Anxova de l'Escala
Protected-origin anchovies salt-cured at L'Escala on the Costa Brava, filleted and eaten whole on bread — dark, firm and deeply savoury.
Anxova de l'Escala is the salt-cured anchovy of L'Escala, a fishing town in the Alt Empordà on the Costa Brava, carrying an IGP (protected geographical indication). Fresh anchovies are packed in salt and left to cure for months, turning firm, dark and intensely savoury — a world away from the pale, vinegar-marinated boquerones. The cured fillets are the traditional partner to pa amb tomàquet and a glass of vermut. When the fresh fishing window opens in the warmer months, the same fish is also eaten lightly grilled or marinated.
How it's served
Salt-cured fillets laid over pa amb tomàquet with a glass of vermut; in summer the fresh fish is briefly grilled or marinated.
- Origin
- L'Escala, Costa Brava, Catalonia
- Etymology
- Anxova is Catalan for anchovy; L'Escala is the Empordà fishing town famous for salting them.
Frequently asked
What is the difference between anchoa and boquerones?
They are the same fish treated two ways. Anchoa (Catalan anxova) is salt-cured for months into firm, dark, savoury fillets. Boquerones are marinated in vinegar into soft, pale, tangy ones. L'Escala is famous for the salt-cured version.
How are L'Escala anchovies eaten?
Classically as a salt-cured fillet over pa amb tomàquet — toasted bread rubbed with tomato and oil — with vermut. In the fresh season they are also grilled briefly or marinated.
Related terms
- AnxovesCured anchovies, packed in salt or olive oil. The two great Spanish traditions are anxoves de l'Escala (Catalan) and anchoas del Cantábrico (Basque/Cantabrian).
- BoqueronesFresh anchovies in two classic Spanish preparations: white in vinegar (boquerones en vinagre) or whole and deep-fried (boquerones fritos). Different fish from cured anchoas.
- Pa amb tomàquetCatalan bread rubbed with garlic and ripe tomato, finished with olive oil and salt. Comes with almost every meal.
- VermutAromatized fortified wine. In Barcelona it doubles as a midday social ritual: a glass of vermouth on tap, an olive, a snack, around noon.