Celebrating the Sea: Spanish Seafood

The sea has always been a blessing to the people of Spain. With hundreds of miles of coastline, Spain’s culinary traditions are based on the bounty that comes in on fishermen’s boats. Squid, octopus, tuna and clams all make their appearance in the famous paellas, seafood salads, stuffed peppers and stews that Spain is known for.

We want to highlight three of our vendors who provide us with exceptional quality seafood. Conservas la Gaviota, located in the Basque region, produces extraordinary bonito tuna and anchovies in oil under the Arroyabe brand. Siro & Xavi, just north of Barcelona, uses only the freshest anchovies to cure delicate white Matiz boquerones. And Connorsa from the coast of Galicia produces award winning canned fish, such as Matiz Sardines, Pulpo (Octopus), and Berberechos (Cockles).

As with all of the vendors that Matiz sources from, these companies uphold responsible business practices that support both the health of their employees and the environment. Conservas la Gaviota uses only rods and live bait to catch their delicious bonito tuna that is famously used in Spanish stuffed piquillo peppers. They also employ mostly women in their factories and set wages on a collective model with the lowest wage being double that of Spain’s minimum wage.

Siro & Xavi is a family-run business that started in 1975. They produce amazingly flavorful boquerones that are free of any preservatives. They use simply sunflower oil, wine vinegar and salt. The company is run by the grandsons of the original founder, and produce an impressive 13% of Spain’s boquerones.

Siro & Xavi founder with grandsons

If you haven’t tried Matiz Sardines, Pulpo and Berberechos then you’re in for a treat. Connorsa has been canning flavorful seafood since 1985, using sustainable methods of harvesting and working with the natural cycles of sardines to maintain healthy fish stocks. Canned seafood is a favorite at tapas bars all over Spain and, with little more than a few grains of salt and a toothpick, they are the perfect answer to a glass of minerally white wine!

Seafood Picnic in Seconds

A Sunday excursionist is called a Dominguero in Spain, here in the US we call them picnickers. Those folks who spend their Sundays driving to the country to brave the the bees and ants and dine on a blanket on the ground. In Spain, they traditionally load up the trunks of their automobiles with everything needed to cook a paella. They meet friends and relatives on the roadway and pull off to enjoy the scenery and the massive amounts of food that the Domingueros bring.

We tend to be a busy lot here in the US. If you don't have the time to load up all the supplies you need for a grand picnic, why not treat yourself to an easy picnic basket that only requires cutting a lemon.

A seafood feast is just a a flip of a tin and the squeeze of a lemon away.

Start with mouthwatering Matiz Pulpo (Octopus) from Galicia. Matiz Octopus is caught by traditional net methods that respect the biological cycles of the species, as well as avoiding harm to other sea creatures. It can be enjoyed right out of the can with no preparation.

Matiz Sardines have been getting rave reviews, whether from the Wall Street Journal or Martha Stewart's "good things." They are a favorite and best-seller. Sprinkle these with some aji amarillo spice from Peru and squeezed lemon for a picnic pleaser.

Matiz Berberechos are on the menu as well. These cockles are canned in brine. They are succulent, plump and refreshing.

Don't forget the Matiz Piparra Peppers (also called guindillas) from the Basque region. They have a wonderful pickled flavor and are quite mild, but they say 1 in every 100 is hot.

Hearty Arroyabe Bonito Tuna rounds out the meal. Fished by traditional line and hook methods (dolphin free), and cleaned by hand, this exceptional white meat tuna comes to us from the Bay of Biscay in northern Spain. The solid texture and rich flavor of Bonito tuna packed in Spanish olive oil is very different from regular albacore tuna. Try it and you'll never go back to regular old tuna.

Now, open a nice bottle of white wine and enjoy the sunshine!