The term “brine” is employed with a surprising range of meanings in literature, from its literal culinary sense to a more metaphorical or atmospheric resonance. In many instances, especially within Apicius’ cookery texts ([1], [2], [3], [4]), brine appears as the essential salty liquid used for pickling, seasoning, or preserving food—a practical substance that underscores the importance of flavor and preservation in ancient Roman cuisine. Yet even in these utilitarian contexts, the idea of brine crosses over into the poetic; Milton, for example, uses “on the level brine” ([5]) to evoke a sense of fluidity and natural order among the playful sisters, while Lucretius and Shakespeare introduce the word metaphorically to underscore harsh, bitter qualities, as in references to the ocean’s salt or a bitter fate ([6], [7]). Later authors like Hardy and Joyce further expand brine’s semantic field, portraying it both as a caustic agent in wound treatment ([8]) and a symbol of the grim, almost tangible presence of salt water in everyday life ([9]). Thus, across these diverse works the word “brine” serves both as a concrete element in culinary instructions and as a rich metaphor evoking bitterness, nature’s power, and the transformative process—be it in food, character, or fate.