anchova

The origin of anchovy is genuinely disputed. The leading theory traces it to Basque antzua or Portuguese anchova, possibly from Latin apua (small fish) filtered through Iberian languages. What's certain is that the fish itself was central to Mediterranean cuisine long before anyone agreed on what to call it.

The Romans were obsessed with anchovies—or rather, with garum, a fermented anchovy sauce that they put on everything. Garum factories lined the coasts of Spain and North Africa. A fine garum was worth its weight in silver. When Rome fell, garum fell with it, and the anchovy went from luxury ingredient to common food.

Portuguese and Spanish fishermen revived the anchovy trade in the Middle Ages, salting and packing the fish for export across Europe. The English word anchovy appeared in the 1590s, borrowed from Spanish anchova. By the 1600s, anchovy paste was a staple of English cooking.

Today, anchovies are perhaps the most polarizing ingredient in Western cuisine—people either love them or refuse to eat them. The tiny fish that was once Rome's most prized condiment now starts arguments about pizza toppings. But anchovy is also the secret ingredient in Worcestershire sauce, Caesar dressing, and dozens of other foods that anchovy-haters eat unknowingly.