Owing to its importance in early American history, John McPhee called the American shad "the founding fish". The Cinque Terre equivalent is the anchovy (acciughe in Italian). The first settlers to the region grew grapes, olives, and fruit (notably lemons) on the bluffs overlooking the Ligurian Sea, but it was likely the promise of fish and other seafood that led to the establishment and growth of the villages in the medieval period—and by far the most plentiful and available local species is the anchovy.
My one prior experience with anchovies was on a pizza: they were mushy, oily, and ungodly salty; much as I like pizza, I couldn't finish a single piece.
In the Cinque Terre, however, they treat anchovies like seafood—served fresh, not tinned, for starters—and they're delicious. We had spaghetti with frutti di mare (including both anchovies and mussels, another local specialty), acciughe al carpione (marinated anchovies), and acciughe fritte (fried anchovies served in a paper cone as street food.) On several occasions for that last one.
Overfishing and pollution in the Med have caused declines in anchovy populations, but local stocks are again doing well, in large part due to the 1997 establishment of a zoned marine sanctuary off the Cinque Terre. The sea grasses off Punta Mesco, just west of Monterosso al Mare, are an important nursery for anchovy fingerlings, and the core of the most strictly protected zone. Most of the Cinque Terre's commercial fishermen are based out of Monterosso—our hostess while we were there is married to a fisherman—and the anchovy is a common motif in Monterosso and throughout the Cinque Terre.
We saw anchovies in the harbour at Monterosso and Vernazza, but didn't get photos. Anchovies-as-motif, however...
No comments:
Post a Comment