We are accustomed to thinking of the Cantabrian Sea as that stretch of Atlantic Ocean that traditionally runs from Cabo Ortegal in Galicia to the mouth of the River Adour in France; what few people know is that those 800 km of coastline guard an incredible industrial history of all-Italian enterprise, courage and industriousness that still survives after more than 100 years. In this issue we tell the story, unknown to most, of those Italian salters who created the myth of the Cantabrian anchovy at the end of the 19th century and how that entrepreneurial foresight lives on today in the historical archives kept by the Cofradía de la Anchoa de Cantabria.
We will talk about how anchovies are consumed in Cantabria and the small differences that have stratified over time in the way anchovies are produced and interpreted in Spain.
We will talk about how this sector, from fishing to processing, is well aware of the risks of overfishing and how the issue of plastics in the oceans is at the centre of mainstream thought. Then we will go on to talk about travel notes, unspoilt landscapes and the authentic people encountered along the way. In short, an issue that promises to surprise the reader, just as unexpected as those lush green oceanfront meadows that took us by surprise.
Cantabrian anchovies in Italy
represent 10% of the total, with
a double-digit growth trend.
Cantabrian anchovies not only boast a traditional gastronomic reputation, celebrated worldwide, but also play an economically important role in the canned anchovy market.
In Italy, the total sales by value of anchovies from the fishing grounds north of Spain exceed 10% of the total and reach almost EUR 11 million annually in the Italian Modern Distribution perimeter, with unit prices significantly higher than the average. The “premiumness” of anchovies with prized origins, such as the Strait of Sicily and the Adriatic Sea, is currently at its peak with anchovies from the Cantabrian Sea, which in 2022 show a growth trend of +8.7% compared to the decline of the total market at -4%. In the first 3 months of 2023, Anchovies of the Cantabrian Sea segment continued to grow in value by +13.2% compared to +3.4% for the total Anchovies market (NielsenIQ Retail Measurement, April 2023).
Delicius, a true specialist brand in the anchovy preserve category, is also maintaining a growth trend in its sales of more than +45% in this intensely premium segment in 2023, thus contributing to the strong expansion of the “Cantabrian” market itself.
Anchovies which are particularly tasty and prized, but also increasingly popular on the shelves of retail outlets, where the average number of items (mostly in packages under 100g net weight) has increased by as much as 5% in one year. These are origins that deserve our full attention, also through narratives that describe their uniqueness.
anchovies
interview
Cantabrian Sea
Cantabria
