Rosamarina, delicious and controversial

Let me give you a little quiz. If someone showed you an unlabeled jar containing a relish of tiny fishes fermented in salt and chilies and asked you to guess where it came from, what would you say?

Thailand...
... Mexico maybe?

Wrong. Welcome to Calabria, Italy's chiliehead region. It is sometimes surprising for foreigners to find out how sparingly chili is used in Italian cuisine. Yet in Italy even dishes when this fiery ingredient comes into play, the amounts are almost homeopathic for those used to spicy cuisines. Until you get to Calabria that is.

Though it would be unfair to limit Calabrian cuisine to spicy heat -it has much more to offer, like a fantastic array of mushroom dishes- chili pepper is nonetheless king here. If spice or main ingredient, the heat is often kicked up a huge bit once you cross the region's boundary.

Among the many chili specialties hailing from Calabria, by far the most original and controversial is rosamarina. Also known as sardella, it is sometimes called "the Caviar of Southern Italy", maybe because it is as much in danger of extinction as the real caviar. Diamante on the Tyrrhenian coast and Cirò on the Ionic coast are the two main production centers, each clearly claiming to make the best product.

Which brings me to another question: would you eat this? For those who appreciate it, rosamarina is a real delicacy. Yet for others it is an ecological disaster in a glass. Researching for this post I found out much more than I actually wanted to know. I love rosamarina after all and facing the naked truth was not too pleasant.

This fish preserve is made by letting neonata, a particular kind of tiny fishes, ferment with salt and occasionally fennel seeds. Once this stage is over the fish is then mixed with plenty of dried chili flakes to obtain cream like product mainly used as a spread for bread -though it can be used to make quick pastas like aglio e olio with a twist. Hot, yet bearable, its fish flavor reminds delicately of anchovies.

What makes this preserve so controversial is the use of neonata. Neonata, meaning newborn, is actually a general name embracing a number of fish species, but which can be divided into two big groups: bianchetti, the larvae of sardines and anchovies, and rossetti, a minute species called Aphia minuta. Both are traditionally consumed in a number of Italian regions: in Liguria as minestra di gianchetti (bianchetti soup), as frittelle di neonata, neonata pancakes, throughout Southern Italy and last but not least on pizza coi cicinielli, pizza with neonata, a topping going back to the pre-tomato times. And in rosamarina clearly.

The real problem is that it is very hard to distinguish the two kinds of neonata if you do not know what to look for, and more often than not sellers and customers simply do not bother. And while eating rossetti is OK (I guess) the same does not hold true for bianchetti. It has been calculated that a kilo of these tiny baby blue fish could become up to 150 kg of adult sardines and anchovies. Given the progressive and dramatic impoverishment of the Mediterranean sea, it is clear how this is not only an ecological suicide but also a commercial one, especially since neonata does not fetch prices that are 150-times higher than sardines or anchovies.

There are further problems, which have more to do with Italy's poor ecological policies than else. Officially the fishing season for neonata is limited to a specific short time in winter, which should not hit the stocks of baby sardines and anchovies too hard. Unfortunately the fishing season is in practice much longer than what officially claimed, partially because of extensions given by port authorities bowing under the interests of the fishers, but also because of a certain amount of lack of control. In the past decades the use of technologies like sonar have made the situation even more dramatic, increasing the catch per boat.

Those who see no wrong in eating neonata, often play the "traditions" card to defend their opinion. They point out that these fishes have been part of the diet of Italy's coastline since centuries, without any major effect on fish populations and consider the pessimistic predictions of many experts as doom and gloom. Furthermore closing down neonata fishing would hit the meager profits or even the jobs of the few surviving Southern Italian fishermen. And then there are those who are well aware of the risks of eating neonata, but simply like it too much to resist... damned foodies!

While I can understand the reasons and fears behind these points I cannot help to ask myself what the consequences of a continued neonata fishing might hold. Would it be better to stop this kind of activity for a few years, with the hope of a brighter future in a few years time or fish "to death" reducing Italian anchovy and sardine stocks to near extinction? Better an egg today or a chicken tomorrow? For me it's bye bye to this delicious tiny fishes... at least until the situation gets better. But you can bet, as soon as that happens I'll be one of the first in line at the fishmonger's desk.

Comments

[wasabi]

fascinating. that's one thing about enjoying food. at a certain point, you simply have to be responsible. as a member and eater in a "developed" world, you have a huge impact on resources. trends aren't merely trends...especially when it comes to food, it will always leave an impact somewhere on the planet and in someone's livelihood.

good for you, alberto. glad to know there are folks who think about what they put into their mouths...

on another note, when i saw the photo, i gasped. Not in horror, but revelation. The rosamarina bears a striking resemblance to a lot of korean fish kim chi. Yes, i speak of kim chi, that pungent and spicy fermentation (i prefer, curing, thank you) of most notoriously cabbage. seafood is huge in korea and tiny fish are often part on the menu (the pacific, though larger in scale, too is succumbing its abundance to over-fishing). they take dried tiny fish, and add them to a kim chi mixture of dried red chile flakes, vinegar, garlic, salt and sugar and let it age.

it's texture is chewy, the flavor spicy, sweet, briny, and with a trace of that stuff now known as umami. it's like all the elements in one bite. it's deadly good with nothing but a mound of hot rice.

but yes, it looks gross.

[clare eats]

Damm,
I did not know this existed, but I know I would love it ( Have you had Sambal terasi?) but as an ecologist I can not eat it.. when this is going on... :( :( :(

[deccanheffalump]

This is so relevant especially to developing countries where food is not easily available and species may die out due to human need rather than choice.
Most tribals and fisher folk have their own traditional systems of preserving the forests or seas and species on which they depend for their livelihood though.But maintaining biodiversity is of real concern here in India.
Actually fish pickling is being encouraged in several areas in India as a value added product for fishing communities to raise their income.
We have some wonderful fish and prawn pickles especially from Goa, Mangalore Kerala and Orissa. Most use grown,large and oily fish as these preserve better.A hair raising amount of red chilli is a must and the picture on your blog looks amazingly like prawn pickle from Goa. Absolutely mouthwatering.
I have no record of Indian 'neonata' being used for pickle.
Also am a bit doubtful about herring, anchovies and sardines being endangered by the production of 'rosmarina' as this species "Clupea harengus harengus" (Atlantic herring) has been certified as well managed and sustainable.
It is true they were overfished at one time in the 1990's but the situation is stable today.
Do check on a great site for bio diversity of fish called "Fish Base" http://filaman.uni-kiel.de/search.cfm and also "Larval Base" http://filaman.uni-kiel.de/LarvalBase/search.cfm.
It would be a pity to stop eating a good old Roman pickle if it is not imperative.

[Alberto]

Wasabi, I love kimichi! A few years back, in the UK, I had a Korean colleague who would from time to time get food from home, especially kimichi. I got to know this preserve through him and after the first tongue searing experience I learned to appreciate the few different kinds he kindly made me try.

Clare, never had Sambal Terasi but I'll look out for it from now on, sounds tempting.

deccanheffalump thank you for the hindsight on biodiversity and food in India, I appreciated it very much. Concerning anchovies, sardines and sustainable fishing: if you look back at my post you notice I never used the word "endangered" but rather spoke of fish stocks, in particular those in the Mediterranean sea. I was not making a general point, rather talking about the very specific issue of the fishing situation in Italy. While the European anchovy (Engraulis encrasicolus) is not endangered, according to different sources (WWF but also a few more enlightened Italian fisherman associations) if the fishing pressure on this species remains to the levels it is today it is easy to foresee a collapse in fish numbers in the very close future.

[clare eats]

If you would like a recipe for Sambal Terasi I would be happy to supply one :)just email me at

clarexican at gmail dot com

[patrizia]

Just as you put it: rosamarina is a real delicacy and yet an ecological disaster. I tasted just one time, never had the occasion again since there and from there I remain with the whole question.
Thanks for you great blog
Patrizia

[Alberto]

Patrizia, thank you for your compliments. Glad you like the blog.

[Lucky]

Little fish? I love them. Check out my webblog too. I have a dish called "Sambal Ikan Teri". Ikan teri are tiny little anchovies. Sambal is Indonesian "salsa".

[joanna]

Where do I get this....thanks...email me at [email protected]

[Sardella Lover]

I've read that you can buy this in carrefour grocery stores in the regional specialties section. You should read the above article to make sure you really want to buy it though.

If you know of a mail order place that sells it, please post it here.