A brief history of preserved fish in Spain: Salt, then tin
Spain's conservas story is ancient, dating back to Greek trading colonies and Roman administrative centers who use sea salt to produce dry-salted fish, along with fermented sauces like garum. Later, smoking and pickling (in escabeche - a sauce still commonly used in Spain that is made of vinegar, oil and aromatics) became popular.
In the 18th century, Catalan merchants settled along Galicia's Rías Baixas and the northern Spanish coastline and built salting houses in almost every cove. This network of salting works and supply chains alongside strong fish populations would lend itself well to the switching to canning in the mid to late 19th century. Canning, invented in the early 19th century, was initially predominant in France, but as sardine stocks declined there was increased investment and interest in the Iberian Peninsular, which led to rapid growth in both Spain and Portugal’s canning industries.
What makes it Spanish
Two regions do most of the work. Galicia, in the far north-west, has many enclosed and sheltered rías, which is perfect for clams, scallops, octopus and mussels, often cooked in a pickled escabeche, a paprika-rich Galician sauce, or brined. The Basque Country, with its open Cantabrian waters, is known for Bonito del Norte, a white albacore tuna caught one fish at a time with pole and line in the Bay of Biscay, and for its Cantabrian anchovies.
How it's changed
Spain has kept the craft and tradition of canning alive, whilst high volume production moved elsewhere. Like in Portugal, it’s an industry that’s incredibly female driven, both historically and today. The pride in the tins and the quality of seafood is evident, and many tins are viewed as fine food, not a cheap pantry staple. The fish and seafood is graded, so for example, the tuna is broken down and sold by cut, with the ventresca (fatty, buttery tuna belly) usually viewed as the prize catch. In Spanish bars, a tin served with bread and a drink is a common sight.
How to eat it
- Bonito del Norte flaked over a tomato salad with sliced onion and good extra virgin olive oil
- Ventresca on its own, at room temperature, with nothing else but a good glass of Albariño
- Clams or octopus with toothpicks, crisps and a glass of Txakoli
- Scallops in Galician sauce, warmed and mopped up with crusty bread
The producers
Arroyabe was founded in Bermeo in 1898 by Rufino Arroyabe, a fish trader who started out selling fresh catch inland. It began with escabeche and salted fish and remains one of the Basque Country's best-regarded canneries, with a special focus on tuna
Olasagasti began when Sicilian salter Salvatore Orlando came to the Basque coast in the late 19th century and married Simona Olasagasti, whose name is on the tin. Its bonito del norte is pole-and-line caught in the Cantabrian Sea.
Maruxaina is based in Vilagarcía de Arousa, in the heart of the Rías Baixas. It makes shellfish tins that taste of the Galician coast.
Buying notes
Tins keep for years unopened. Ventresca and octopus are our top picks for gifts, both premium tins that most are unlikely to eat day-to-day.
Why we're excited
Open a Spanish tin and dinner is half made, or it can form the basis for a delicious snack board to share with friends. The fish and seafood does the talking, paired with high quality ingredients. We love how small some of the canneries are, and their insistence on quality over quantity.
FAQs
What is Bonito del Norte?
It's albacore, or white tuna, caught in the Bay of Biscay in summer and autumn. It's paler, milder and more tender than everyday skipjack tuna.
What is ventresca?
The belly cut of the tuna. It's the richest and most prized part of the fish.
What's escabeche?
A tangy marinade of vinegar, oil, paprika and bay. Spain has used it to preserve fish for centuries.
Explore more: Portuguese tinned fish · British tinned fish · All tuna