Contents
July. Summer. At this time of year we are only thinking of bathing in crystal clear waters or, at best, looking at the sea from the beachfront. However, the list of luxuries that the sea provides us is much longer. Why limit yourself to two if you can have ten other super unique experiences that taste like salt? We make a list of the best marine and underwater pleasures, giving in passing some advice on how and where to enjoy them.
Savor the light of the sea in Aponiente
El chef Ángel León He has spent the last ten years intuiting, scientifically demonstrating and making the infinite richness of the sea edible, something that has earned him the nickname of chef of the sea. His latest milestone has been to bring the natural phenomenon of marine bioluminescence to his restaurant Aponiente, two Michelin stars located in a tidal mill in El Puerto de Santa María. Bringing the light emitted by some marine beings to communicate, defend, hunt or reproduce has been Leon’s obsession for five years, until he finally found an Asian crustacean that, when freeze-dried and then hydrated, makes it possible to reproduce this magic all the time. that one wants. Now the light of the sea is part of a very exclusive experience and out of letter from Aponiente. Customers who wish, can go to a room attached to the restaurant where a member of the crew explains the details of the project. Turn off the lights.
Oysters
Oysters have been considered a delicacy since ancient times. Count the Marquesa de Parabere in his History of Gastronomy that the Romans served them raw or cooked and seasoned with garum, a delicatessen made from fermented viscera and fish blood. If we are not made for such strong recipes, it is better to have a pinch of white pepper, lemon, butter and rye bread on hand, which is how this delicacy is usually tasted. Tradition advises eating oysters in the months that have ‘r‘, that is from September to April. They should be bought alive, with the shells closed or that close when touched and checking their “pedigree” to avoid bad surprises. Once opened, they have to be filled with water and have a subtle smell of the sea.
Wine aged under the sea
Few objects are able to evoke the idea of luxury like wine bottles that survive a shipwreck. In these lost bottles is inspired the project of the Bodegas Crusoe Treasure, which are dedicated to making limited edition red wines aged under the sea. After a first period on land and in American oak barrels, the bottles are transferred to a cellar located and solidly anchored at a depth of 20 meters below the surface of the sea in the Plentzia Bay, Vizkaya, in the Cantabrian Sea. The wines Crusoe Treasure can be purchased on the winery’s own website and in specialized stores for a price that around € 70. There is also the possibility of getting to know this unique adventure up close through visits that include tastings both in the winery and by boat and, for the bravest, a guided dive to the depths of the sea where the wines rest.
Caviar
Beluga, Osetra, Sevruga, Kaluga they are music to the ears of luxury lovers. Caviar, that is, the roe of sturgeon females, has always been a delicacy available to few. The sturgeon moves between fresh and salty waters, but it is said that a quality caviar has to give off a mild aroma and taste of the sea. The most expensive variety in the world is obtained from the roe of the albino beluga sturgeon from the Caspian Sea (which is a salt lake): 100 gr of this delicacy can reach 3.000 euros. Caviar is rigorously tasted without lemon and with a mother-of-pearl or bone spoon, as a metal one would alter its flavor. Luxury has its rules.
Sea urchins
A menacing black shell full of spikes and an intense orange heart whose flavor is pure sea. Sea urchins are a delicacy that is difficult to accessTo fish them you have to be experts and opening them requires some skill, but this only increases the value of the experience. They are eaten raw or in coolies to flavor sauces, soufflés or accompany seafood. Especially well matched is the marriage with the egg: in the restaurant The Other Mustache, located in the center of Otranto, one of the jewels of southern Italy, they serve a splendid sea urchin carbonara. A classic of the best Italian cuisine with one of the most intense products of the sea. Luxury squared.
Sea water beer
Expensive, blonde, artisanal, unfiltered, unpasteurized and without bubbles. Outside I could sow a beer “indie” normal and ordinary, but Er Boqueron has something that makes it special: it is the first and only beer in the world made with sea water. It is part of the range of products gathered under the Mediterranean seal, an Alicante company that sells sea water suitable for food and cooking. Through microfiltration, sterilization and purification processes, seawater thus becomes an ingredient that adds flavor and, above all, minerals and trace elements (no less than 78) to all types of processing.
Ibiza salt flower
We know that a few million years ago, the earth’s surface was hidden under the sea and the fact that salt can be extracted both from the sea and from the rocks of the Himalayas is proof of this. Pyramid Salt from Cyprus, Red Salt from Hawaii, Kala Namak, Pearl Salt from Namibia are some of the alternatives to salt common to add flavor, texture and dozens of trace elements to dishes. Of all, we are left with the Flower of Salt of Ibiza that comes from the thin layer of crystal that forms during the summer on the surface of seawater in the salt flats of the natural reserve of the Ses Salines Natural Park of Ibiza. Each crystal is collected by hand and allowed to dry for a year with the help of the sun and the wind alone, which adds a point of humidity to this pink jewel whose price is one hundred times that of common table salt.
Mediterranean bluefin tuna
Every year in spring, bluefin tuna go a long way from the Atlantic to the warm waters of the Mediterranean coast to reproduce and is capable of traveling up to 200 kilometers per day reaching a speed of 80-90 km / h. The trap is one of the techniques used to capture these wonderful specimens that can measure up to 2 meters and weigh 250 kilos. With an intense ruby color and a texture similar to that of meat, bluefin tuna is perfect to eat raw or in tataki. A jewel whose high value depends on its unique characteristics and also on the moderation with which it must arrive at our tables. A necessary measure if we want to protect this species and continue to enjoy its flavor for a few more centuries.
Salicornia, an explosion of the sea
Fish, crustaceans, mollusks. The wealth of flavors provided by the sea is so wide that we almost forget how green it is. The seaweed, for example, they are a true nutritional treasure (they are rich in minerals, trace elements, vitamins and proteins) and a valid alternative food resource. Out of the water, on the coast, the salicornia represents an exceptional marine snack. A small fleshy plant with a bean-like texture, the glasswort or horn of salt, explodes in the mouth spilling a salty juice. It is eaten raw, cooked and pickled. The Portuguese house of gourmet products Valley House markets a salicornia flour as an alternative to salt to enhance the flavor of dishes.
The best sushi in the world
Raw fish and rice. Can such a simple recipe entail so much wisdom, technique and flavor? For those of us who live in this part of the planet, sushi represented a cultural revolution a few years ago only comparable to that of the Internet. This incredible bite whose perfect size is close to 6 cm – in this way it fits whole in the mouth without breaking it with the teeth, something that is strictly prohibited – is the marine luxury par excellence. The best sushi restaurant in the world is run by the legendary Jiro Ono, 91 years old and three Michelin stars. It only seats ten people and exclusively serves a menu of twenty pieces of sushi for 232 euros (without taxes). This world sushi mecca also has an unusual location: it is located in the metro station of Ginza en Tokyo.