For years, the most important tuna fishing on the Calabrian coast took place in Pizzo Calabro. Then, in 1963, when this industry died out, hundreds of fishermen and netters had to find a new trade. Some emigrated, some embarked on large merchant ships, some labored in smaller-scale fishing, while some others even became fishmongers. And then there were those who continued the ancient tuna fishing tradition, like the Ceravolo family or the famous Callipo company, which has been located here from the beginning.
The bluefin tuna and the ikejime method
Those hundreds of experts included Nicola Ceravolo, a small merchant who had long been buying fish on the boats to sell them at markets. Years and years of experience and knowledge of the sea could not be thrown away just like that, so his son Pino and grandson Francesco started the company Marpescal, to continue this family tradition, to expand it and continually renew it. They were one of the first to discover new places to fish for bluefin tuna. “We really chased after the tuna!” Francesco recalls. Today, the company has the distinction of being the only one in Italy to fish for tuna using the Japanese method of ikejime, which can be easily recognized by the cut on the neck of the fish. This special technique blocks the nerve flow of the spinal column, halting the degradation process and thus preventing the quality of the flesh from being ruined by the spread of toxins. All subsequent steps, such as washing and gutting, are performed on board; this allows the appearance, smell and texture of the fish to remain as unaltered as possible. Finally, because of a large catch size with the longline fishing technique, they have extended the fishing periods and also facilitated reproduction. As a result, today this quick, dynamic and innovative company sells everywhere with complete traceability: to local restaurants such as Me di Giuseppe Romano (a recipe from this restaurant using their bluefin tuna follows), as well as to Milan and Japan, continuing a family tradition that, although in different times and ways, has been going on for more than 50 years.
Callipo
Not much introduction is needed for one of the largest tuna fishing enterprises in Italy. But if this has always been considered among large retailers to be one of the best around, there must be a reason. And the reason lies in the historic nature of this company, which planted its roots in 1913, when founder Giacinto Callipo was the first in Calabria and one of the first in Italy to introduce the canning of Mediterranean tuna, fished using a system of fixed nets. If, at one time, everything was done manually, today, with the help of new machines, things have changed, but not too much. In fact, for such a large enterprise, much of the work is still done by hand, in particular, by the hands of the women who have traditionally been doing the cleaning for years. But the choice not to outsource the production is a very specific one by Callipo, which has always taken great care to ensure the quality of this Made in Italy product. So if availability dictates that the majority of tuna now arriving is yellowfin from the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian oceans, it is also true that for 106 years all the production stages have continued in Calabria, creating jobs at the local level and giving people the possibility to stay.
A special recipe
There’s a perfect summer dish that tastes of Calabria more than ever and highlights a quality product like bluefin tuna. It is the excellent tataki, prepared by the renowned chef Giuseppe Romano with Tropea onion gelée, Reggio Calabria bergamot crumble and wasabi candys
4 servings: 10 oz bluefin tuna, 2 1/4 lb Tropea red onion, 3 tbsp apple cider vinegar, salt to taste, extra virgin olive oil, 1/3 tsp xantham gum mint
For the crumble
1/4 cup almond flour ,1/2 cup Italian 00 flour, 1/2 cup cold butter, 1/3 cup grated Grana Padano cheese, salt to taste, 1 bergamot ,wasabi candy
Instructions
In a mixer, combine the flours, the grated Grana Padano cheese, pieces of cold butter, rosemary and a little salt. Start the mixing blades for a few seconds, just long enough to create a grainy mixture. Spread it evenly on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake in a static oven at 320°F for 15 minutes (or in a convection oven at 285°F for 10 minutes). When the crumble is done, remove it from the oven and add the grated zest of the bergamot; let it cool.
Put the sliced onion in a pot with 1 quart of water, vinegar, salt and the mint, then let it stew until soft and fully cooked.
Purée it in a blender, then add the xantham gum and blend for a couple more seconds. Set it aside. In the meantime, cut the tuna into 3-ounce cubes and sear on a griddle for a few seconds on both sides, leaving the center with its natural color.
To plate the dish, put a spoonful of the gelée in the middle of the plate, top it with a cube of tuna, a little crumble and finally some crushed wasabi candy.
Calabrian wines
We suggest pairing this dish with one of the region’s best white wines, Lamezia DOC Vegano di Statti, a blend of 50% Greco bianco and 50% Mantonico, two vines native to the Lamezia area. Furthermore, the Statti cellar is one of the few, if not the only one in Calabria, to have a circular economy; that is, to have developed an entire system of recycling and recovery that also produces electrical energy, with only vegan wines, for a greener and more sustainable Calabria than ever.