Cod vs Ametller Origin: Fish and Gourmet Online Comparison [2026]

Introduction: two philosophies of Catalan premium

Catalonia has an extraordinary gastronomic tradition, and its premium product offering continues to grow. Two brands that represent this Catalan gourmet universe are Ametller Origen and Bacalalo, but their proposals could not be more different in approach and specialization.

Ametller Origen originates from the agricultural world of Penedès and has built a chain of premium food stores present in dozens of locations throughout Catalonia. Its proposal revolves around freshness, organic products, and quality ready meals. Fish is one more category within its general offering.

Bacalalo, on the other hand, has been in Mercat del Ninot in Barcelona since 1990, exclusively dedicated to premium seafood products. It is a pure specialist: Icelandic cod, Cantabrian anchovies, Iranian caviar, smoked salmon, and gourmet preserves are its raison d'être.

When you're looking to buy quality fish and seafood online, understanding the differences between a premium generalist and a seafood specialist is key to making the best decision. Let's analyze both proposals with objective data.

Informative comparison based on public data. Prices and availability may vary.

Who is Ametller Origen

Ametller Origen is a Catalan family business founded by the Ametller family, originally from the Penedès region, one of Catalonia's most fertile agricultural areas. What began as an agricultural operation has grown into a chain of premium food stores with a presence in major Catalan cities.

Its proposal is based on several pillars:

• Fresh local produce: Fruits and vegetables from their own harvest and selected local producers. This is their star category and where their value proposition is strongest.
• Organic production: A significant part of their catalog is organic, with official certifications. Organic production is part of their DNA, not a marketing add-on.
• Ready meals: Dishes prepared in their kitchens with quality ingredients. From salads and soups to main courses and desserts. This is one of their most distinctive categories.
• Butchery, charcuterie, and fishmonger: Complete sections of fresh food, including fish and seafood.
• Artisan bakery and pastry shop: Sourdough breads and pastries made daily.

With over 40 physical stores in Catalonia (Barcelona, Girona, Tarragona, Lleida) and an online store with home delivery service, Ametller Origen has positioned itself as the premium alternative to conventional supermarkets. Its natural competitors are chains like Veritas (organic) or the premium sections of El Corte Inglés, not specialized stores in a single category.

For fish and seafood, Ametller Origen offers a selection of fresh and frozen products similar to that of a good high-end supermarket: hake, salmon, sea bass, gilthead bream, shrimp, mussels, and other standard items. It is a correct and quality offering, but it is not their main area of specialization.

Who is Bacalalo

Bacalalo was founded in 1990 in Mercat del Ninot in Barcelona, one of the city's most emblematic municipal markets. What began as a stall specializing in dried cod has become, more than 35 years later, a reference store for premium seafood products with an online presence throughout Spain.

Unlike Ametller Origen, which is a premium food generalist, Bacalalo is a vertical specialist in seafood products. Its entire catalog, experience, knowledge, and logistics are optimized for one thing: bringing the best seafood products to your table.

Its catalog is structured into specialized categories:

• Icelandic Cod: The foundational category. Loins, "pencas", "kokotxas", flakes, and more specialized cuts, all from traditionally cured Icelandic cod (Gadus morhua).
• Cantabrian Anchovies: A curated selection of the best artisan anchovies, including size 00 (the largest and most prestigious).
• Caspian Caviar: Iranian caviar of the best varieties (Beluga, Osetra, Sevruga), with full traceability from Iran.
• Smoked Salmon: Artisan smoked salmon of different origins and preparations.
• Gourmet preserves: More than 100 references from the best Spanish and European canneries.
• Smoked products: Trout, sardines, cod, eel, and other artisan smoked fish.
• Shellfish: Gooseneck barnacles, shrimp, prawns, and other seasonal shellfish.

The fundamental difference is this: while Ametller Origen knows a little about everything, Bacalalo knows a lot about one thing. Those 35 years of selecting cod, tasting anchovies, evaluating caviars, and negotiating with canneries translate into a selection criterion impossible to replicate by a generalist.

General comparison table

Note: data based on public information. Catalogs and prices may vary.

Compared fish and seafood catalog

This is where the difference between a premium generalist and a specialist becomes evident. Let's compare fish and seafood categories point by point:

Cod

Ametller Origen offers cod as just another item within its fishmonger. You can find fresh seasonal cod, salted cod in standard formats, and possibly some cod preparation in its ready-meal section. The origin of the cod varies depending on supplier availability.

Bacalalo offers more than 15 references of Icelandic cod, from whole 800g loins to special "pencas" for "pil pil," "kokotxas," premium flakes, sirloin, and shredded cod. Each cut is designed for a specific preparation, and the product sheet includes desalting and cooking tips. The origin is always Iceland, without exception.

Cantabrian Anchovies

Ametller Origen may include some anchovy references in its canned goods section, usually from industrial or semi-commercial brands. It is not a specialty category.

Bacalalo offers a curated selection of Cantabrian anchovies, including its flagship product: the 00 Gourmet Selection Anchovies, with the largest available size (fillets over 9 cm). In addition, it offers salted anchovies for those who prefer the purest product and want to clean them at home.

Caviar

Ametller Origen may offer caviar occasionally (Christmas, special dates), usually from commercial brands and with a limited range of varieties.

Bacalalo offers Iranian caviar of direct import, with varieties such as Beluga, Osetra, and Sevruga. Iranian caviar from the Caspian Sea is considered by many experts to be the best in the world, and finding it with full traceability in a Spanish online store is unusual.

Smoked Salmon

Ametller Origen includes smoked salmon in its refrigerated section, with a selection of commercial brands that may include quality options.

Bacalalo offers artisanal smoked salmon of different origins and smoking methods, selected with the criteria of 35 years of experience in seafood products. It is not commercial brand salmon; it is a curated selection.

Gourmet Preserves

Ametller Origen has a canned goods aisle that may include some premium references, but shared with standard preserves and drugstore products.

Bacalalo offers more than 100 gourmet preserve references from the best Spanish canneries: sardines, albacore tuna, belly tuna, mussels, cockles, razor clams, octopus, and much more. Each reference has been personally tested and selected.

Specialties of each store

It's fair to acknowledge that each store excels in its area of specialization. Comparing Bacalalo's preserves with Ametller Origen's fruits makes no sense: these are categories where each is clearly superior.

Where Ametller Origen shines

• Local fruits and vegetables: This is their foundational category and where their offering is unrivaled in the Catalan market. Seasonal, organic produce, often from their own harvest. If you're looking for a perfect tomato or Maresme strawberries, Ametller Origen is hard to beat.
• Quality ready meals: Their kitchen produces elaborate dishes with premium ingredients. From creams and soups to cannelloni, lasagna, and seasonal dishes. For those who don't have time to cook but want to eat well, it's an excellent proposition.
• Artisan bakery: Sourdough breads and pastries made daily in each store.
• Certified organic products: An extensive catalog of eco/bio products, consistent with their philosophy of sustainable production.
• Complete shopping: You can do all your weekly shopping (fruit, vegetables, meat, bread, dairy, ready meals) in one store.

Where Bacalalo shines

• Premium cod: 35 years of specialization in Icelandic cod. Specialized cuts, custom desalting, and expert advice that only a specialist can offer.
• Artisan anchovies: Selection in size 00 (the largest), salted anchovies, and deep knowledge of the differences between origins and producers.
• Iranian caviar: Access to premium varieties from the Caspian Sea with full traceability. A product difficult to find with these guarantees outside ultra-specialized stores.
• Author's gourmet preserves: More than 100 references personally selected, from artisan canneries in Galicia to producers in Cantabria.
• Depth of seafood catalog: If you're looking for something specific from the sea ("kokotxas," trout roe, smoked eel, belly tuna), Bacalalo almost certainly has it and can advise you on how to prepare it.

Product origin and quality

The issue of origin and traceability is where the differences between a generalist and a specialist become most profound.

Generalist Model (Ametller Origen)

A food chain, no matter how good, works with multiple simultaneous suppliers. The fish from Ametller Origen's fish counter can come from Mercabarna, Mediterranean fish markets, or importers, depending on the season and availability. This isn't inherently bad, but it means the origin can vary from week to week.

Ametller Origen applies its quality standards to all its products, and its reputation is at stake with every purchase. But its expertise lies in fruits, vegetables, and organic production, not in the particularities of the world of salted fish, Iranian caviar, or artisan anchovies.

Specialist Model (Bacalalo)

A seafood specialist works with stable and direct relationships with specific producers. Cod always comes from Iceland. Anchovies are always from the Cantabrian Sea. Caviar is always Iranian. There are no variations based on season or wholesale market price.

This consistency translates into several concrete advantages for the buyer:

1. Real traceability: You know exactly where each product comes from, always.
2. Accumulated expertise: 35 years of buying cod from Iceland generates product knowledge that cannot be improvised. Knowing how to distinguish a good batch from a mediocre one requires experience.
3. Expert advice: A specialist can tell you how many hours to desalt your piece based on its thickness, what cut to use for each recipe, or how to combine anchovies and caviar on an appetizer platter.
4. Specific negotiating power: A specialist who buys large volumes of a single category can access better prices and qualities than a generalist who buys small quantities of many categories.

Prices and Value for Money

Comparing prices between Ametller Origen and Bacalalo is complex because their catalogs barely overlap. Where we can make a direct comparison is in the few shared categories:

Fresh fish vs. Cured fish

Ametller Origen primarily sells fresh fish: fish counter pieces to be cooked the same day. Bacalalo primarily sells cured, canned, or smoked fish: products with a long shelf life and added value from processing.

They are different offerings. The price of fresh sea bass at Ametller Origen is not comparable to that of a cured Icelandic cod loin at Bacalalo: they are different products, processes, and gastronomic experiences.

Where comparison is possible: preserves and premium products

There is some overlap in canned goods and gourmet seafood products. Bacalalo's prices are consistent with the premium artisan range:

• Cod loin 800g: €19.90 (€24.87/kg)
• Anchovies 00 Gourmet Selection: €38.90
• Pil pil cod cheek 500g: €13.90 (€27.80/kg)

Ametller Origen may offer canned fish at lower prices, but these will generally be from more industrial brands or with a lower degree of craftsmanship. The price reflects the product difference.

The concept of total value

At Ametller Origen, the value lies in the convenience of a complete shop: you can do all your weekly shopping in one quality store. At Bacalalo, the value lies in specialization and expert selection: you pay for 35 years of expertise applied to every seafood product that enters their catalog.

Both models make economic sense. It's not expensive to pay for specialization when the result on the plate is appreciably superior.

Shopping and Shipping Experience

Ametller Origen

Ametller Origen's strength lies in its network of physical stores. With over 40 locations in Catalonia, you can go in, see the product, choose the pieces you want, and take them home immediately. The in-store experience is carefully curated: lighting, product presentation, friendly staff.

Their online store offers home delivery in selected areas of Catalonia. Coverage is not national, which limits the online option to residents in service areas. The minimum order and shipping costs vary by area and product type.

Bacalalo

Bacalalo has a physical store in Barcelona's Mercat del Ninot, where you can buy directly and receive face-to-face advice. But their online store is where the experience becomes democratized: shipping to all peninsular Spain, with isothermal packaging for products that require it and reinforced packaging for dried cod and preserves.

Bacalalo's online store includes detailed product sheets with origin information, weight, preparation tips, and recipes. The blog offers comprehensive guides on how to desalt cod, how to prepare a smoked fish platter, or how to preserve anchovies.

Key difference: geographical reach

If you live outside Catalonia, Bacalalo is the clear choice: it ships throughout the peninsula. Ametller Origen is mainly limited to Catalonia. If you live in Barcelona, you are lucky enough to have access to both: Ametller Origen for your fruit, vegetable, and ready-meal shopping, and Bacalalo for all premium seafood products.

Who is each store for?

Choose Ametller Origen if:

• You are looking to do a complete premium food shop in one place: fruit, vegetables, meat, bread, ready meals, and some fish.
• You prioritize organic and local produce, especially in fruits and vegetables.
• You want quality ready meals for quick and easy meals.
• You live near an Ametller Origen store and value in-person shopping with visible products.
• You are looking for fresh fish from the fish counter to cook the same day.
• You like the premium supermarket concept with a varied offering and a well-cared-for atmosphere.

Choose Bacalalo if:

• You are looking for premium seafood products with real specialization: Icelandic cod, Cantabrian anchovies, Iranian caviar, artisan smoked fish.
• You want a deep catalog of seafood products: more than 15 cuts of cod, dozens of preserves, multiple varieties of caviar.
• You value the expertise of a specialist with 35 years of experience selecting each product.
• You need shipping to anywhere in Spain, not just Catalonia.
• You prepare traditional recipes that require specific ingredients (cured cod for pil pil, 00-grade anchovies, kokotxas).
• You are looking for a high-end gastronomic gift (cod set, caviar box, selection of preserves).
• You want specialized advice on desalting, preserving, or preparing seafood products.

The perfect combination for those living in Catalonia

If you live in Barcelona or an area with an Ametller Origen store, the optimal strategy is clear: Ametller Origen for general shopping (fruits, vegetables, bakery, ready meals) and Bacalalo for all premium seafood products. They don't overlap; they complement each other. Your refrigerator will thank you.

Frequently Asked Questions

Conclusion

Ametller Origen is an exceptional premium food chain. Its offering of organic fruits and vegetables, quality ready meals, and artisan bakery products is unrivalled in the Catalan market. If you are looking for a quality supermarket for your complete weekly shop, it is an excellent option. But it is not a seafood specialist, and its fish and seafood catalog reflects its generalist status.

Bacalalo is the opposite: a vertical specialist with more than 35 years dedicated exclusively to seafood products. Its catalog of Icelandic cod, Cantabrian anchovies, Iranian caviar, and smoked salmon has a depth and selection criteria that a generalist, however good, cannot replicate. If you are looking for premium seafood products, Bacalalo is the natural choice.

It's not about choosing one over the other in absolute terms. They are complementary proposals that address different needs. The important thing is to know what you are looking for and go to the right place to find it.

Related guides

• How to choose the best canned fish
• How to assemble a perfect smoked fish platter
• Salt-cured anchovies: complete guide
• Smoked foods guide: types and uses