Less than a month after celebrity chef Lidia Bastianich revealed to the Wall Street Journal that Colatura di Alici was her magic ingredient, another HUGE food authority Chef Michael White praises Colatura di Alici and says to the same WSJ (what kind of coincidence is that???):
“In my kitchen, I need to have Colatura di Alici, which is anchovy juice that comes from Cetara. I hate to use this word, but it’s one of these ‘umami’ foods. It has an all-encompassing flavor profile, amazing in soups or tomato sauce.”
At Gustiamo, we really LOVE Colatura and part of me wishes Colatura becomes the new Balsamico in America. On the other hand, part of me wishes not. In fact, with fame, a beautiful product like
Aceto Balsamico has become a disgusting sweet colored liquid in grocery stores and supermarket shelves. Conclusion: Let’s keep Colatura a secret. Agree???
Thank you Michael J. White for saying to The Wall Street Journal that YOU NEED TO HAVE COLATURA D’ALICI IN YOUR KITCHEN!!! After Lidia Bastianich revealed to the same paper that Colatura is her MAGIC ingredient, this is another wonderful endorsement!!!
Are you a chef and would like to know more about Colatura? Call our office to chat at 718 860 2949!
this is the same stuff that the asians sell as fish sauce. The Vietnamese use it on everything.
its liquid from salted anchovy. I have been using it for years in my Italian cooking.
its basically the same thing for about $2 to 3 dollars for a BIG bottle.
Just doesnt have that fancy Italian name. lol
Ciao DAC! Yes, there is a fish sauce you can find at very low price in the supermarkets (there is also tons of Balsamico, out there!), but it is really not the same thing. Colatura is made from ONLY anchovies caught in Cetara; the anchovies are cleaned and salted with sea salt from Trapani and put in a chestnut wood barrel for at least 6 months in a dark and cool place; then the liquid come out, drop by drop, from a hole in the bottom of the barrel. Did you try the real Colatura? WIsh you did. Friends who are familiar with Oriental cusine, say that they also prefer colatura: It is much stronger and clear in taste; the result on dish, they say, it is incredibly different. Did you try our colatura? Grazie for writing!
Yes Beatrice…. like balsamico there are asian brands that have been mucked up by people after a quick buck.
BUT…. as with the Italian culture … there are Vietnamese that make the fish sauce the right way.
its a question of knowing what brand to buy.
i have not had the colatura but when i have an extra $27 i dont need…. i’ll try it.
till then…. i’ll stick with the right brand of asian fish sauce for that little something extra in my
italian dishes.
But you are right…. it DOES add a REAL depth of flavor.
I’m sure there are producers who do a good job and make an excellent fish sauce in Vietnam. Although the fish sauce originates in the Roman Empire, when it was called Gaurum. Colatura is million times much better!
I get very suspicious when friends tell me that they bought something at a very low price.
$2 for anything edible is not possible, in my opinion.
Ciao e grazie for talking to us.
it depends on which Balsamico we’re talking about…
OK Beatrice…..what ever you say. lol
the good Vietnamese stuff though is not $2 a bottle…. more like 3… or 4. maybe 5 in some places. lol
but… no more than that.
you know as well as i do that some good things in this world do NOT cost and arm and a leg.
and thats most certainly a truth.