292 ANIMAL FOOD EESOUKCES OF DIFFERENT NATIONS. 



firm, and remarkably free from fat, and has always been 

 esteemed one of the epicure's greatest luxuries. Its flavour 

 improves with the size, and small fish deprived of the 

 liver are more or less insipid. The method of cooking^ 

 by rolling them in paper to prevent injury to the skin 

 has been observed for at least two thousand years. The 

 red mullet was held in such a distinguished category 

 among the genteel fishes of the Komans, that three of 

 them, although of small size, were known to fetch up- 

 wards of £200. 



MuUus surmulletus is called on some of the French 

 coasts " barbarien," and Mullus barbatus " rouget," or " le 

 barbarien petit." 



The mullet was one of those fish which was most 

 sought for in Rome. It is difficult for us to realise the 

 enormous value which the Romans placed upon this fish, 

 for as it never reaches any great size, they did not hesi- 

 tate to pay its weight in gold if it was unusually large. 

 Seneca and Suetonius have given us in their writings 

 descriptions of the extravagant taste in the preparation 

 of the mullet for the table of the rich. According to 

 Seneca (Epistle 95) the Emperor Tiberius sold at auction 

 a mullet, weighing four pounds, to Apicius and Octavius 

 jointly for the sum of 4,000 sesterces (£32). In this 

 country they do not usually exceed three pounds and a 

 half in weight. 



The scarus, mursena, tunny, and sword-fish were other 

 esteemed fishes among the ancients. They knew how 

 to preserve some, first frying them in oil with bay 

 leaves, salt, and spices, and then pouring boiling vinegar 

 over them. They were more appreciated when brought 

 alive and gradually allowed to die immersed in the 

 delicious garum, when the Romans feasted their eyes 

 in the anticipated delight of eating them, by gazing on 

 the dying creature as he changed colour like an expiring 

 dolphin. Seneca reproaches ^bhem with this refinement 

 of cruelty, " Oculis quoque gulosi sunt." The most re- 

 nowned of Apicius's culinary discoveries was the alec, 

 £i compound of their livers. 



