Anchovies, etc.

How to describe it?

One first tastes the broth - that simmered distillation of fish bones, fennel, and tomatoes, with their hearty suggestions of Provence.  One then savors the tender flakes of haddock and the briny resilience of the mussels, which have been purchased on the docks from the fisherman.  One marvels at the boldness of the oranges arriving from Spain and the absinthe poured in the taverns.  And all of these various impressions are somehow collected, composed, and brightened by the saffron - that essence of summer sun which, having been harvested in the hills of Greece and packed by mule to Athens, has been sailed across the Mediterranean in a felucca.  In other words, with the very first spoonful one finds oneself transported to the port of Marseille - where the streets teem with sailors, thieves, and madonnas with sunlight and summer, with languages and life.  

Amor Towles, A Gentleman in Moscow

(& Pattern)