Ventresca means “belly” in Spanish and refers to the most tender and delicate cut of white tuna. Hand packed in fine fillets, these belly fillets are a delicacy prized by the most expert palates.

Country: Spain
Producer: ​Oritz

THE FLAVOR EXPERIENCE

Tuna bellies are notably the most tender and delicate section of the fish. Sourced from line-caught Bonito del Norte, the exquisite flavor of ventresca is in a category of its own when it comes to canned tuna. While Ortiz’s sustainable methods are beneficial to the environment they also maintain the flavor and texture of the fish that can otherwise be tainted during the stresses of net harvesting.

THE STORY

Joseph Collins first canned sardines in 1822 on France’s Atlantic Coast. Collins was playing off the recent and absolutely revolutionary bottling techniques of his colleague Nicholas Appert, and it didn’t take long for canning to become standard for sardine fisheries. The nutritional benefits of canned sardines cannot be understated. The calcium-rich bones of the fish dissolve during the canning process, leaving all that calcium available to your own body. Like many of our favorite preserved foods, canned sardines can improve over time, so stash a few cans away and save them for a special occasion.

USAGE TIPS

Make these fine fillets the star of a Niçoise salad, surrounded by olives, hard boiled eggs, boiled fingerling potatoes and haricot verts.