Nettuno Colatura Anchovy Sauce – Cetara, Campania, Italy - 3.3 oz

Most Colatura di Alici is little more than insipid salt broth with less character than a cheap bottle of Vietnamese fish sauce. It’s so easy to get swindled purchasing these adorable little colorfully-labeled bottles of expensive elixir -- especially since there is a LOT of profit to be made exploiting consumers’ ignorance of the product. This review will tell you what you need to know. Let’s start with perfection and then work backward to show you how some manufacturers corrupt it into a lesser product with a higher profit margin.The highest quality colatura di alici uses only fresh-caught anchovies that are individually beheaded and eviscerated by hand without damaging the skin or flesh, carefully layered inside a small wood barrel in a cross-stack pattern with just the right amount of good-quality sea salt between each layer, and carefully weighted using a tamper that leaves the edges open to the air. This barrel is then placed in a temperature- and humidity-controlled room to age for many months, during which time the clean flesh of the anchovy is transformed by the mineral-rich sea salt into an umami factory from which precious colatura leaches out into the surrounding salt. The precise stacking pattern of the fish and salt in the barrel creates a natural filter through which gravity pulls the colatura until it reaches the bottom. Once there, it ages slowly for about a year to a year and a half. Then a tiny hole is made in the bottom of the barrel and the aged colatura slowly drips into a glass jar. Because of the gentle manufacturing, filtering, and aging processes it is not over-saturated with salt, therefore no salt precipitates out into the liquid and no residual salt can enter the collection jar. This is perfected colatura di alici -- the naturally-leaked extract of anchovies.By contrast, the lowest quality colatura dumps massive quantities of whole anchovies -- heads and guts intact -- into huge mixers that churn it together with 50-pound bags of salt and some water to accelerate the process, and then dump the whole mess into massive containers of concrete or stainless steel. They let this sit for a few weeks at whatever temperature the season provides, and then they process the product by combining whatever runs off from the solids with a lot of extra water and shovelfuls of the now-pinkish salt from the container. The finished product has so much extra salt in it that it precipitates out into the bottle. And while the finished product tastes like it was derived, after a fashion, from anchovies, it is a flat, single-note flavor profile with very little complexity and so much salinity that the salt is all you will think about. This is low-quality colatura di alici -- the over-salted, watered-down forced extract of anchovies, their bitter gills, and the acrid fecal waste stored in their intestines.Most colatura di alici falls somewhere between these two extremes. The difference in the finished dish of food is remarkable, and instantly tells you that the additional money you spent on the top quality stuff was more than worth it -- especially if, like me, you’ve tried a few of them side by side, both by themselves and in expertly-prepared cuisine.The winner, hands down, was Nettuno.I had already seen their entire production process on video (go to their website and see for yourself) after I had researched colatura di alici in general, and was impressed with the old-world handcrafting and attention to each individual fish of the millions they process each year. My first side-by-side comparison was Nettuno against Sapori Di Mare. I bought the Sapori product from another vendor for $17.98 (includes shipping), and I bought the Nettuno product from Amazon for $32.25 (includes shipping). The difference in price for the Nettuno was 1.8 times that for the Sapori, but the difference in flavor was infinitely more than that. So much so that it provoked a “Wow!” from me. I don’t feel like I wasted my money on the Sapori product, but I will not be purchasing it again because the Nettuno is such better flavor and complexity.The Sapori product had two indications that it was not as high a quality product as the Nettuno: precipitated salt (a lot of it) and “water” in the list of ingredients. Both of these were readily apparent the moment I followed up a taste of a few drops of the Sapori with an equal amount of the Nettuno.So that’s the story of why not all Colatura di Alici is the same, what to look for when judging the product, and a go-to brand choice (Nettuno) if you’re in a hurry and just want the best you’re most likely to get for under fifty bucks. I hope this helps.By the way, here’s a recipe of mine you may like:1 egg yolk1 teaspoon Colatura di Alici1 teaspoon roasted garlic, mashed to a paste1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oilHalf teaspoon aged balsamic vinegar1 teaspoon chopped Italian parsleyQuarter cup (loose) grated Pecorino RomanoQuarter teaspoon freshly and finely ground black pepperIn a mixing bowl, stir the ingredients with a fork to combine.Boil 2 ounces of spaghetti or spaghettini (secco, not fresca) just to al dente and then immediately drain -- retaining a little of the cooking water back in the boiling pot -- and add the pasta to the mixing bowl containing the sauce ingredients.Using the same fork, swirl and toss the pasta in the sauce until it thickens and coats all the pasta. Add VERY LITTLE cooking water, if necessary, to thin it to a manageable consistency.Plate, and then scrape the remaining sauce from the mixing bowl over the pasta.Grate over some additional Pecorino Romano and then serve immediately.

I am loving this fish sauce! The sauce is good quality, with an excellent smell. I have been adding this sauce to my homemade salad dressing, and I am happy with the result. This sauce gives my dressing the added kick that I love, without the over saltiness of other fish sauces I have tried. I believe the producer puts honest effort into their product. The cork is easy to move and replace. The bottle came wrapped and shipped with care, with a lovely note from the seller. I plan to purchase this fish sauce again. I am happy with this product.

This is real deal. Congrats to the GUSTIAMO TEAM running this amazing project from the Bronx. We have been to Cetara, a small fishing village on the Amalfi coast, too far south for most tourists to go. Gennaro, now a local celebrity, cooked up pasta with their Colatura di Alici for us 25 years ago. Italy is filled with little gems like this, but not all of them can be exported with integrity. Gustiamo is doing the best job bringing the gems of Italy to the US with integrity and authenticity. For us Colatura has become a pantry staple. Get a bottle, search up some recipes and be transported.

While this product certainly has many culinary uses, I use it to impart that amazing UMAMI quality to both my gin martinis and my vodka martinis! MAGNIFICO! TWO THUMBS-UP to this amazing company, the Gusti Team! As someone with 50% Italian heritage, I'm so appreciative for the availability of this amazing Italian product. Godere!

This is a really wonderful product. It adds a complex, rich and delicious taste to sauces and dressing.

I have purchased a lot of highly rated fish sauce and this is by far the BEST! Prepare a lot of asian dishes/soups and cannot wait to putthis in everything. Delivery was quick and well packed. Highly recommend this product and provider.

I've had a few fish sauces before, but this one is absolutely on another level. It comes in an olde-timey glass bottle with a thin neck. This is convenient and not too restrictive at pouring small amounts at a time. The sauce is a beautiful amber color and has a straightforward scent of anchovies, not foul at all. If you've ever had Red Boat, this is a similar flavor profile and scent, but very refined, less salty, less bite, buttery and smooth. It is a gentle, mellow and rich version almost like sipping aged Red Boat on a deluxe leather couch. If you already love that sauce, this one is sure to please. 7/5 rating - This taste is more than I hoped for and I will savor every drop. Arrived well-packaged in A REAL BOX!! No damage.

Great flavor. Excellent customer service. Timely delivery and professional packaging. Consider me a new fan of the Gustiamo team.