World's Best Anchovies 2026: An Honest Comparison by Origin

"Best anchovy in the world" is an easy phrase to sell but requires nuance. The anchovy that won the 2024 Santoña competition world final is not the same one you want to eat on an Italian pizza. This article compares 9 global origins with verifiable technical criteria, not national slogans. We tested in April-May 2026.

Anchoa, boquerón, bocarte: vocabulary before we start

Before judging brands, it's worth knowing what you're comparing:

• Anchoa (in Spain): fish salted and cured in dry salt for 6-22 months, usually in oil. An evolving product.
• Boquerón: the same fresh fish, marinated in vinegar or fried. Not cured.
• Bocarte: name of the fresh fish before processing (Cantabrian).
• Acciuga (Italy): Italian equivalent of "anchoa". Also salted and cured.
• Anchois (France): same concept. In Collioure, it is sold in a jar with dry salt, without oil.
• Peruvian Anchoveta: a different species (Engraulis ringens). Smaller, generally for fishmeal/oil, rarely for premium preserves.

What we popularly call "Cantabrian anchovy" is made from Engraulis encrasicolus, caught between April and June in the Bay of Biscay, and cured for 6 to 22 months. This is the world's leading category for cured anchovy fillets in oil.

Comparison methodology

Comparing Cantabrian anchovy with Peruvian anchovy is like comparing Iberian ham with prosciutto cotto: both are pork, but different categories. Still, the criteria are the same:

• Verifiable species and geographical origin: Engraulis encrasicolus vs ringens; traceable fishery.
• Salting time: 6-22 months (premium), 3-6 (standard).
• Manual or industrial bleeding/cleaning.
• Flavor: depth, salt balance, aftertaste.
• Texture: firmness of the fillet, absence of bone.
• Real price €/kg (drained, not gross).

#1 — Cantabrian Anchovy (Spain) — 9.5/10

Cantabrian anchovy is objectively the world's premium category for cured anchovy fillets in oil. Three factors support this:

1. Traditional fishing season (April-June) with anchovy of optimal size and fat content.
2. Long curing time (8-22 months) that deepens the flavor without losing texture.
3. Manual bleeding with a spoon, especially in Santoña, Laredo, and Zumaia.

Premium brands: Anchoa "00" Premium (Bacalalo/Leonardo, 22 months), Don Bocarte Serie Oro, Casa Santoña, Reina del Cantábrico, Yurrita. The "00" Premium we sell competes directly in this top tier.

Real price €/kg: 45-95€/kg depending on size and curing. For the detailed ranking, see our comparison of 12 Santoña brands.

#2 — Italian Acciughe (Sciacca, Cetara, Ligurian Cantabrian) — 8.8/10

Italy has three centers of excellence for anchovies:

• Cetara (Amalfi Coast, Campania): they produce "colatura di alici," the fermented liquid that is a culinary base in Naples. Cetara anchovies in salt or oil are excellent, small to medium sizes.
• Sciacca (Sicily): with anchovies from the central Mediterranean, medium curing, especially good with pasta and pizza.
• Ligurian Sea (Recco, Imperia): brands like Delfino or Recca. Premium product with anchovies from the Ligurian Sea itself.

Why aren't they #1? For two technical reasons: Mediterranean anchovy is generally smaller and less fatty than Cantabrian (the Mediterranean season does not have the concentration of the Cantabrian October-June), and Italian tradition places more emphasis on preservation in dry salt than long curing in oil. Both products are excellent, but different.

Where Italy wins: in pasta, pizza, focaccia, and as a melted ingredient in hot oil. Here, the small size and fresher flavor fit better than a Cantabrian 00 size.

#3 — Anchois de Collioure (France) — 8.5/10

Collioure is a village in the French Catalan Roussillon with a 7-century tradition of anchovy salting. The specificity: "Anchois de Collioure" has a PGI (Protected Geographical Indication), something Santoña lacks.

The typical product is very different: fillets in ceramic jars with dry salt and sometimes vinegar, without oil. They need to be rehydrated before eating. More saline and less creamy flavor than Spanish anchovy in oil. Brands: Anchois Roque, Desclaux. Price: 80-110€/kg.

When to choose Collioure: if you want a product with protected designation, secular tradition, and a more austere/saline flavor profile. It's not the option if you're looking for the creamy Cantabrian fillet in oil.

#4 — Adriatic Anchovy (Croatia/Italy) — 8.0/10

The Adriatic Sea produces small to medium-sized anchovies (alici), with Croatian (Drniš) and northern Italian brands. A decent product, with local fishing tradition, medium curing (4-8 months). More economical than Cantabrian or Ligurian (28-42€/kg). Good for daily culinary use; it doesn't compete with premium Cantabrian for toast consumption.

#5 — Peruvian Anchovy (Engraulis ringens) — 7.0/10

The Peruvian anchoveta (Engraulis ringens) is a different species. Smaller, oilier, caught in the South Pacific. Its historical use was fishmeal and fish oil for animal feed; in the last 15 years, Peru has developed a premium canning industry with brands like Don Anchoa, Vichayito, or Anchoveta del Pacífico.

The resulting product is very decent and honest in price (20-32€/kg), but the organoleptic profile is different: oilier, more robust, less delicate. For industrial culinary use (vermouth, salads, pizza), it is competitive. For toast consumption competing with Cantabrian 00 size, it doesn't quite measure up.

#6-9 — Other notable origins

• Morocco (#6, 6.8/10): large industrial producer. Moroccan anchovy often ends up in European private labels or large supermarkets. Low price (15-25€/kg), correct quality for intensive use.
• Argentina (#7, 6.5/10): Engraulis anchoita from the South Atlantic. Similar anchovy to European but with less tradition of premium curing. Much of the cheap "Spanish anchovy" is actually Argentine anchovy salted in Spain.
• California (#8, 6.5/10): Engraulis mordax. Small production, brands like Wild Planet. Correct quality, premium price, different profile.
• South Africa (#9, 6.0/10): Engraulis japonicus in Austral-African fisheries. Industrial product, rarely premium.

Comparative table by origin

Which to choose based on your use

• For toast with butter / pintxo / premium experience: Cantabrian, size 00 or 0. No other origin matches it.
• For pasta / pizza / focaccia: Italian Acciughe (Cetara, Ligurian). The fresher flavor and smaller size fit well in cooking.
• For cooking with dry salt and rehydration: Anchois de Collioure. Different tradition, more austere flavor.
• For colatura / culinary base: Cetara Acciughe. Italian colatura is a staple.
• For intensive use / restaurant with margin: Adriatic or Peruvian. Reasonable quality-price.
• For an international gift: Cantabrian size 00 is still the most internationally recognized.

Conclusion: the best anchovy depends on the use

Cantabrian anchovy is the global benchmark for cured anchovy fillets in oil. That is a technical fact: neither Italy nor France have the combination of traditional fishing season, long curing, and manual bleeding of Cantabrian anchovy. But "best" depends on the dish. Italian acciughe are superior for pizza and pasta. Collioure has PGI and a different tradition. Peruvian anchovy performs well at a reasonable price.

Honestly: if a customer asks us, "do you want me to buy the best anchovies for cooking Italian pasta?", we tell them to try Cetara, not our "00" Cantabrian. That "00" is for biting into on toast, not for melting in hot oil.

More resources: ranking of 12 Santoña brands, Cantabrian anchovy size guide, best gildas in Spain.

Frequently asked questions