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Fermentation Atlas

Sauces and condiments from Province of Salerno, Italy

Colatura di aliciColatura di Alici di Cetara

Colatura di alici is a clear, amber anchovy sauce from Cetara on the Amalfi Coast. Headed and gutted anchovies are layered with sea salt in small wooden barrels (terzigni) under a wooden disc and stones, and ripen for nine months. The liquid is then drawn off through a hole in the barrel and filtered through linen. Made in 5 steps over 9 months. The longest step, ripen under salt, takes 9 months (Ministero delle politiche agricole 2020). Salt is up to 33 % (Ministero delle politiche agricole 2020). No microbes identified; described as enzymatic ripening of the anchovy under salt does most of the fermenting.

Key numbers
Main step9 monthsSet[colatura-dop]Ripen under salt
Saltup to 33 %Set[colatura-dop][panzardi2009]Layer with sea salt in a terzigno and weight it
AciditypH 5–7Set[colatura-dop]Draw off and filter the colatura
Fully documentedSauces and condiments9 monthsDOP (Colatura di Alici di Cetara; Regulation (EU) 2020/1529 of 14 October 2020)More sauces and condimentsMore from Italy

Recipe

Amounts from a sourceThe DOP sets the anchovy-to-salt ratio, not a batch size. A terzigno holds 20 kg; larger wooden barrels hold up to 200 kg.
2 parts by weight (at least)Anchovies (Engraulis encrasicolus), headed and gutted by hand · In the lab within 12 h of catch; salted within 8 h of arrival[colatura-dop]
1 part by weight (at most)Sea salt · The anchovy-to-salt weight ratio is at least 2:1[colatura-dop]
OptionalBrine of at least 1 part salt to 5 parts water · For the incruscatura pre-soak of up to 24 h[colatura-dop]
Starterspontaneous (no starter; ripening by the fish's own enzymes under salt)

Total time across the recorded steps: 9 months

Start
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What changes: Starting material: fresh anchovies, landed within 12 hours

Step 1 of 5
Land the anchovies and bring them in fast
Time
up to 12 h
Set
Temperature
Not documented
Salt
None given
Acidity
Not documented

Output: fresh anchovies.

Flavour
Not documented
Texture
Not documented
Colour
Not documented

Microbes at work in this step

Not documented for this step.

Method

Measured measured in a studySet fixed by a specification or tested recipeReported one source reports itTypical a general value, not sourced for this fermentUnconfirmed not yet checked against a source

What makes this one different

Colatura is made only from anchovies whose heads and guts are removed by hand, packed with dry sea salt in small wooden barrels under a weighted disc. The liquid is drawn from the bottom of the barrel after nine months, and the DOP requires at least 20 g of salt per 100 g.

Related ferments

Variants

  • Invecchiata (aged) colaturaAn optional extra ageing (affinamento) after the nine months, stated on the label in months or years.
  • Restaurant-ripened colaturaCetara restaurants may buy certified terzigni, finish them and use the colatura only in their own kitchens.
  • Poured-back colatura (traditional producer method)The sun-ripened liquid is poured back over the anchovies in late October or early November and drips through the layers before it is drawn off.

Safety

Anchovies are rich in histidine, which bacteria turn into histamine. In five Cetara batches, histamine rose from about 30–50 mg/kg in the raw fish to 407–487 mg/kg in four finished products; EU Regulation 2073/2005 doubles the 100–200 mg/kg fish limit for products ripened enzymatically in brine. Fast handling after catch and correct salt keep it lower.

Hazards the sources name: Histamine-forming (decarboxylase-positive) bacteria of the fish and the surroundings.

History and sources

Every number is labelled with how it is known. How this atlas is made

Cetara families use colatura on spaghetti or linguine for the Christmas Eve dinner. It was listed as a traditional Campanian product in 2000, restaurants began serving it in the 1980s, and it became a DOP in 2020.

  1. [colatura-dop] Ministero delle politiche agricole, alimentari e forestali, Disciplinare di produzione della DOP Colatura di Alici di Cetara, Gazzetta Ufficiale Serie Generale n. 279, 9 November 2020 (provvedimento of 22 October 2020, after Regulation (EU) 2020/1529)spec
  2. [panzardi2009] Panzardi M., Marrone R., Vollano L., Colarusso G., D'Antonio M., Mercogliano R. 2009, La colatura di alici cetarese, valutazione delle caratteristiche fisico-chimiche durante il processo di lavorazione, Italian Journal of Food Safety (A.I.V.I.) n. 3paper
  3. [mercogliano2008] Mercogliano R., D'Ambrosio R., De Felice A., Chirollo C., Citro A., Anastasio A. 2008, Colatura di alici cetarese, valutazione del profilo amminico, Italian Journal of Food Safety (A.I.V.I.) n. 2paper