Anchovies and Colatura – Italian Umami

They eat a lot of anchovies in Italy, in fact, they love them. Abundant, delicious and versatile, the anchovy is high in omegas and essential fatty acids and is easy to cook or to preserve in salt or oil. The fresh anchovies, or alici, are eaten deep-fried and crunchy or soaked in vinegar and dressed with olive oil and parsley for antipasti.

Cured anchovies, or acciughe, are made by salting and curing the fish for several months and are widely used for pizza and pasta. Tuscans like the strong flavors of anchovy and capers together, and many dishes finish with both ingredients for a powerful and salty punch.

However, anchovies really shine in the cuisine of the south, where both fresh and preserved anchovies are used abundantly. Anchovies are preserved by gutting and removing the head then salting the fish, pressing it down with a weight for 4 or 5 months. They are then washed with brine and either salt- or oil- packed until ready to be eaten.

Down on the Amalfi coast, in the towns of Cetara and Vietri, they make an unusual condiment that could be called Italian umami, the fifth flavor sense behind salty, sweet, sour and bitter: colatura.

Colatura is an amber-colored essence of anchovy used to add complexity and nuance to a number of dishes in the area along the southern coast. The ancient Romans made a condiment out of fermented anchovies and salt called garum and used it to flavor many of their foods. It is a lovely thought of continuity, tasting something the ancient Romans would have eaten.

I went to visit the folks at Delfino who are 3rd generation curers of colatura. They have a small production facility under the arched bridge that’s just outside of Vietri on the way to Cetara. If you’ve ever driven to Amalfi, you’ve gone right over it.

Colatura is made in the summer by layering the anchovies with sea salt in a wooden barrel, then weighting and pressing them for several months. In the winter, when the colatura is ready, they open a hole in the bottom of the barrel and let the liquid drip out. More delicate than Chinese fish sauce but still pungent, it adds a punch to any dish. My favorite is spaghetti tossed with lots of minced parsley, garlic and gentle southern Italian olive oil with a few drops of colatura and some fat anchovy fillets.

You can order colatura and really great anchovies from Gustiamo, an import company out of New York, check them out at www.gustiamo.com.

Buon Appetito! Gina