 7, 2017.
  7. ↑ Maderia, C.J.; Spilka, J.K. (2007). The New Seaweed Cookbook: A Complete Guide to Discovering the Deep Flavors of the Sea. Cookery, Food and Drink Series. North Atlantic Books. p. 85. ISBN   978-1-55643-652-9.
  8. ↑ Hosking, R. (2006). Authenticity in the Kitchen: Proceedings of the Oxford Symposium on Food and Cookery 2005. Prospect books. p. pt206–207. ISBN   978-1-903018-47-7 . Retrieved May 7, 2017.
  9. ↑ Weiss, J.; Andrés, J.; Rawlinson, N.; Mora, S. (2014). Charcutería: The Soul of Spain. Agate Publishing. p. 171. ISBN   978-1-57284-737-8.
  10. ↑ Baudar, P. (2016). The New Wildcrafted Cuisine: Exploring the Exotic Gastronomy of Local Terroir. Chelsea Green Publishing. p. 49. ISBN   978-1-60358-606-1.
  11. ↑ Dalby, A. (2013). Food in the Ancient World from A to Z. Taylor & Francis. p. 5. ISBN   978-1-135-95422-2.
  12. ↑ Riley, G. (2007). The Oxford Companion to Italian Food . Oxford Companion To... Oxford University Press, USA. p.  pt574. ISBN   978-0-19-860617-8.
  13. 1 2 Roller, D.W. (2004). The World of Juba II and Kleopatra Selene: Royal Scholarship on Rome's African Frontier. Taylor & Francis. p. 115. ISBN   978-1-134-40296-0.
  14. ↑ Home Science Magazine: For Housekeepers and Mothers. Home Science Publishing Company. 1903. p. 123. Retrieved May 7, 2017.
  15. ↑ Slonecker, A.; DeBenedetti, C.; Lee, J.; Asimov, E. (2015). Beer Bites: Tasty Recipes and Perfect Pairings for Brew Lovers. Chronicle Books. p. 112. ISBN   978-1-4521-4059-9.
  16. ↑ van Wyk, B.E. (2014). Culinary Herbs and Spices of the World. University of Chicago Press. p. 36. ISBN   978-0-226-09183-9.
  17. ↑ Boston Cooking School (Boston, Mass.) (1906). American Cookery. p. 257.
  18. ↑ Wright, C. (2003). The Little Foods of the Mediterranean: 500 Fabulous Recipes for Antipasti, Tapas, Hors D'Oeuvre, Meze, and More. Harvard Common Press. p. 26. ISBN   978-1-55832-227-1 . Retrieved May 7, 2017.
  19. ↑ Bladholm, L. (2016). The Asian Grocery Store Demystified: A Food Lover's Guide to All the Best Ingredients. St. Martin's Press. p. pt68. ISBN   978-1-250-12695-5 . Retrieved May 7, 2017.
  20. ↑ Olizon-Chikiamco, N. (2013). Filipino Favorites. Tuttle Publishing. p. 6. ISBN   978-1-4629-1102-8.
  21. ↑ Garden, New York Botanical; America, Mycological Society of (1986). Mycologia Memoir. Hafner. p. 337. ISBN   978-3-443-76001-4.
  22. ↑ Fellows, C. (1904). The Culinary Handbook ... Hotel Monthly. p. 2.
  23. ↑ Boxer, A. (2012). Arabella Boxer's Book of English Food: A Rediscovery of British Food From Before the War. Penguin Books Limited. p. pt301. ISBN   978-0-241-96167-4.
  24. ↑ Palmatier, R.A. (2000). Food: A Dictionary of Literal and Nonliteral Terms . ABC-Clio ebook. Greenwood Press. p.  315. ISBN   978-0-313-31436-0.
  25. ↑ Herbst, R.; Herbst, S.T. (2015). The Deluxe Food Lover's Companion, 2nd edition. Barron's Educational Series. pp. pt872–873. ISBN   978-1-4380-7621-8.
  26. ↑ Grimes, L. (2009). The Cook's Book of Everything. Murdoch Books. p. 57. ISBN   978-1-74196-033-4.
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