Almadraba’s Tuna – Ancient Fishing in Strait Waters

The bluefin tuna is, without a doubt, the king of the cuisine of our region, the sea pig, since Herodoto spoke of it this way, because everything takes advantage of it, it is in fact a real delicatessen.

This giant, which can reach over 500 kilos, and live around 50 years, begins every spring its journey from the Atlantic Ocean to the Mediterranean Sea, to consummate its life cycle, But just before passing through the Strait of Gibraltar you will find traps of nets that the Arabs called ALMADRABAS, but that were already used for a long time ago.

The Romans were not the first to use this technique, but if they were the first to industrialize tuna fishing by creating the factory town of Baelo Claudia, the thriving city, which was entirely dedicated to the fishing industry, the salting and garum industry, a seasoning sauce that was a success among the Romans.

Today the only remaining traps are in Conil de la Frontera, Zahara de los Atunes, Barbate and Tarifa, currently tuna fishing is subject to quotas for the maintenance of the species, are other times, but we still have the fortune to taste this delicacy in different ways, in the region it is not difficult to find it, I have to tell you, impenitent traveler, you will find around you real experts in cooking this product: Raw preparations, Grilled in ventrescas and loins, in simmered stews…. A real pleasure! although that if… quality has a price.