Estupeta de Atum

Description: Product resulting from the wet salting of tuna pieces. It has a dark brown color, firm consistency and its own salty flavor.

Region: Algarve.

Special feature: Salted tuna, in pieces.

History: Various investigations over the years allow us to conclude, based on the construction characteristics of the salting tanks and the archaeological horizon that accompanies them, that the salting activity was carried out in the Lusitanian-Roman period and, supposedly, also the preparation of this product. Tuna in this region is, in practice, fully exploited. Thus, the fish that is not good for the muxama, will be good for the estupeta. Its less noble parts, such as bellies, head muscles and fins, are used for simple salting.

Use: Estupeta is the main ingredient of a cold salad, very typical in the Algarve, which is prepared with tomato, pepper and previously soaked estupeta.

Know-how: It is made of muscle trimmings, resulting from the separation of muscle masses and sangacho in the muxama shaping. The preparation begins with washing in brine to release the blood, followed by dry salting and then immersion in the sinks (tanks) where the pieces remain for about 30 days, more and not less.

Source: Produtos Tradicionais Portugueses, Lisboa, DGDR, 2001