Anchovy is a small fish in the herring family caught round the world in temperate waters. The word anchovy originates from the Mediterranean, but it is not certain which language it comes from, with Portuguese, Italian or Spanish being in the running here. At any rate around 1600, in England the anchovy was regarded as something to accompany heavy drinking. The first use in English was by Shakespeare in Henry IV Part 1. There Henry has a look at some of the bar invoices that the fat Falstaff has run up. In addition to copious amounts of drink, there is also chicken and anchovy. Thomas Venner graduating from Oxford in 1598, the same year as Henry IV was produced. He also wrote about anchovies after he became a successful doctor who advocated taking spas (not surprisingly as he had his surgery in Bath). Venner was one of the first to write against the use of tobacco. He also wrote one of the first books on health and lifestyle which was published in 1620 with the difficult title of Via Recta ad Vitam Longam. The sub-title is long, but it makes it quite clear what the book is about – “a plain philosophical discourse of the nature, faculties and effects of all nourishments and diet observations made for the preservation of health” more or less describes its content. There he mentions the anchovy, the “famous meat of drunkards” and those who want to drink.
Actually it is quite difficult to find fresh anchovies, because they do not travel well. But with their rich oily fishy flavour that helps to down drinks, they can add zest to onion tarts, olive pastes, Worcester sauces and Caesar salads.
