Gallic hero Asterix and his sidekick Obelix were all about the wild boar. Or were they? For most of us, their escapades were an integral part of our childhood, as were the grand feasts every book inevitably ended with. In the latest edition, Asterix and the Chariot Race, the duo battle Julius Caesar and his Roman legions to discover Italy. And with it, they explore a range of Italian culinary delights. Think garum (fermented fish sauce used as a condiment), pastae (but of course an ancient version of today’s cheesy pasta) and pinsae (a humble flatbread that purports to be the precursor to pizza). And while we have always hailed the Asterix series for their tounge-in-cheek version of history, and magnificent puns, we tend to overlook what an important role food plays in the books. In this story, the Gallic heroes inadvertently discover Italian cooking on their latest adventure. As they participate in a colourful chariot race, the Gauls are served pastae, a dish from the East, described as thinly sliced dough cooked in cream (ring any bells yet?). Then with a flourish, the waitress fishes out a little vial. “...And to season it, an amphoretta of garum from our sponsor, Lupus.” Intrigued? According to Google it was, in fact, a rather popular condiment used in Greece, Rome and Byzantium. A 2015 report in The Local says archaeologists discovered an ancient Roman vessel laden with 3,000 jars of garum on the seabed off the coast of Italy. A BBC report calls it the “ancient condiment that came back from the dead.” Archaeologists were alerted about the ancient vessel in 2012 by local fishermen who dredged up fragments of clay jars that had been part of the vessel’s payload over 2,000 years ago. Garum, a sauce made by fermenting salted fish intestines, was a mainstay of banquet tables and street food carts across the Roman empire. It is also said that the sauce was highly prized for its nutritional qualities and was a rich source of monosodium glutamate. Obelix can’t seem to resist a plate of roast boar that almost always makes an appearance at the village table It’s not just garum. The series systematically and cheekily rewrites food history in many of the stories. In Asterix In Britan, Caesar invades Britain and succeeds, mainly because the British soldiers stop fighting every day to drink hot water (with a drop of milk). In Switzerland, they eat melted cheese. In Belgium they discover chips, and how well they work with mussels. Throwback to the first book Asterix the Gaul, where Obelix’s gluttony is established. The menhir sculptor can’t resist succulent roast boar. Then there’s the village chief Vitalstatistix’s fondness for fruit, as he picks apples in Asterix the Gladiator. By the time Asterix and the Banquet was released, the duo’s culinary preferences were already legendary. The book was replete with a sumptuous menu of Lutetia (ham), Camaracum (humbugs), Lugdunum (sausages and quenelles), Nicae (nicoise salad), Massilia (fish stew), Aginum (prunes) and Burdigala (oysters and white wine). Their tryst with English gastronomy included an introduction to marmalade with roast meat and boar stewed in mint sauce in Asterix in Britain. An encounter with the Normans leads them to the delicious boar in cream sauce. And of course, there’s Obelix’s fondness for mushroom soup. In Corsica, the duo is tantalised by the aroma of cheese, and even Corsican sausage makes an appearance here. Then dishes such as khaviar, roast camel, turkey, bear, ox tongue, pate, mussels and barley beer have all found their way onto their plates. In The Laurel Wreath, we discover beavers’ tails in strawberry sauce and cow’s hoof mould. Not too appetising admittedly. But then, as Obelix would say, these Romans are crazy. Though he will probably change his mind once they discover roast boar pizza. It’s just a question of time. These panels were shared via Hachette India exclusively with MetroPlus

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