@GracieGirl,
I don't like sardines either. However, in fairness to those who do, I recently saw a history programme where they tried to reproduce the ancient Roman sauce Garum. From Wikipedia.
Quote:Garum, similar to liquamen, was a type of fermented fish sauce condiment that was an essential flavour in Ancient Roman cooking, the supreme condiment.
Although it enjoyed its greatest popularity in the Roman world, it originally came from the Greeks, gaining its name from the Greek words garos or garon (γάρον), which named the fish whose intestines were originally used in the condiment's production.
What interested the researchers was that the Romans tended to use it with everything, even sweet dishes. They decided that garum was addictive, like chocolate or nicotine, it's got something in it that makes the body crave it.
Tey made some up, and volunteers tried it with pitta bread. It was obvious nobody really fancied it, and a few people pulled faces. About five minutes after their first taste though, they kept going back, and soon it was all gone.
