An amber fermented anchovy liquid, dripped over spaghetti with garlic and oil. It is made in Cetara on the Amalfi coast from anchovies salted in chestnut barrels, and it is a direct surviving descendant of Roman garum.
It is a year-long ferment of raw fish under salt in a specific wooden barrel, where the salt ratio and the barrel’s own history are the method; Cetara producers sell it in small bottles for good reason.
What goes into it
- anchovies, headed and gutted
- sea salt
- a chestnut barrel — the terzigno
How it is made
Anchovies are layered with salt in a wooden barrel, weighted with a stone, and left for months. As the salt draws liquid out and the fish break down, the liquor rises; it is then drained through a hole in the base of the barrel, filtered back through the layers of fish, and collected. Traditionally the barrels are started in spring and the colatura drawn in December.
How long it takes: a minimum of a year in the barrel
How it is eaten
A spoonful stirred, off the heat, into spaghetti with garlic, oil, parsley and chilli — never cooked.
History
Made in Cetara on the Amalfi coast from anchovies salted in chestnut barrels, a direct survival of Roman garum.
Frequently asked questions
What is Colatura di alici?
Colatura di alici is a fermented & pickled from Italy: amber fermented anchovy liquid dripped over spaghetti with garlic and oil. Made in Cetara on the Amalfi coast from anchovies salted in chestnut barrels, a direct survival of Roman garum.
How is Colatura di alici made?
Anchovies are layered with salt in a wooden barrel, weighted with a stone, and left for months. As the salt draws liquid out and the fish break down, the liquor rises; it is then drained through a hole in the base of the barrel, filtered back through the layers of fish, and collected. Traditionally the barrels are started in spring and the colatura drawn in December. It takes a minimum of a year in the barrel.
Can I make Colatura di alici at home?
No, and the atlas gives no method for it. It is a year-long ferment of raw fish under salt in a specific wooden barrel, where the salt ratio and the barrel’s own history are the method; Cetara producers sell it in small bottles for good reason.
What goes into Colatura di alici?
Anchovies, headed and gutted, sea salt, a chestnut barrel — the terzigno.
How is Colatura di alici eaten?
A spoonful stirred, off the heat, into spaghetti with garlic, oil, parsley and chilli — never cooked.
