Etna Sea: true Sicilian tuna caught in the Mediterranean.

To talk about Tuna from Mare dell’Etna, we must move to the Tonnara di Portopalo di Capo Passero, which still stands there today, proud and silent, bearing witness, even with its remnants, to the history of Sicilian fishing up to the early seventies. A monument to the men who plowed the Mediterranean Sea with boats and fishing vessels in the rhythm of the “mattanza.” This is a "return" tonnara that highlights the arrival of boats full of fish to be processed.

Of that tradition that has accompanied many other sites like Mazara del Vallo, Marzamemi, Favignana, Bonagia, and many others, today only the walls of imposing establishments and the remains of the typical terracotta chimney used for cooking tuna before packaging remain. Right in front of the beautiful islet of Capo Passero, in front of Portopalo, near the fascinating Vendicari Nature Reserve, a group of fishermen has come together in a cooperative that packages only alalunga tuna and mackerel, caught in the Ionian-Etna area: this is Mare dell’Etna.

The goal of the Cooperative Mare dell’Etna is to offer consumers a 100% guaranteed product, not only in terms of its origin from the sea but also regarding the exclusive use of simple, Sicilian raw materials like Extra Virgin Olive Oil and sea salt from the salt pans of Marsala. Cooking the fish in water and salt at controlled temperature allows for a product integrity that cannot be found in industrial canned tunas. The cleaning and packaging are then exclusively manual, and the touches are adapted to the glass jar.

The aging of the tuna lasts from 90 to 120 days in oil and salt, so that the flavor is enriched with all the magic of the scents and aromas of Sicily. From an organoleptic point of view, the texture of the tuna will be the first beautiful novelty that one is not accustomed to with industrial products. The slices of tuna open along the fibers of the meat and remain whole and beautifully colored in vivid pink. The balance of flavor is unequivocal and gives the meat the relevance of its intense taste.

Finally, a packaged tuna that tastes like tuna! It seems paradoxical, but it is the simple truth. The fiber of the tuna is thick, and its mouthfeel is substantial. The taste is delicate but persistent and possesses a rare pleasantness. We chose it for the high quality it brings to the table and for the extraordinary project of rehabilitating the seas of Sicily that these fishermen are facing daily. A restorative work for a sector, that of tuna, which has made the history of Trinacria and its seafaring people.

Bernardo Pasquali

S&M