Santoña Anchovies: Why They're the Best and Which Ones to Buy

Santoña: how a town of 11,000 inhabitants became the anchovy capital

The history of Santoña anchovies begins with an Italian name: Giovanni Vella Scatagliota. In the late 19th century, this Sicilian emigrant arrived in Santoña with the salting technique that Italians had perfected for centuries in the Mediterranean. What he found in the waters of the Cantabrian Sea was something he didn't have in Sicily: a larger, fattier anchovy with exceptional curing potential.

Vella didn't come alone. Between the late 19th and early 20th centuries, several Italian families settled in Santoña and in the coastal towns of Cantabria. They brought with them cocetas (cylindrical containers for salting), the technique of alternating layers of salt and fish, and long curing times. What they did was adapt a Mediterranean process to a superior Atlantic raw material.

The result was a product that did not exist before: the Cantabrian anchovy cured using the Italian method. In a few decades, Santoña went from being just another fishing village to becoming the epicenter of the anchovy canning industry in Spain. By the mid-20th century, the town had more than 40 active anchovy factories.

Today, fewer factories remain, but those that survive produce a product that is an international benchmark. Santoña anchovies are exported to Italy, France, the United States, and Japan. It is one of those rare cases where a small town defines a product on a global scale.

Are they really the best? Objective factors

The claim that Santoña anchovies are "the best" is debatable—there are excellent producers in the Basque Country, Asturias, and even Italy—but there are objective factors that explain why Santoña concentrates the highest density of quality production:

1. Proximity to the fishing grounds. Santoña is literally next to the areas where Engraulis encrasicolus enters the Cantabrian Sea during the May-June campaign. The fish arrives at the factories hours after being caught, in optimal fresh conditions. The freshness of the fish at the beginning of the process determines the final quality of the cured anchovy months later.

2. Concentration of know-how. More than 100 years of continuous production have created an ecosystem of knowledge: master sobadoras who have spent their lives filleting, technicians who know how to read the maturation of a coceta, specialized salt and oil suppliers. It is an industrial cluster comparable to Parma with ham or Bordeaux with wine.

3. Local competition. Having dozens of producers within a few square kilometers generates intense competition that raises the average level. A mediocre producer in Santoña has a harder time surviving than in a place without direct comparison.

4. The waters of the Cantabrian Sea. The anchovies that reach the coasts of Cantabria in spring have spent the winter in deep Atlantic waters. They arrive with maximum fat reserves, firm muscle, and a superior omega-3 fatty acid profile compared to the Mediterranean. The raw material is objectively better for long salting.

5. Industry certifications. Although there is no official European PDO, the Cantabrian anchovy producers' associations establish minimum processing requirements that guarantee a baseline of quality. It is not a guarantee of excellence, but it does ensure that the product has followed the artisanal process.

The master sobadoras: a profession in danger

The term "sobadora" (or "anchovy sobadora") refers to the women in Santoña factories who are responsible for cleaning, filleting, and packaging anchovies by hand. It is a traditionally exclusively female profession, passed down from generation to generation, requiring extraordinary manual skill.

An expert sobadora can fillet and clean over 1,000 anchovies a day. Each fillet must be separated from the central bone without breaking it, cleaned of skin and visceral remains, and arranged in the can with precise orientation. A poorly made cut or a broken fillet results in a second-rate product. The difference between a veteran sobadora and a beginner is visible in the uniformity and integrity of the fillets in the can.

The problem is that generational replacement is failing. New generations do not want to work in canning factories: salaries are not high, conditions are demanding (cold, humidity, repetitive hand work), and there are more attractive job alternatives. Some producers have already begun to partially mechanize filleting, but the result is not comparable to manual labor in terms of fillet integrity and product utilization.

When you buy a hand-filleted Santoña anchovy, you are also paying for the preservation of an artisanal craft that may disappear in one or two generations.

Santoña producers: a map of the sector

Santoña and its region concentrate the main producers of canned anchovies in Spain. A quick and honest map of the most relevant:

Ortiz: the most internationally known brand. Founded in 1902. Industrial scale production but with consistent quality controls. Good value for money in their standard line. Their premium line (El Velero, Reserva Familiar) significantly improves in quality. It's the "Coca-Cola" of anchovies: not artisanal, but it works.

Canneries with catering tradition: solid reputation in the catering sector. More intense flavor and meatier texture at comparable caliber. Limited distribution, which makes them less known to the end consumer but highly valued by professionals.

Designer gourmet canneries: premium positioning with careful packaging. Calibers 00 and 000 as the central focus. High and consistent quality. The price reflects the product and brand positioning.

Historic Santoña canneries: over 90 years of history. Milder, less salty flavor profile than other brands. A good entry point for those not accustomed to the intensity of artisanal anchovies.

Santoña preserves with quality seal: producers who work under the umbrella of sector associations. Quality guaranteed by the minimum requirements of these certifications. Generally more accessible price than individual premium brands.

Small artisans: there are dozens of small producers in Santoña and its surroundings who sell directly to the public in their stores, at local markets, or online. Many of them produce exceptional quality anchovies in limited quantities. The only way to discover them is by visiting Santoña or searching in specialized stores like ours.

The Santoña Anchovy Fair

The Cantabrian Anchovy and Preserve Fair is held annually in Santoña, generally in April or May, coinciding with the start of the fishing season. It is the reference event for the sector and a unique opportunity to:

• Taste and compare anchovies from dozens of producers in one place.
• Attend master sobadora competitions (anchovy filleting at speed and quality).
• Buy directly from producers at fair prices (generally 10-20% below the usual price).
• See the artisanal production process live.

If you can ever attend, do it. It is an educational and gastronomic experience that changes your perception of the product. After watching a sobadora fillet 50 anchovies in 5 minutes, you understand why a good can of anchovies costs what it does.

Santoña vs other origins: Basque Country, Asturias, Italy

Santoña does not have a monopoly on good anchovies. There are other origins that deserve attention:

Basque Country (Bermeo, Getaria, Ondarroa): its own canning tradition, with producers who work with the same Cantabrian raw material but with different process nuances. Basque anchovies tend to have a slightly different saltiness and use olive oil with a distinct profile. Quality comparable to Santoña in the best producers.

Asturias (Lastres, Candás): smaller production volume than Cantabria, but with high-level artisanal producers. Asturian anchovies are commercially less known, which sometimes translates into better value for money.

Italy (Cetara, Sicily, Liguria): the Italian anchovy tradition is the mother of the Spanish one (it was Italians who brought the technique to Santoña). Cetara anchovies (Amalfi Coast) are a global reference, but with a distinct flavor profile: Mediterranean anchovies are smaller, milder, with lower fat content. Not worse: just different. For colatura di alici (the liquid anchovy extract), Italy is unsurpassed.

Santoña's advantage is consistency at scale: it has enough good producers that the probability of finding high quality is greater than in any other origin. But don't make the mistake of assuming that "Santoña" on the label guarantees automatic superiority over any other origin.

Which Santoña anchovies to buy

Recommendations based on consumer profile:

If you are starting to explore: caliber 0 from Ortiz, a historic Santoña cannery, or a producer with a Cantabrian quality seal. Accessible price, reliable quality. This gives you the base to understand what a true Cantabrian anchovy is.

If you already know what you want: caliber 00 from an artisanal producer. This is where the real qualitative leap is. Our "00" Gourmet Selection anchovy is our recommendation for value for money in this segment.

If you want the full experience: buy a pack with caliber 0 and caliber 00 from the same producer. Taste them side by side with bread and olive oil. The difference will be clear in a single bite.

For gifting: a glass jar with caliber 00 or 000 anchovies has presence and quality. Let the packaging speak for itself.

Buy Santoña anchovies online

Buying Santoña anchovies online works well because the product is a stable preserve that does not need refrigeration during transport (when unopened). Points to consider:

• Shipping: verify that the seller ships under adequate conditions. Cans are sturdy, but glass jars need protection.
• Minimum orders: to make shipping worthwhile, buy several cans at once. Many online stores offer free shipping above a certain amount (at Bacalalo, for example).
• Stock freshness: anchovies in oil improve over the first 2 years. Don't worry about buying "stored product" online: if the production date is within the last 2 years, it is at its optimal point.
• Price comparison: always calculate the price per gram of drained weight, not per can.

Related articles: Complete Guide to Cantabrian Anchovies | Canned Anchovies: Types and Formats | The Best Anchovy Brands 2026

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