Cantabria

A narrow coastal strip beneath the Picos de Europa, where the cold, nutrient-rich Cantabrian Sea yields the finest anchovies in the world. Santoña is the undisputed capital of Cantabrian anchovy production, a town where the entire economy has revolved around the spring anchovy campaign for over a century. Fresh anchovies are caught from April to June when fat content peaks, then salt-matured in barrels for six to twelve months before hand-filleting and packing in olive oil. Producers including El Capricho, Don Bocarte, Angelachu, and Conservera Castreña represent the artisan standard. The region also produces bonito del norte, cockles, and clams. Cantabrian anchovies hold a protected designation of origin, and the best examples command prices that place them among the most expensive preserved fish in the world.