Description
Colatura di Alici di Cetara PDO is a liquid seasoning obtained by ripening the blue fish species Engraulis encrasicolus L., commonly known as anchovy, in salt.
Production Area
For the fishing stage, the production area of Colatura di Alici di Cetara PDO is within the area of sea off the coast of the Province of Salerno, at a maximum distance of 12 miles from the coast. All stages of processing, ripening, aging and dripping must take place exclusively within the Province of Salerno, in the Campania region.
Production Method
Anchovies destined for the production of Colatura di Alici di Cetara PDO must be fished with the traditional "purse seine" method, which takes its name from the huge, mechanically operated rectangular net that used. Once caught, the anchovies are manually decapitated and eviscerated; incrustation is permitted, which consists of leaving the anchovies in brine for a maximum of 24 hours. The layers of anchovies are salted by hand, by alternating them with layers with sea salt; this takes place in 20 kg wooden barrels, called terzigni, or in wooden barrels which can contain up to a maximum of 200 kg of anchovies. The barrels are covered with a round wooden lid, on which weights are placed to promote ripening. The preparation and salting stages must take place no later than 8 hours after the fish has been delivered to the processing laboratory. The fish are left to ripen for nine months, during which time the terzigni or barrels must be kept in cool and ventilated environments. After ripening, the product can be aged, which must take place in the processing laboratories or food service businesses based in the Municipality of Cetara. After the ripening and/or ageing (if carried out) processes, the liquid is removed from the terzigno through a hole made in the bottom of the barrel; the barrels are emptied manually and the contents are transferred into special cloths for filtering; the liquid is left to drip into new barrels.
Appearance and Flavour
Colatura di Alici di Cetara PDO must be clear and bright with an amber colour that tends towards brown-mahogany. It has a persistent, intense smell, which recalls the scent of anchovies in salt, fresh anchovies, and brine. It has a umami flavour that is strong and extremely flavoursome.
History
Anchovy dripping derives from a sauce that the Romans called garum, which was made in a clay bowl or a round-bottomed or cylindrical clay vase, using chopped aromatic herbs (dill, rocket, mint, thyme and oregano), small whole fish and large fish cut into small pieces, covered with a layer of whole coarse salt that was an inch thick. The first anchovy dripping was probably made in around the second half of the 13th century, by the Cistercian monks who lived in the ancient Canonica of S. Pietro a Toczolo, near Amalfi. The latter, who stored anchovies in barrels with unglued slats, noticed that liquid leaked out of the barrels when the fish were fully ripe, filling the salting room with a pleasant aroma. The monks in charge of salting collected the liquid and gave it to their cook, who immediately used it as a condiment for boiled vegetables.
Gastronomy
Colatura di Alici di Cetara PDO should be kept in a sealed glass bottle at room temperature; once opened, it should be put in the least cold compartment of the refrigerator, or in a cool place away from light. It is a highly appreciated ingredient in Italian cuisine: spaghetti with anchovy dripping is a typical dish par excellence. Thanks to its flavour, it is often used to flavour fresh or boiled vegetables and some fish dishes instead of salt.
Marketing
The product is marketed as Colatura di Alici di Cetara PDO and is sold in special clear transparent glass bottles, with a capacity ranging from a minimum of 50 ml to a maximum of 1 litre. If the product is aged, the word “Invecchiata” can be written on the label, followed by the number of months/years it was aged for.
Distinctive Features
The smell and flavour of Colatura di Alici di Cetara PDO are largely determined by the ability to fill the wooden barrels used for ripening correctly, that is, the orderly and tight arrangement of the anchovies in the individual layers, which are completely covered by salt.
