DELFINO BATTISTA | Colatura di Alici di Cetara | DORICA | 1 Lt

Better value than the 100 ml and 250 ml bottles. And comes with a metal lid instead of a cork so you can use the same bottle instead of having to empty it on another container after opening. The only flaw I can see is that it is very drippy because the lip is not well shaped. I have to wipe the size of the bottle's neck every time I pour some on dishes, a minor problem.

This stuff is amazing. A lot like Thai or Vietnamese fish sauce, but less salty and full of artisanal subtlety. If you like anchovies, this is like someone has extracted and bottled the platonic ideal of anchovy-ness. I use it regularly to add discreet umami to almost everything. The big bottle has a healthy price tag, but it lasts.

The Romans relied on garum to flavour their food: from emperors down to the poorest slaves who used it to make their porridge more palatable. This stuff is supposed to be close to the original Roman recipe and I can believe it. Just a tiny drop added to cooking makes it even more tasty. Be careful though: this stuff absolutely stinks...you really don't want to spill even a small amount. If you do, make sure you clean it up thoroughly, otherwise your kitchen will smell rank. I have decanted some of it into a much smaller bottle to make it easier to pour and avoid accidents. A litre is pretty pricey, but I expect it to last for years because you should literally only need a drop or two at a time.