| Biological characteristics | – A marine species belonging to the small pelagic family that lives along the coasts and grows in wide banks. – Present in the Mediterranean Sea. – Usable biomass ≈ 4532T. – Fishing season: May – November. – Fishing Equipment: Pelagic trawl – lamparo or purse seine. – presented: * Fresh: entire, filleted, deboned and eviscerated. * Processed (salted, processed or canned). – Minimum commercial size = 9cm (usually between 12 and 15cm). |
| Presentation mode | – Fresh: small quantity. – Processed: salted anchovies, canned and semi-preserved anchovies in oil, marinated anchovies, anchovy fillets or also anchovy paste. |
| Packaging | – In metal box: iron, aluminium. – In liquid-tight glass jars. – In barrels. |
| Trade flow | – Anchovy processed in Tunisia, is mainly intended for export. – The destination countries are Italy, France and the United Kingdom. – As far as imports are concerned, Spain, followed by Italy and Argentina in 3rd position, are the main suppliers of the Tunisian industry of anchovies. |
| Anchovies around the world | – The main producers are Turkey, Spain and Italy. – The main consumers are Spain, Italy and Greece. – The main exporters are Argentina, Italy, Spain and Croatia. |
| The anchovy in Tunisia between the artisanal and the industrial | Tunisian have long integrated anchovies into their culinary traditions, and have transformed it into semi-preserved salted or pickled. However, this species has attracted Tunisian and foreign investors in recent years and the country has seen a whole processing chain set up in coastal areas. These manufacturers had the idea of canning the Mediterranean anchovy, much appreciated for its taste, and to offer a well-respected range of this fish. |
| What to prepare with anchovies? | Several culinary dishes are perfected with the authentic flavor of Tunisian anchovies, for example: – The olive tapenade, – Salad (tomato or potato) with anchovy fillets, – Tapenade with pepper and anchovy, – Anchovy puff pastry in oil, – Spaghetti with anchovies and eggplant. |
Tags: anchovy, canned fish, Fish
