01
Chipirones rellenos
Price: 2.29 euros
Filled baby squid. The filling varies: from pieces of the squid itself to cooked rice. A single can usually contains three to four baby squid.
10 Spanish Canned Seafood Products Worth Trying
Not a fan of canned food? Try these. A simple, affordable snack and a classic of Spanish bars — and, above all, ready-made protein food you can find in any grocery store. La Cotorra has put together a top list of canned goods from different supermarkets.
By the way, canned food contains almost no preservatives, since it's preserved by airtight packaging and heat treatment. The sauces for seafood and fish vary widely: from vegetable oil to marinara with wine, onion, and tomatoes, to vinegar-based marinade (escabeche). You'll often see numbers on the packaging, like 20/30. This indicates the number of pieces of seafood in the can: the smaller the number, the larger the mussels (or other seafood), for example. Shall we open one?
02
Hígado de bacalao
Price: 1.99 euros
The familiar cod liver. Comes plain or smoked (ahumado). A superfood rich in Omega-3, vitamins A, D, E, iodine, and iron. You can eat it on its own, add it to a salad, or mix it with boiled eggs and serve it on toast.
03
Potón
Price: 2.69 euros
Sometimes looks like an octopus, but it isn't. Inside the can, you'll find pieces of tentacle from the large Humboldt squid. Dense flesh that can be eaten on its own or added to a salad.
04
Berberechos
Price: 3.20 euros
Cockles, shelled. More delicate in flavour than mussels. Can be eaten straight from the can with a squeeze of lemon.
05
Mejillones
Price: 2 euros
Shelled, ready-to-eat mussels. A source of iodine, zinc, and iron. Most often sold in their own juice (al natural) or in a vinegar marinade with paprika (en escabeche).
06
Sardinillas en tomate
Price: 1.65 euros
Small sardines in tomato sauce. Somewhat reminiscent of sprats in tomato sauce, but milder flavour.
07
Zamburiñas
Price: 2.39 euros
Small scallops. In cans, they're most often sold in vieira sauce — based on tomato, onion, and spices. Usually eaten as a standalone snack.
08
Navajas
Price: 5.45 euros
Razor clams — "knives," long bottom-dwelling molluscs with a firm texture. They're tricky to prepare at home because of the large amount of sand inside them. Some sand can occasionally turn up in the canned version too, since navajas are hard to clean thoroughly. A delicacy among Spanish seafood.
09
Almejas
Price: 6.99 euros
Vongole — bivalve molluscs known from the Italian dish pasta alle vongole. Shelled and fully ready to eat.
10
Anchoas/Boquerones
Price: 1.11 euros
The same fish, prepared two different ways. Boquerones are marinated in vinegar, which turns them white. Anchovies are salted and cured for longer, giving them a darker, pinkish colour. You can eat them just as they are, or build the iconic "Gilda" snack from an olive, an anchovy, and a pickled hot green pepper.
