Today, Captain Jil and his crew are setting out to catch over 20,000 pounds of something very valuable – anchovies. But once the fish come out of the water, time is of the essence, since these anchovies stay fresh for only 24 hours.
By Laura King
They have no time to waste on ice as their customers are waiting for them. In Julio’s hands, they’ll become even more valuable; he will extract all the oil from the fish and make a source that is worth $160 per liter, which is four times more expensive than other popular fish sources. But the process will take 3 years.
Julia needs to collect the sauce drop by drop.
So, how do all these little fish get turned into sauce, and what makes it so expensive?
Local fishermen head out to sea between April and November. After attracting the anchovies with lights, Captain Sh and his crew use nets to catch them. The tightly woven nets are designed to trap the anchovies without entangling them. Because of how large the nets are, fishermen need to be highly experienced to use them effectively.
To maintain the quality and price tag, it’s crucial that they don’t get crushed or damaged in any way. The bigger the anchovies, the more oil it will release, which helps result in the most flavorful sauce.
To catch the biggest fish possible, Captain combines what he’s learned from his father with new technology. Echo Sounders not only help locate anchovies but confirm their exact size and weight. Larger anchovies sell for between 25 and 30 per crate at Italian fish markets.
When it comes to making high-quality K alichi, the Italian name for anchovy sauce, the freshness of the anchovy makes all the difference. Julio’s family has been making K alichi since 1915.
This is what most of his mornings look like during anchovies season. Julio has just received this morning’s catch. Once the anchovies have been cleaned, they’re placed inside barrels full of salt. Julio uses high-quality Italian salt from Sicily. After 24 hours in the salt, the anchovies are ready to be preserved and pressed.
The anchovies are placed inside the small barrels made from Chestnut Wood. When the wood comes into contact with salt, it hardens fully sealing the anchovies inside.
Each barrel fits about 50 to 60 anchovies depending on the size of the fish. The salt kickstarts the release of liquids inside the anchovies. It takes 3 years and about 50 to 60 lbs of fresh anchovies to produce just a liter of anchovy source.
Making Katur Alichi is a meticulous and time-consuming process, but one he thoroughly enjoys.
What really brings the salt, anchovies, and the barrel together is weighing everything down with a heavy stone. To check if the sauce is ready, Julia will drill directly into the barrels. The anchovy drips out of the barrel slowly.
This is when Julio can confirm the quality of the color and aroma. There is no way Julio can speed up the process if he doesn’t want to ruin the sauce. It must come out at its own pace, drop by drop. This makes authentic go anchovy a true investment, and the intensive labor involved in producing such small amounts.
The first batch of anchovies caught in early spring is transformed into K anchovy by December. So the source has become a traditional part of celebrating winter holidays. Preserving this culture is a responsibility Julio cherishes.
