The asian food markets carry “fish sauce” which is remarkably similar to this Roman find. I find it really smelly, but when used on food it really perks it up.

The below is a portion copied from http://www.thaifoodandtravel.com/features/fishsauce1.html

“They say curiosity kills the cat, and I certainly do get my share of curious students, who wish to know how just about every bottled sauce from across the Pacific is made, including fish sauce.

In case you are not yet familiar with fish sauce, it is that salty, smelly brown liquid made from fish that is the single, most important flavoring ingredient in Thai cooking (also well-loved in Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Burma and the Philippines). Used like salt in western cooking and soy sauce in Chinese cooking, good-quality fish sauce imparts a distinct aroma and flavor all its own. It is indispensable in the Thai kitchen as Thai food wouldn’t be quite the same without it.

Called “nam bplah” in Thai, or literally “fish water,” genuine fish sauce is the water, or juice, in the flesh of fish that is extracted in the process of prolonged salting and fermentation. It is made from small fish that would otherwise have little value for consumption. This can either be freshwater or saltwater fish, though today, most fish sauce is made from the latter as pollution and dams have drastically reduced the once plentiful supply of freshwater fish in the heartlands of Southeast Asia.

Among marine fish, anchovies and related species of small schooling fish from two to five inches in length are commonly used, as they can be found in bountiful supply in the coastal waters of the Gulf of Thailand and the South China Sea. Larger varieties of fish, such as mackerel and sardines, also make good fish sauce, but because they are relatively more expensive due to their value as a food fish, they are seldom used in the commercial production of fish sauce.

For fish sauce to develop a pleasant, fragrant aroma and taste, the fish must be very fresh. As soon as fishing boats return with their catch, the fish are rinsed and drained, then mixed with sea salt – two to three parts fish to one part salt by weight. They are then filled into large earthenware jars, lined on the bottom with a layer of salt, and topped with a layer of salt. A woven bamboo mat is placed over the fish and weighted down with heavy rocks to keep the fish from floating when water inside them are extracted out by the salt and fermentation process.

The jars are covered and left in a sunny location for nine months to a year. From time to time, they are uncovered to air out and to let the fish be exposed to direct, hot sunshine”…….

COMMENT from MD EADES: Precisely; You’ll notice that the recipe I included calls for using Asian fish sauce (nuoc-nam or nam-pla) and mentions that you can obtain it from Asian markets. Not every town has an Asian market, however, thus the salt/pepper substitution the author of the recipe provided. Thanks for providing all the interesting info about southeast Asian cuisine.

COMMENT from MD EADES; One would assume that it would, but it’s so salty that it’s only used in relatively small amounts.