Where is Papa Anzóis from?
Papa Anzóis is canned in the Algarve, in south Portugal. The Algarve is divided into two zones - the east (Sotavento) and the west (Barlavento) where Conserveira do Arade, the cannery that makes Papa Anzóis, is situated. For more than a hundred years this area was one of Portugal's major canning hubs, reaching its peak in the 1960s and 70s when the banks of the river Arade were home to 23 canneries. The economy there centred on canning, with 20,000 workers employed in the canneries, and then more in satellite industries: the fishermen, those working in olive oil and paprika production and in the metal work industry. But the early 80s saw tourism usurp canning. This, coupled with new stricter fishing quotas, meant that by 1994, with investors more interested in ploughing money into hotels, the river Arade's 23 canneries no longer existed, and only two remained in the eastern Algarve. That changed in 2015, when friends Manuel Mendes and Vincent Jonckheere founded Conserveira do Arade, the cannery behind Papa Anzóis. The idea of reviving the area's rich canning heritage was sparked in 2012 when Vincent visited Portimao's meticulously restored Hermanos Feu cannery (the original producers of La Rose). Papa Anzóis launched in April 2021. Manuel and Vincent's aim was to put a different spin on Portuguese tinned fish.
What makes Papa Anzóis tinned fish different?
Papa Anzóis canned sardines, mackerel and horse mackerel are not pre-cooked; the fish is dehydrated instead. The dehydration process takes around 20 hours, and replaces the steaming (and sometimes deep-frying) other canneries use. This makes the fish juicier and softer textured, it means more omega 3 oils and nutrients are retained and the skin is less prone to damage. The cannery that produces Papa Anzóis is the only certified artisanal cannery in mainland Portugal because it has less than 12 employees and the product is canned entirely by hand, apart from where machines are absolutely necessary such as for sealing the tins.
Is Papa Anzóis tinned fish sustainable?
The sardines are fished seasonally and to quota between May and November. Because Papa Anzóis work with small batches of fish they do not need large quantities of olive oil, lemons and peppers to complement the fish. This means that 100% of ingredients are sourced locally. In fact, the recipes are determined by what is available close by. A sustainable way round of doing things. The mackerel and horse mackerel are fished throughout the year, and like the sardines are fished purse seine. This allows smaller fish to swim free and avoids damage to the sea bed.
What does the name Papa Anzóis mean?
Papa Anzóis is the name of an infamous rock formation off the Algarve coast that drives fishermen to distraction. It means eater of fish hooks (Papa is Portuguese slang for eat, and anzóís means fish hooks). The name is lifted from an amateur fisherman's map that fell into Manuel's and Vincent's hands via a customer. The map shows where the fishing hot spots (the rock formations where fish congregate) are along the Algarve coast. Papa Anzois is situated 10 miles from the cannery.
