defrutum

Defrutum is a thick syrup produced by boiling grape must to concentrate its sugars. The name comes from Latin defrutum, literally indicating a liquid that has been boiled down or reduced. A closely related product, sapa, refers to a lighter reduction; together these grape syrups served as early sweeteners and flavoring agents in the ancient world.

Production and characteristics

Fresh grape must is heated in vessels and simmered until the water content is largely evaporated and a concentrated syrup remains. The resulting defrutum could vary in thickness depending on how long it was reduced. It was typically stored in containers for later use and could be used in small amounts to impart sweetness, body, and color to other ingredients.

Uses

In Roman cuisine, defrutum functioned as a versatile condiment. It was employed to sweeten sauces and meat dishes, enrich desserts, and occasionally fortify or modify the flavor profile of wines. In cooking and provisioning contexts, syrups like defrutum provided a convenient, shelf-stable sweetener before the widespread availability of refined sugars.

Historical context

Defrutum is attested in ancient Roman culinary and agricultural texts and appears in the works describing Roman sauces and dressings. Its use persisted in some Mediterranean cooking traditions into late antiquity and the medieval period, gradually declining with the increasing importation and use of sugar from other regions.

Legacy

The general practice of reducing grape must to a syrup influenced later European culinary traditions, where grape must reductions appear in regional recipes and as precursors to later sweeteners.