May, the month of the tuna
With the arrival of May on the Atlantic coast of Cádiz the great tuna celebrations begin. The bluefin tuna crosses the Strait during its migration toward the Mediterranean to spawn and during this way they meet the almadrabas of Conil, Barbate, Zahara de los Atunes and Tarifa. A three thousand-year-old art of fishing consisting of a group of networks that direct the tuna until its center, the sack, where they are captured during the ‘lifts’.
The silver giant is a reason of celebration and joy in these localities, that celebrate the arrival of its tasty and nutritious red meat at the port with gastronomical events, tapas tour and celebrations. Each with its special way of interpreting tuna.
In Conil the celebration begins with a contest of cooks during which restaurateurs prepare together their traditional and innovative proposals in the Escuela de Hostelería and present their dishes to a professional jury that values the taste and presentation and the techniques employed. Later, after a massive opening day during which they offer their dishes in small stand installed in Plaza Santa Catalina, it opens a month in which they include in their menu their best proposals prepared with the meat of the bluefin tuna of almadraba as a protagonist.
In Zahara de los Atunes in only five days more than 88,000 tapas of bluefin tuna were sold. A total of 39 restaurants in this small coastal town got the miracle with this culinary initiative that magnifies each year. Thousands of visitors who had come from different parts of Andalusia, from the national and even international geography were looking for the best snacks of bluefin tuna, prepared with sophistication, glamour and care in every detail.
And in Barbate the celebration is unleashed. A genuine gastronomic based tuna Fair. A score of booths are located in front of the Old Fish Market and in front of the place where decades ago used to focus all the tuna fishery as well as the thriving tinned activity. During five days, from May 21 to May 25, the best tuna was tasted in a festive atmosphere while it was developed a complete cultural program with cooking and theater demonstrations.
Some villages that celebrate the arrival of the tuna and the economic activity that this so traditional celebration generates. Celebrations of the flavor that pay homage to the palate.
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Inset: Raquel Nieto / Photos: Lola Morillo
