Why are our Premium Selection canned foods so special and exclusive?
High-quality, traditional, exclusive, Galician, are just some of the adjectives that define Cortizo’s Premium Selection canned foods, each containing tradition and culture within a can. The production process respects the taste, smell and texture of the sea, meaning that you can savour that unmistakable flavour with each bite.
The secret of our Premium Selection canned foods lies in an excellent fresh product, a meticulous production process and the tradition and wisdom we have inherited from the locals in Rianxo, Galicia.
Rías Gallegas
The number one source of raw produce for canned foods, these coastal inlets have a long tradition in this field, as in the 19th century Catalan and Breton fishermen settled in the Rías Gallegas region in search of our sought-after products. From then on, the knowledge of local fishermen was boosted by the modern advances brought by the Catalans and Bretons, resulting in the worldwide fame of canned products from Galicia.
From a geographical point of view, the Rías Gallegas are the most characteristic feature of our coastline: stunning inlets which pierce the land and create a natural setting of huge ecological value where the freshwater of the rivers mixes with the saltwater of the sea. This provides a truly unique habitat for fish, crustacean and molluscs, reflected in their highly-renowned status.
The raw produce we use for our premium canned foods comes from the best waters, our beloved and incomparable Ría de Arousa and Ría de Noia. We are firmly committed to using local products and knowledge, thereby giving back to Galicia through the sale of fish and shellfish.
Fish and shellfish
Conservas Cortizo leaves no stone unturned when it comes to our Premium Selection, as we know absolutely everything about the fish and shellfish we use for our canned products, such as the ideal catch time and the waters from which they come.
The exclusive raw product we choose for our Premium Selection canned foods comes from the waters of Rianxo. In the case of pilchards, they are caught when they reach the greatest nutritional values, weight and levels of fat, which give them such an intense and sought-after taste. As they are sourced at their optimal time and only in certain months, the number of canned pilchards available is limited and exclusive.
Heading further into the waters of the Ría de Arousa, we come across ‘bateas’, huge wooden platforms of around 500 m2 on the water with hundreds of ropes for rearing mussels, where they grow and feed on plankton provided by the rich Galician waters, reaching the ideal size for you to savour all their taste.
Local catchers collect the mussels for our Premium Selection, and we then choose only the juiciest and most nutritional examples for our exclusive canned products that will make the mouths water of even the most discerning gourmand. Cortizo mussels hold the Protected Designation of Origin: Galician Mussels accolade, proof of their quality and source.
Shellfish collecting also takes place in the Rías Gallegas, a deep-rooted tradition carried out by local experts with years and years of experience. These men and women are highly skilled at collecting cockles, a shellfish that always proves a hit with foodies. This mollusc is collected when it reaches the perfect size and meets all the guarantees to satisfy the most discerning customers.
We only accept juicy, premium-quality and ultra-fresh examples to use in our canned products, respecting the flavour, aroma and texture of the raw material.
The process
The production process for our most exclusive and indulgent canned foods is entrusted to our most veteran experts. They know all the secrets of fish and shellfish, and are the only people who know how to treat them with the tenderness and care that they deserve.
The production of Premium Selection canned foods uses traditional manual processes, as in bygone times, carried out by locals from Rianxo. Each Premium Selection product contains a little piece of our region, our soul and our passion for canned foods.