Acciughe sotto sale del mar Ligure

Appearance & taste

The anchovies are whole, and their very thin skin is still partly visible. The fillets are soft and cling to the bone. Depending on the part of the body, the colour ranges from pink to an intense brown. The taste is dry and distinctly savoury, the flesh lean and hardly fatty on the palate.

In the transparent, cylindrical glass jars the fish lie in layers, each separated by a thin layer of sea salt; the top layer is completely covered with brine so that it does not oxidise. A jar holds 200 to 3,000 g of anchovies. The best-before date is at most 24 months after the packing date, and the label shows a logo with stylised anchovies.

Production

Anchovies are migratory schooling fish: from spring to autumn they move along the Ligurian coast, and in winter they stay at depths of 100 to 150 m. They are fished off the Ligurian coast in water 50 to 300 m deep and at most 20 km from the shore, traditionally with lampara purse seines. The fishing zone is limited because the anchovies must be processed within twelve hours of the catch. Catching, processing and packing take place in the area.

Origin & history

According to the specification, the mild temperatures and the small temperature fluctuations on the Tyrrhenian coast of Liguria allow natural ripening. The mountain ranges of the Alps and the Apennines, which drop steeply to the sea, keep out cold north winds.

As early as the 16th century, the statutes of Liguria’s main fishing towns regulated the catch and sale of fresh and salted anchovies. The Republic of Genoa supervised supply, prices and the fishermen’s rules; sales were subject to the tax “gabella piscium”. Fishermen had to be registered with the guild, as did the fishmongers of the guild of the “Chiapparoli”, who sold in the “Chiappa” area of Genoa. Salting took place from May to early August, and the best anchovies were those from June and July; a licence was needed for salting and selling. The “Acciugai”, traders in preserved fish, travelled over the passes of the western Riviera. Above all in Piedmont, the anchovies became the main ingredient of “Bagna cauda”. In fishermen’s homes, salting is still passed down from generation to generation.