Anchoas

Santono is a little factory town in Cantabria. The entire waterfront is filled with the aroma of curing anchovies. When anchovies are cured, however, they don’t smell like fish. They have a sweet meaty smell, described by some as a cross between lilies and jamón. The tiny little fish are cleaned, beheaded and left to mature in drums of a super-salty, ochre-coloured solution for around six months. During this time, the flesh loses moisture and becomes denser and firmer. Like jamón, it undergoes a transformation, aided by bacteria and enzymes, that changes its flavour completely. Once the curing process is complete, each anchovy is washed, spun dry, hand-cleaned, hand-filleted, then packed in a tin with neutral olive oil. Anchovies are one of the cornerstones of Spanish tapas: a single perfect anchovy will be laid across a beautiful plate and served as it is. Great anchovies are celebrated for their mouth-filling smoothness, hit of salt and lingering aroma. Most Spanish anchovies are very good to excellent — they are one of the first things I order in a bar when I am in Spain. After olives. Oh, and beer.