Colatura di Alici di Cetara is an amber-colored liquid condiment, a direct heir to Roman garum, obtained from the maturation of anchovies under salt in wooden barrels of chestnut or oak. This "liquid gold" of the Costiera Amalfitana is produced in the small fishing village of Cetara following a procedure unchanged for centuries.
The anchovies, caught between March and July in the Gulf of Salerno, are hand-gutted, arranged in alternating layers with sea salt in wooden barrels (the "terzigni"), and covered with a wooden lid weighted down with stones. The slow maturation lasts at least 12 months, during which the liquid slowly filters through a hole at the bottom of the barrel.
The result is a liquid with an intense amber color, complex and enveloping flavor, rich in umami. Just a few drops are enough to transform a plate of spaghetti into a masterpiece. Cetara celebrates this product every December with a festival dedicated to it.
