Seasoned Mussels Back to Real Roman Recipes With an empire that spanned both sides of the the Mediterranean Sea, Romans often feasted on seafood. Romans might salt, smoke, or pickle their fish, or even preserve it with honey. This recipe for seasoned mussels, though, calls for just a simple cooking before they are eaten. Ancient Roman Seasoned Mussels Recipe For mussels: Garum, chopped leek, cumin, passum, savory, and wine. Dilute this mixture with water and cook the mussels in it. - Apicius, reprinted from A Taste of Ancient Rome Modern Seasoned Mussels Recipe (serves 4) 40-50 mussels 2 tablespoons garum 1/2 cup wine 1/2 cup passum (a modern version of this raisin wine is the Italian dessert wine Vin Santo) 1 leek, chopped 1 handful of fresh cumin and savory, minced Wash the mussels thoroughly to remove the sand, then boil them in sufficient water to cover, along with the remaining ingredients. - reprinted from A Taste of Ancient Rome Mulsum (honeyed wine) Lucanian Sausages Boiled Eggs in Pine Nut Sauce Garum Fish Sauce Seasoned Mussels Pear Patina Libum (sweet cheesecake) A Day at the Baths | Construct an Aqueduct | Watering Ancient Rome NOVA Builds a Bath | Real Roman Recipes | Resources | Transcript Medieval Siege | Pharaoh's Obelisk | Easter Island | Roman Bath | China Bridge | Site Map Editor's Picks | Previous Sites | Join Us/E-mail | TV/Web Schedule About NOVA | Teachers | Site Map | Shop | Jobs | Search | To print PBS Online | NOVA Online | WGBH © | Updated November 2000