CUCA - Premium canned fish & seafood

CUCA ON JAPANESE TV

2012-01-24T10:17:00.001+01:00

Mr. Kurokawa, Japanese expert in canned food, introduces the CUCA products on the Japanese national television.

DEAN & DELUCA - SEOUL

2011-11-25T09:07:00.005+01:00

Now you will find our products at the Dean & Deluca shop in Seoul, South Korea.

The address is 19-3 Banpo-dong, Seocho-gu, Seoul 137-040, Korea.

Enjoy!

FROM FRANCE

2011-11-14T17:41:00.004+01:00

One of the best French web sites for exclusive canned food recommends some of our best products: Delicias del Mar and our products in Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil.

Please check by clicking here

FREE OF TRANS FATS

2011-09-30T11:05:00.003+02:00

All the products of Conservas CUCA are free of trans fats. But... What are trans fats?

Check this article from http://www.transfatfree.com:

Trans fats are a group of fats that, like saturated fats, cause an increase in dangerous LDL cholesterol and raise the potential for heart disease. Trans fats are found in many of the processed foods on the market. The dangers of trans fats, which are also called trans fatty acids, have only become apparent in recent years and government agencies, food manufacturers and consumers are all reacting to the news.

The makeup of trans fats

Chemically, trans fats appear like unsaturated fats – the fats that are healthiest for the human body. However, once trans fats are consumed, they act very much like saturated fats. Saturated fats and trans fats both increase the amount of LDL (low-density lipoprotein) cholesterol in the blood. An increase in LDL cholesterol can in turn increase an individual's risk of heart disease.

So, how are trans fats made?

Trans fats are produced naturally in some dairy foods and beef, but they are only present in these foods in very small amounts. Most trans fats are found in partially hydrogenated or hydrogenated oils. The process of hydrogenation removes some of the essential fatty acids of oil and changes the way it reacts.

Why are oils hydrogenated?

The process of hydrogenation is used to extend the life of fats and oils in food products. Partial hydrogenation makes oil solid; it converts oil into products like vegetable shortening and margarine. In the process, the more healthful polyunsaturated fatty acids are removed. These healthy fats have shorter shelf lives and are not as durable when exposed to high temperatures such as those encountered during deep fat frying.

The human body does not need trans fats. Nutritionally, they do nothing for us and can be entirely replaced by healthy fats and oils in the human diet. The use of products containing trans fatty acids has been entirely driven by food manufacturers due to the longevity of these fats for use in processed food products.

SARGADELOS / DELICIAS DEL MAR

2011-09-19T17:34:00.007+02:00

Sargadelos is one of Europe’s most unique porcelain design and creation companies, with more than two hundred years of history closely linked to the development of Galician culture in all spheres of creativity.

Cuca is the flagship of Galician and Spanish tradition in canned fish.

By melting both ideas we obtain DELICIAS DEL MAR, the best CUCA products under the design of SARGADELOS.

The range of DELICIAS DEL MAR can be found in the most prestigious boutiques around the world in United States, Australia, Japan, Mexico, France, Switzerland, Belgium and UK.

More information about Sargadelos here.

Find all the information about our range DELICIAS DEL MAR here

INTERNATIONAL SHOWS IN OCTOBER

2011-09-14T09:26:00.011+02:00

Conservas CUCA will be present in two important international shows during the month of October: ANUGA and the SPAIN GOURMET FAIR.

ANUGA will take place from the 08th to the 12th of October in Cologne, Germany. This is the most important show in the world with exhibitors and visitors from all the corners of the planet.

We will be in HALL 11.1, STAND E30G – F31G (Galicia)

This show will be sponsored by IGAPE and CONSELLERÍA DE PESCA (XUNTA DE GALICIA)

The SPAIN GOURMET FAIR will take place at the New Otani Hotel in Tokyo, Japan next 17th and 18th of October.

This is a specialized show for the best gourmet products of Spain.

We will be glad to invite you to our stand and show you the delicious canned products of CUCA.

BUY ONLINE IN MEXICO - EL PALACIO DE HIERRO

2011-09-13T12:21:00.009+02:00

In Mexico you can buy online through the web site of EL PALACIO DE HIERRO some of our most reputed products:

CLAMS IN BRINE CUCA
CLAMS IN BRINE SERIE LIMITADA CUCA
COCKLES IN BRINE DELICIAS DEL MAR
MUSSELS IN PICKED SAUCE 8/10 PIECES CUCA
COCKELS IN BRINE 40/55 PIECES CUCA
WHITE TUNA FILLETS IN OLIVE OIL (JAR) CUCA
SMALL SCALLOPS IN GALICIAN SAUCE CUCA
EL PALACIO DE HIERRO is the most prestiguious department store throughout Mexico, importing from the 5 continents the best products for the most demanding consumers.

MUSSEL PATÉ

2011-09-10T10:50:00.001+02:00

Ingredients:

- A Philadelphia style cream cheese jar,

- One can of Mussels in Pickled Sauce CUCA

- One can of White Tuna “Bonito” in Olive Oil CUCA.

How to prepare the Mussel Paté:

It is so easy you don’t need much explanations: put together into the mixer jar the cream cheese, the mussels (include the Pickled Sauce with all its ingredients) and the drained White Tuna.

Whip with the mixer until you have a homogeneous cream. Its consistency will depend on the cheese brand, the quantity of Pickled Sauce and the texture of the White Tuna.

The time of preparation will be 5 minutes approximately.

Presentation:

Serve the paté in a bowl along with roasted bread or toasts. We can also use bread with raisings we can buy already toasted.

A different way to present our mussel paté is with different crustaces that may be dipped in the paté as if it was a sauce.

NAGASAKI PREFECTURAL ART MUSEUM

2011-07-06T09:16:00.004+02:00

Last 5th July we made a presentation of the CUCA products at the Nagasaki Prefectural Art Museum.

Step by step, the knowledge of the CUCA products is expanded through Japan and its prestige grows among the consumers.

SPAIN'S EMERALD COAST

2011-06-21T18:27:00.002+02:00

Great article by Leo Schofield from Australian Gourmet Traveller.

Green Spain, the remote span of sparkling coastline encompassing Galicia, Asturias, Cantabria and the Basque country, is as lush and beautiful as it is fiercely independent.

The rain in Spain falls mainly on the plain, right? Wrong. It falls mainly in the north-west provinces of Galicia and Asturias, Cantabria and the Basque mountain region. It rains here for about 170 days a year, sometimes 200 days, propelling the growth of everything from trees to turnips, hence the common reference to the region as ‘Green Spain’.

GRACE'S MARKETPLACE NYC

2011-06-20T16:54:00.006+02:00

You can now buy your favourite canned fish at Grace's Market Place in NYC.

1237 3rd Ave. New York, NY 10021
(212) 737 -0600

Enjoy!

CUCA IN POLAND

2011-06-20T11:16:00.004+02:00

If you are living in Poland, you can taste all our products from the Bio CUCA range: Tuna Yellowfin, White Tuna, Sardines, Mussels, Stuffed Squids, Octopus... and the new product Mackerel Fillets.

PRESENTATION OF PRODUCTS IN MEXICO AND PANAMÁ

2011-06-08T12:01:00.000+02:00

Last March Conservas CUCA could show its Premium canned food in Mexico and Panamá.

We could make two degustations of the products in La Naval (Mexico) and Xtra (Panamá) with a great feedback from the consumers.

These actions have been exponsored by Igape and Consellería do Mar (Xunta de Galicia)

PRESENTATION IN ODAIBA

2011-05-31T18:21:00.003+02:00

We have recently made a presentation of the Cuca products in Odaiba, Tokyo.

This lecture meeting was addressed to 39 assistants that could know more about the Cuca products and about the company philosophy, based on the best artisan methods to produce the range of canned fish with the best quality on the market.

In Japan, Cuca is a highly reputed brand used by the best chefs of the most prestigious hotels and restaurants.

NEW WEB SITE

2011-05-31T13:30:00.010+02:00

Now you can check our new web site www.conservascuca.com We have rebuilt the whole design, updating it this our latest product ranges.

Spanish, Galician, English and French languages are now available.

COMPANY PRESENTATION

2011-05-02T18:36:00.004+02:00

Now you can download the presentation of our company in English, Spanish or Italian

TUTTO FOOD - MILANO

2011-04-27T17:56:00.006+02:00

Conservas Cuca, S.A. will be present at the TUTTO FOOD in Milano from 8 - 11 March. Our stand will be supported by the collaboration of IGAPE and Consellería do Mar Xunta de Galicia.

ONLINE SHOP USA

2011-04-25T16:06:00.011+02:00

If you are living in the US and want to enjoy your favourite canned fish from Spain, please visit the store of Delicias de España in Miami.

Categories:

Cockles in brine
Mussels in Galician sauce
Mussels in pickled sauce
Octopus in olive oil Delicias del Mar
Octopus in olive oil
Sardines in pickled sauce
Sardines in tomato sauce
Small Scallops in sauce
Squids in American sauce
Squids in ink sauce
Stuffed squids in ink sauce
White tuna in olive oil

YUKO ONLINE SHOP

2011-04-07T17:23:00.004+02:00

If you are in Japan, you can now order your favourite Mussels HERE and your favourite Octopus HERE. In Yuko Online Shop

PROMOTION OF CUCA IN NEW YORK AND SAN JUAN

2011-04-01T17:11:00.000+02:00

Last March the 21st the premiun canned fish & seafood CUCA could be tasted in NY during the presentation of the products at the Dean & Deluca store in Soho.

All the visitor could enjoy our products such as Stuffed Squids, Octopus, Mussels and White Tuna Belly Fillets.

Also on March the 23rd a promotion of the Cuca Squids was made in the Pueblo stores of San Juan in Puerto Rico.

This promotion was supported by IGAPE (Galician Institute of Economic Promotion) and the CONSELLERÍA DO MAR from Xunta de Galicia.

TUNA SKIPJACK

2011-03-30T10:30:00.003+02:00

We are proud to announce the new line of Tuna Skipjack CUCA. Following the same parameters of the Cuca Quality Seal, we have developed a line of Tuna Skipjack based on the following parameters:

- Only Pole & Line fishing. This way, we guarantee the freshness of the product and a sustainable fishing method. We can certify all the captures.

- Artisan methods on the production process. Extra clean loans of tuna in order to give our customers the best product on the market

- Only Spanish Olive Oil accompanies this product

3 different formats have been launched:

- RO70 (65 g net weight)

- RO70 Pack-3 (3*65 g net weight)

- OL120 (110 g net weight)

- OL240 (230 g net weight)

All products with easy opening.

BIOFACH - NÜREMBERG

2011-02-14T17:03:00.007+01:00

Conservas CUCA will attend BIOFACH 2011 next 16, 17 and 18 of February in Nüremberg.

Please visit us at HALL 5 - STAND 130

We will exhibit under the CRAEGA Galician Certification and with the support of IGAPE and XUNTA DE GALICIA.

SUPERMARKET TRADE SHOW - JAPAN

2011-01-24T17:58:00.009+01:00

Conservas CUCA will be present at the next edition of the Supermarket Trade Show in Tokyo, Japan. From the 8^th - 10^th February.

Conservas CUCA will be present for the 4^th consecutive year in Japan where the brand is a synonym of Qualtiy, Tradition and Prestige among the best chefs of the country of the rising sun.

Our participation on this show has been sponsored by IGAPE, the Galician Institute of Economic Promotion and by the Consellería do Mar from the Xunta de Galicia.

CUCA IN IRELAND

2011-01-24T17:40:00.009+01:00

All Irish consumers can now order their favourite CUCA products at:

WWW.THESPANISHTREAT.COM

WINTER FANCY FOOD

2011-01-05T10:27:00.005+01:00

Conservas Cuca will be present at the Winter Fancy Food in San Francisco next 16 - 18 January 2011.

Please visit our booth and try our premium canned fish & seafood brand CUCA.

If you want to schedule your visit, please contact at marcos.duran@pitahermanos.es

Show supported by Consellería do Mar (Xunta de Galicia) and IGAPE.

NEW YEAR 2011

2010-12-15T16:04:00.003+01:00

SIAL - SHOW IN PARIS

2010-10-17T17:07:00.004+02:00

Conservas CUCA, S.A. will be present in the SIAL show in Paris from 17 to 21st October.

Come and visit us!

SPAIN GOURMET FAIR

2010-09-13T15:50:00.007+02:00

Conservas CUCA will be present at the next edition of the SPAIN GOURMET FAIR (Tokyo, 15 - 16 September) through SHIGOTOYA.

More info:http://shigotoyagalicia.com/

HYATT TOKYO HOTEL

2010-09-10T12:44:00.005+02:00

We are proud to announce our products at the Gourmet Shop of the Park Hyatt Tokyo Hotel. This is a very famous hotel in the world due to its exclusivity and also because of Sofia Coppola’s Lost In Translation.

The Park Hyatt Tokyo Hotel offers a range of gourmet products around the world and now the CUCA Cockles, Octopus and Mussels are also present.

VISIT OF THE CULINARY INSTITUTE OF AMERICA

2010-08-31T08:38:00.009+02:00

Last August the 30th we received the visit of the Chef Joseba Encabo and a group of 26 of his students from the Culinary Institute of America. This is one of the most reputed culinary institutions in the world.

Our visitors could see the whole canned fish & seafood elaboration process. They could also taste our best products such as: Clams, Cockles, Small Sardines, White Tuna, Mussels and Stuffed Squids.

Our General Manager Gaspar Barreras

Chef Joseba Encabo

ABOUT CUCA FROM AUSTRALIA

2010-08-25T12:00:00.005+02:00

Larissa Dubecki writes a great article about the CUCA products after her visit to our factory.

From http://www.theage.com.au

Lifting the lid on a seafood sensation

August 10, 2010

No shame in it ... Tinned fish doesn't mean poor quality is some parts of the world.

Canning the catch may be frowned upon here but in Spain, quality comes in a tin, writes Larissa Dubecki.

IN SPAIN, it didn't raise an eye brow. But back in Australia, my bag stuffed with several hundred dollars' worth of canned fish wasn't going to get past the customs official without explanation.

Her problem, naturally enough, was the abject reputation of canned fish and shellfish in this country. Anyone willing to cart more than 60 cans of the stuff in their hand luggage must either be insane or ripe material for the Border Security cameras.

Clearly, my interlocutor wasn't Galician. The autonomous northwestern region facing the Atlantic Ocean is blessed with rias - shallow, fjord-like saltwater estuaries - and accounts for 85 per cent of Spain's canned seafood production. If that sounds like a big whoop, consider that the Spaniards have a tradition of preserving the best part of the catch, says MoVida's Frank Camorra, who along with his business partners is now importing the CUCA brand.

''People here see things in a can as bad but the best-quality stuff in Spain is canned - not just fish and shellfish but vegetables and meat as well.'' Having a taste of the product at the CUCA factory, where it is cleaned by hand by a line of women in white hairnets before being laid carefully in cans, was the clincher.

Cockles, mussels (there are 3300 mussel-growing rafts in the Galician rias, making it one of the world's biggest aquaculture industries), octopus, tuna (skipjack) belly, squid and sardines left me cracking out the credit card and facing the long trip home with a clanking bag. It might be quick and easy but it's definitely not fast food - by which it is the very definition of ''tapas''.

If you need any more convincing, the average Spaniard eats just less than four kilograms of it every year. But if you're still on the ''fresh is best'' bandwagon, try the sardines - the species Camorra sees as the easiest for people to get their heads around as ''quality'' canned fish. They still have their shape, the flesh is firm rather than disintegrating and the taste is cleaner than the canned varieties Australians are more familiar with.

''It's an aspect of Spanish food that I really like, getting something out of a can for an easy meal that's still tasty,'' Camorra says.

''It's come out of Spanish culture with people eating so late - when you finish work at 9.30pm and eat dinner at 10pm, you can't be bothered cooking … Spanish ready meals, if you like.'' CUCA is by no means the most expensive but for the MoVida boys, who have been serving the brand as tapas at Next Door and using it in dishes at Aqui, it is the best balance of price and quality.

And if you want to spend more than the average of $5 a can CUCA will cost in Melbourne shops, perhaps consider a trip to Galicia's Ca l'Espinaler (or a quicker trip to its online store, espinaler.es), an old-fashioned tavern turned blue-ribbon canned-fish operation where a 265-gram can of giant white clams wearing the Espinaler banner sells for a cool €132 (that's $195).

So hostile are Australian and American audiences to the notion of high-end canned fish that a conspiracy theory sprang up online after Anthony Bourdain visited Ca l'Espinaler on his travel/food TV series No Reservations, accusing him of being guilty of dramatic licence when it came to the price.

Camorra doesn't have such a hard time believing: ''I wouldn't doubt it. I've eaten the really expensive stuff myself. It's unbelievable; like they were prepared in seawater and were as fresh and plump as the minute they were pulled out of the water.''

CUCA Conservas are now available through Leo's Fine Food & Wine in Kew, Heidelberg and Hartwell, or you can eat them over the bar at Seddon Wine Store and MoVida, Next Door and Aqui.

Larissa Dubecki travelled to Galicia, in the country's north-west, courtesy of the Spanish Trade Commission.

Source: Epicure

Full entry: http://www.theage.com.au/entertainment/restaurants-and-bars/lifting-the-lid-on-a-seafood-sensation-20100809-11ts0.html

TUNA STUFFED PIQUILLO PEPPERS

2010-07-28T14:28:00.003+02:00

Ingredients:
2 piquillo peppers per person, 1 tin of tuna Cuca, 1 tin of anchovies Cuca, 1 medium size onion, 2 cloves of garlic, 1 spoonful of tomato sauce, 1 spoonful of pepper meat, ½ glass of milk, 1 or 2 spoonfuls of flour, ½ glass of fish stock (it can be dices), olive oil and salt.

. Cook the peppers. Once done, put them in a big dish

. On a frying pan we lightly fry the garlic and the onion, both very chopped. Once they are browned, we add flour stirring frequently

. Add the stock and the milk both hot, little by little and keeping on stirring. This way, we have the bechamel sauce. Once it starts boiling, let it cook for 3 – 5 minutes

. In a bowl we leave some béchamel sauce to prepare the pepper sauce

. Add the shred tuna and the anchovy fillets cut into slices

. Stuff the pepper with this mix

. To the bechamel sauce on the bowl add some spoonfuls of fish stock and a piquillo pepper. Use the mixer machine in order to get avoid a thick sauce

. Put almost all the sauce in a big dish, put the stuffed peppers on and all the rest of the sauce.

SPAGUETTI IN MARINADE

2010-07-28T14:04:00.003+02:00

Ingredients:
250 g of spaguetti, 1 tin of tuna Cuca, 1 tin of cockles in brine Cuca (keep the water), 1 tin of mussels in pickled sauce Cuca, 1 small cup of olive oil, 2 small cups of flour, 1 cup of fish stock, 1 bay leaf, half an onion, 1 clove of garlic, 1 red pepper, 1 small tomato, salt, white pepper and finely chopped parsley.

. Chop up the onion and the pepper. Fry lightly

. Add the garlic finaly chopped and the tomato. When it is poached, add flour and stir frequently for 3 minutes

. Add little by little the fish stock and the water from the Cockles in brine. Keep on stirring.

. Add salt and pepper to taste

. Add the tuna, the cockles, the mussels and the bay leaf. Let it cook for 5 minutes

. Meanwhile, cook the spaguetti.

. Once cooked “al dente” and drained, put them in a big dish and add the sauce

. Serve with grated cheese and chopped egg

Note: if you want a softer sauce, you can use a mixer machine to obtain the texture desired

TUNA PROVENÇAL STYLE

2010-07-28T12:07:00.003+02:00

Ingredients
For 6 persons:
250 g of onion, two tablespoons of olive oil, one glass of white wine, 1 glass of water or stock, one tablespoon of flour, 250 g of tuna Cuca, one clove of garlic, salt, pepper, 1 bay leaf, paprika, breadcrumbs.

. Chop up the onion in small slices, brown in a frying pan with the two tablespoons of olive oil

. Add the garlic (previously smashed) and the bay leaf

. Sprinkle the flour and stir frequently in order to avoid the presence of lumps

. Add wine, water (or stock), salt and pepper

. Cook over a low flame, stir frequently

. In an ovenproof dish put the tuna in big pieces and add the olive oil present in the tin

. Pour the sauce on the tuna

. Sprinkle gently with breadcrumbs

. Leave in the oven for 10 minutes approximately.

Where is the difference?

2010-07-23T14:18:00.015+02:00

In this post we will try to explain to those who do not know much about canned fish & seafood, the main differences between a Standard quality product and the Cuca Premium product.

Fist of all, we have to take into account the raw material. This is one of the most important factors that distinguish a Premium product from the rest. There are many species of fish & seafood around the world. We must comply with the labelling rules so we must use some given species: for Octopus we use Octopus Vulgaris, for Sardines only Sardina Pilchardus, for Mussels Mytilus Galloprovincialis, … In addition, only the best suppliers of raw materials will be used. Examples: the Cuca sardines are fished at dawn, from July to December in the coast of Galicia and the north of Portugal. They are brought to the processing plant the same day they are caught in order to preserve their freshness. Also for Mussels, we only use the ones from the Arousa stuary rivers. They are considered the best ones in the world.

The second step of the whole process is the manufacturing. When you treat the best raw material the way it deserves, you obtain the best results. This is why we make the process the traditional way. This means: less machines and more human beings. Our staff has been their entire life cleaning the tuna, pampering the mussels by removing their byssus (hair) one by one with their hands and hand-packing the goods. They have been manually gutting the sardines and stuffing the squids.

When you have the product ready to be packed, you must add the best oils and sauces. In Conservas CUCA we only use the best Spanish olive oil. So no other oil is used. In addition, our sauces are made the same day of the production. They are made by our staff in giant saucepans with only natural ingredients. For example: Pickled Sauce is made with olive oil, vinegar, natural bay leaf, natural pepper and natural clove. Another example: Tomato Sauce is made with natural tomato and natural spices. It is exactly like the one you can make at home using only natural ingredients.

The last part and one of the most important steps is the sterilization. Here, heat is applied to every tin in order to eliminate any kind of microorganisms that could still be present in the tin. We use a sterilization programme where the quality of the product is guaranteed by using non-aggressive techniques. This thermal process has to be done with a lot of care to avoid damaging the product.

There are also other factors that contribute to the creation of a premium product: in our raw material cleaning and packing area we apply to the room a filter with ozone. This is made to avoid microbiological contamination. We also have a modern quality control system by which all the production and sterilization processes are monitored in real-time by a computer. So if there is anything that may damage the quality of the product, the production is stopped.

The premium profile of Conservas CUCA can also be seen on a correct and clear labelling, on exclusive designs like Delicias del Mar and on the innovation of new products like the Organic range.

The difference can be eaten, tasted, smelt in every of our tins. Don't spoil a good lunch or dinner with poor quality products. Just give a chance to Cuca and you will eat the difference!

International Markets

2010-07-23T12:52:00.006+02:00

During the last 2 years, Conservas CUCA has started a plan of international presence with the achievement of 12 new markets.

The quality of our products in addition to the good perception of the Spanish food has boosted our international presence.

You can find our product in Europe in: France, UK, Belgium, Germany, Czech Republic, Slovak Republic, Poland, Lithuania and Finland.

In America, you can find us in the United States, Puerto Rico, Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Panamá and Brazil.

We are also present on other regions of the world such as Israel, Japan and Australia.

Obviously, in Spain you will find our products in almost any retail shop.

We will work hard to get new markets and make new passionate consumers of the best and widest range of premium canned fish & seafood of Spain.

OCTOPUS

2010-07-21T13:19:00.009+02:00

Octopus (octopus vulgaris) is a cephalopod mollusk with 8 arms and two sets of suction pads on each one. It has a soft body, a well developed brain and big eyes. Their size can reach 1 metre including the arms and the weight can reach 10 Kg (even they are usually much smaller). They live on rocky and sandy bottoms, from the surface to 100 metres deep.

Octopus is a very well know seafood, with a great gastronomic interest on the Atlantic diet and particularly on the Galician coast. So it is very interesting to know the way it is cooked in Galicia: the typical recipe is known as “Pulpo á Feira” (Octopus Feira Style). Octopus is cooked, cut into slices and dressed with olive oil, salt and cayenne pepper.

This product is much better when served in a wooden dish. If you buy fresh octopus, check both colour and brightness are as sharp as possible. Generally octopus is sold clean with softened meat, although it is convenient to soften it a little bit more before cooking it. This can be done by freezing it for 48 hours.

The cooking time depends on the size of the octopus. A piece of 1,25 Kg will be cooked for 35 – 40 minutes. Once cooked, cover the saucepan and let it rest for 15 minutes so we avoid the skin from dropping. When serving, cut it into not very big slices and add salt and extra virgin olive oil. The final touch is to sprinkle a mixture of paprika and cayenne pepper as you like it. Once cooked, this cephalopod can be presented in many different preparations: with onion, in vinaigrette, … but in Galicia the 3 main recipes are: Feira style, “Caldeirada” (with tomato and onion) and Galician style (similar to Feira Style but with a base of cooked and sliced potatoes).

From the nutritional point of view, octopus is a food with low calories, rich in proteins (be careful if your uric acid is high), low sodium and low fat (both saturated fats and cholesterol). It is a big supply of vitamins, minerals such as thiamine, niacin, phosphorus, calcium, iron, iodine and copper so it is a perfect product for hypocaloric diets.

If you want to know more about this product, please visit the PRODUCTS section.

El Palacio de Hierro

2010-07-20T10:36:00.007+02:00

Conservas CUCA will be present one more year in El Palacio de Hierro. The most prestigious department store of Mexico has trusted once again on the quality of our canned fish & seafood.

Please find our product at the Gourmet section at any of the 10 stores El Palacio de Hierro has in Mexico. You will find our White Tuna “Bonito”, Cockles, Octopus, Small Scallops, Squids, …

SQUIDS

2010-07-19T14:31:00.007+02:00

Squid is a sea product between fish and shellfish. It is a cephalopod with a big head and a spherical body with two fins they use to move at a high velocity with the help of a water propelling mechanism. Squids live in groups in constant movement and live between 2 and 5 years. Their size can reach up to 60 cm, even in Spain it is difficult to find them so big. In the Cantabrian coast they are fished in the Summer season and in the Northern Sea in Fall and Winter. On the market you may find them fresh, frozen or canned.

Fresh squids bought on the fish markets must be consistent, be wet and give off a slight smell of the sea. If you want to know if the squid is fresh, you must look at the colour: the deepest and more intense the colour is, the fresher the squid is. The meat must be white and they must be stored very fresh until the moment they are cooked. Fresh or cooked they can be stored for a couple of days on the fridge. They are also be frozen so they are kept in perfect conditions for 3 months.

As a food, Squids are part of the Spanish cuisine. They can be eaten in so many ways, although in their own ink with white rice is the most typical recipe. Also battered and fried (Roman style squids) are very typical for having them as a “tapa”. In addition, when stuffed with its own body, the highest quality is achieved.

Both frozen or canned they keep the same nutritional values as fresh squids.

They are food with a high content of water, without fat and high quality proteins. Also a lot of A Vitamin is present.

Due to its composition, they are ideal for loosing weight or for people with high cholesterol. They add very little calories and no fat. 100 g of squid is only 80 calories, the same as a skimmed yoghurt.

It is a healthy food, of soft flavour easy to eat and perfect for any diet.

If you want to know more about this product, please visit the PRODUCTS section.

SARDINES

2010-07-09T14:42:00.008+02:00

Eating well is a synonymous of health and Sardines are one of the food that contribute more to health. In addition, their meat is one of the most tasty and aromatic. Sardines are also the most popular fish in Spain. It is the blue fish referent. It is more fatty, energetic and has more vitamins than white fish. In their meat two factors have a big influence: the freshness and the season. Summertime is the best season because the fish has more fat and this increases the aroma of the meat.

We can prepare it in many different ways: fried, grilled, in a barbecue, in pickled sauce… The result is always and exquisite morsel whatever the preparation is. The only secret is that they must be extra fresh both if you buy them at the fish market or if you buy them canned. In this last case, the sardines must have been processed fresh before preserving them.

Sardines have more A and D vitamins than any other fish. Canned are a source of calcium and phosphorus. 100 g of sardines contribute the 100% of the daily recommended intake of D vitamin and the 40% of calcium. They also contribute with a lot of proteins (18% of the product) of great quality and their fat (8% even it depends on the season) have a very healthy profile due to the polyunsaturated fatty acids Omega 3. This fat makes the Sardines a functional food, it could also be considered a medicine for people with osteoporosis, health pathologies, pregnant women and old people with dementia.

Canned sardines are a moderated intake of 210 calories for each 100 g of product. This is a little superior than the fresh ones, but they have other pros: you don’t need to clean them, they are always ready for consumption, don’t need cold for preservation and in addition, you can eat them with the bones. The bones are a source of calcium because the sardine is rich in D vitamin.

A dish or a sandwich of sardines in olive oil or tomato is an excellent dish for children and teenagers (much better than factory produced baked goods or chocolate) and a perfect option for pregnant women. In fact, it is an advisable food for everyone.

All the CUCA sardines are processed just fresh, caught the same day of the production during the summer season. The highest quality is guaranteed and in fact the CUCA sardines are considered the best sardines of the Spanish market. Only the sardine “Saldina Pilchardus” is used. This is the Atlantic sardine present on the coast of Spain and Portugal. Do not confuse with Pacific sardines that in Europe can’t be labelled as "Sardine" because of the very different quality and different origin.

If you want to know more about this product, please visit the PRODUCTS section.

WHITE TUNA "BONITO"

2010-07-09T13:43:00.011+02:00

Eating fish is fashionable in Spain. This is a curious sentence since Spain has been traditionally a big manufacturer and consumer of fish. But the sentence “fasionable” makes sense because fish has all the properties we ask to a food today: it is healthy, it isn’t fattening. If we also ask for health benefits, reasonable price, easy storage and different ways of cooking it so everyone likes it… we are making a reference to the White Tuna or “Bonito” as known in Spanish.

White tuna is a blue fish that is part of our culture and diet. Soft flavour, well accepted by all ages, different presentations from raw to canned and any conceivable cooking method: stewed, grilled, baked, in a salad, in a sandwich, as a starter, in “tapas”… in addition the nutritional facts are huge.

It is a part of the tunids. It is a fish with a 58% of eatable parts and every serving size of 100 g gives us 200 calories (the same of a grilled steak), 27 g of proteins of a high biological value (the best for muscles and bones) and 13 g of fat which the biggest part are polyunsaturated fatty acids omega 3 and omega 6. These last have a high importance on general health and specifically in the prevention of cardiovascular diseases.

This food is highly recommendable for children because it contributes with proteins, D and B vitamins, iodine and iron who are very important for their growth. A good idea would be to introduce this product on a sandwich for supper. A can of white tuna contributes to the daily recommended intake of D and B12 vitamins.

On adults the benefits are enormous. White tuna contains Omega 3 fats in a proportion very recommendable to protect the heart and the arteries from arteriosclerosis and ageing.

We must remind the availability and easiness of transportation of a can of white tuna. We can store and eat it anywhere. Very useful for people who work in offices.

On old people it is specially useful because of the easy digestion and the absence of bones. There are encouraging studies about the benefits of Omega 3 in the prevention of illnesses such as Alzheimer and some kinds of cancer.

We must remember that we have to eat blue fish 3 or 4 times per week, always taking into account the cooking and preserving rules. The quality of the products we choose will have a direct influence on the health properties and also on the flavour.

In this sense, both White Tuna and White Tuna Belly Fillets CUCA are recommended due to the quality treatment in all their processes, starting from the size selection of the raw material (small and medium pieces, individually fished by pole in the summer season) and also because of the slow cooking so they keep all the nutritional properties and flavour. Finally, the addition of the best Spanish olive oil is essential for preservation, flavour and health properties.

Only Thunnus Alalunga is used in the CUCA tins. This is the best "Bonito" you can find.

If you want to know more about this product, please visit the PRODUCTS section.

COCKLES

2010-07-09T11:42:00.019+02:00

The Cockle (Cardium edule) is a mollusc widely found along the Galician coast. Cockles usually live in the intertidal area, slightly buried in the sand and achieving depths of 10 metres. They also appear on the mouths of the rivers. They are fed with small animals and phytoplakton, that filtres the water through the gills.

They have a quick growing, achieving the commercial size in the first year. The biggest samples may reach a diameter of 4 cm. It’s meat has the typical taste of the sea and it is one of the most representative shellfish of Spain.

Cockles can be eaten in many different ways, both raw and cooked or steamed with a pinch of lemon. It can also be a part of many different recipes. They can go along with rice or any fish dish, soups, salads or creams. In Galicia it is very typical the “Cockles Empanada”.

Cockles are a light food, rich in iodine, iron and proteins. Due to their characteristics, cockles are nutritionally very complete. They provide a great quantity of proteines (about 16 g per 100 g), no carbohydrates, a very little quantity of calories and almost nothing of fat and cholesterol. These characteristics make the cockles a great food to feed without putting on weight. People with high cholesterol or with obesity can eat them. They are specially good during pregnancy due to the quantity of iodine and iron they have.

They are one of the most appreciated canned seafood. The cans of cockles constitute a great starter. They are easy to handle and can be stored during a long time keeping the same qualities. In addition, they can be used at any moment.

The CUCA cockles are specially advisable, because they are hand harvested and they are processed while they are still alive in order to keep their freshness and nutritive qualities and extraordinary flavour. In addition, CUCA guarantees the minimum presence of sand (unavoidable on this kind of seafood) thanks to their exclusive Quality Control. We have a special machine that measures the sand on every production. If the presence of sand is over the minimum we consider optimum, we don’t pack this product under the CUCA brand.

If you want to know more about our cockles, please visit the PRODUCTS section.

THE ATLANTIC DIET

2010-07-06T14:08:00.016+02:00

Galicia is an Atlantic land, beautiful and enigmatic. It’s diet is a source of pleasure with the taste of the sea and today it is worldwide known due to its healthy qualities. Galicia is along with Ireland or Japan one of the most long-lived people, with less rates of cholesterol in blood and less risk of heart disease.

This is obviously not because of the culture or the way of living, but for something they have in common: they are surrounded by the sea and have a particular way of eating, based on the high presence of fish on the diet. This is called “The Atlantic Diet”. Galicia is, among all the Spanish communities, the place where more fish is eaten. The average of the whole Spain is 34-35 Kg per person and year, in Galicia it is a 13% more.

Until now, not only in Spain but in the rest of Europe the Mediterranean Diet had achieved all the healthy praises without indicating that all its benefits are not related to habits or just pure Mediterranean products. Many fishes, seafood, vegetables and even Iberico ham are foods not found in the Mediterranean area of Spain, but foods that come from the Atlantic one.

One of the main advantages of this kind of diet has to do with the great variety of fishes offered, most of which have a great concentration of long chain Omega 3 fatty acids, excellent quality proteins, vitamins and minerals like iron, potassium and iodine.

These fats, mainly exclusive in blue fish, are very important to the development of the central nervous system. At the same time they protect us from degenerative phenomena caused by aging, that is, helps us to keep our brain and our arteries young. In this protective function of the cells, apart from the Omega 3 fatty acids, we have the collaboration of the antioxidant effects of wine, fruits, vegetables and olive oil.

Right now there are researches that go further and indicate that these bioactive components may have effects that can stop diseases such as Parkinson or Alzheimer.

The Atlantic Diet, although it is not well defined yet, starts as one of the most healthy ways of eating. Both first quality products and easy cooking methods are used. It’s base is the sea, the garden and the farm. Added with an average consumption of bread, wine, grease and olive oil. Fishes, seafood, squids, octopus… fresh or canned. Pasture meat, cereals and vegetables. Eggs and poultry, sausages, cold meat… everything that comes from the rural culture.

Galicia faces the sea with two thousand years of life. To travel this land allows the visitor to live an unique Atlantic adventure full of tradition, leafy landscapes and singular cities to which you must add a gastronomic pleasure full of health and longevity.

Do not miss!

QUALITY CONTROL

2010-07-06T12:56:00.004+02:00

Pita Hermanos, S.A. – CUCA makes a deep control to all the manufactured products. This control comprises the following points:

Quality Management System Certification

Since 1998 our company has the ISO 9001:2000 Quality Management System by Bureau Veritas. Our Quality Policy comprises from the reception of the raw material to the finished product and all the stages in between (auxiliary materials, ingredients, etc).

In addition, we make an exhaustive control of all the elaboration process on the “critical stages” (cleaning, sealing, etc) by verifying every step both in the processing plant and the lab.

Critical Points Control System

Pita Hermanos, S.A. – CUCA has developed a Critical Point Control System that complies with the current law regarding technical, sanitary and hygienic requirements of the fishing products for human consumption.

Quality Control Lab

Since 2002 our company has one of the most modern and equipped Quality Control Laboratories. We are authorized by the Xunta de Galicia (Autonomous government of Galicia) to auto-control (number 063/GA).

The result of this effort is reflected in our products, made according to a demanding quality standard and guaranteed by the certifications we have.

Demo at Dean & Deluca (Soho, NY)

2010-06-23T18:46:00.005+02:00

Next Monday the 28th CUCA will be making a demo of its products at the Dean & Deluca shop in Soho NY.

We will be glad to receive you and show you our products.

From 14:00 to 16:00

OUR FACTORIES

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Pita Hermanos, S.A. has two factories located on the Rías Gallegas. These are the estuary rivers where the best seafood from Spain can be found.

One of these factories in located in the town of Vilagarcía de Arousa in Pontevedra. In addition, our central headquarters are located here, just a few meters from the production plant. Here we produce all the Tuna, Mussels and other shellfish.

Our second factory is in the town of Boiro in A Coruña. This processing plant is specialized in the production of Sardines. The factory is opened on the second part of the year, when the Sardine season takes place.

In both factories we apply our traditional methods in addition to the most modern Quality Control techniques. This way, we give our customers both the best flavour, quality and presentation along with the guarantee of a total health security.

CUCA SPOT (Spanish)

2010-06-18T14:29:00.001+02:00

ORGANIC LINE

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CUCA has been the first Spanish company to obtain the C.R.A.E.G.A. certification. This is the Regulatory Board for the Galician Organic Farming. In Spain, every region has it’s regulatory board, but all of them comply the same rules according to the European legislation on organic farming.

We have started with 7 products that comply the most representative fish & seafood from Galicia: White and Light Tuna, Sardines, Mussels, Octopus and Stuffed Squids

DELICACIES FROM THE SEA

2010-06-18T12:20:00.001+02:00

Conservas CUCA only produces Premium Quality. From the best raw material available we can apply our artisan methods to present our line for Delicatessen: Delicias del Mar (Delicacies from the Sea)

Octopus Medallions in Olive Oil

From the best Atlantic fishing grounds and cooked in the traditional way, they are presented as carefully selected regular size medallions.

Mussels in Pickled Sauce 6/8 pieces

Cooked, cleaned by hand and fried in olive oil. Selected for their size and hand packed in traditional Cuca sauce.

DEAN & DELUCA

2010-06-18T11:32:00.000+02:00

New Yorkers can find the CUCA products at the DEAN & DELUCA stores, both at the Soho and Madison Avenue stores.

Since last 2009 you can find our Octopus and our Stuffed Squids. Little by little, we will be offering a wider range of products.

We will keep you informed!

FANCY FOOD NEW YORK

2010-06-18T11:11:00.000+02:00

Conservas CUCA will be present at the next edition of the FANCY FOOD in New York. Last year we introduced our products for the first time to the gourmet American importers.

This year we will be present again thanks to our office in Connecticut. You can find us in the Spanish pavilion.

From the 27^th to the 30^th June.

COCKLES

2010-06-18T10:38:00.001+02:00

This product has been caught fresh and processed to preserve its freshness and flavour. The cockles are manually cleaned in order to ensure a minimum presence of sand. Cockles are one of the most famous shellfish in Spain, and people consume them constantly both as “tapa” or mixed with rice, in a “paella” or in a salad. Use your imagination!

Cockles are presented without the shell

SMALL SCALLOPS

2010-06-18T10:31:00.000+02:00

Each small scallop is hand cleaned, one-by-one. This painstaking process ensures the very best flavour and taste. Sauce with natural ingredients, one of the most famous Galician “tapa”.

OCTOPUS

2010-06-18T10:23:00.001+02:00

Due to the importance of the origin of our products, our octopus is caught in the best Atlantic fishing grounds and cooked in a traditional way. It is then canned and presented in selected medallions. We offer three fine recipe types; octopus medallions in olive oil, octopus medallions in garlic sauce, octopus medallions with vegetables.

We only use “Octopus Vulgaris”, the REAL octopus.

SQUIDS

2010-06-18T10:16:00.001+02:00

Squids and Stuffed Squids are caught just in Atlantic fishing grounds, canned in olive oil or prepared with a sauce made with the squid’s own ink and a natural seasoning. The Squids are manually washed and cooked with an extreme caution in order to avoid the presence of water on the final product.

Both presentation (in pieces and stuffed) can be used as a great “tapa”. Presented along with rice will be enough to make a delicious dish with all the essence of the Spanish culinary tradition.

Stuffed Squids

Squid in pieces

MUSSELS

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Our mussels are exclusively from the Galician Ria de Arousa. In our factory we pamper them, frying them in olive oil after cleaning each and every one by hand. They are then selected by size and packed manually. We prepare three different recipes: pickled sauce, spicy sauce, and our famous Galician sauce. Our sauces include a leaf of laurel, pepper and clove.

Like all the CUCA products, only natural ingredients are used in all the process. Our mussels have an unique flavour due to the olive oil frying process and also becauce our sauces are elaborated following a recipe with more than 100 years.

SARDINES

2010-06-18T09:09:00.000+02:00

Our sardines are caught directly off the Galician-Portuguese coast and are hand-packed to preserve their freshness. Our sauces follow traditional recipes (in olive oil, tomato, pickled, spicy and with a twist of lemon). Each of our sauces is made only with natural ingredients. There are no preservatives or colouring agents whatsoever. Find both our 3 pieces /tin Sardines and our delicacy: Small Sardines, with the softest texture and richest flavour of this blue fish. Yummy!!!

We have our own factory dedicated to the production of Sardines. The factory is open from July to December, the period when fresh sardines are caught in the waters of Galicia and the north of Portugal. The raw material comes to our factory just caught, so we can ensure packing them on the same day. If you like Sardines but have not tried the ones of CUCA yet... be prepared to re-discover one of the best fishes that can be preserved.

Diapositiva 6

WHITE TUNA "BONITO"

2010-06-18T08:49:00.000+02:00

The superb taste of our White tuna “Bonito del Norte” (Thunnus Alalunga) is a result of rod-line fishing, one-by-one at selected fishing grounds during the summer season. We select only the best Bonito and the best size for optimal texture and taste.

Hand cleaned up to three times to obtain the whitest colour. Artisan methods are used during the whole process. "Bonito" is presented canned in solid pack and Belly Fillets. We have also the fillets presentation in jar glass.

WHO ARE WE?

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Diapositiva 2

CUCA is one of the leaders of the Spanish premium market. Founded in 1932 in Galicia, we have been the last 80 years producing the best canned fish & seafood in Spain.

The CUCA philosophy consists on the following parameters:

- The best raw material (Atlantic Galician fish & seafood, hand harvested and preserving our rich natural environment

- Traditional production methods: manual cleaning and manual packing of our most reputed products

- 100% natural products: no additives or preservatives are used, zero.

- The most advanced Quality Control Techniques. Our modern Quality laboratory allows us to keep a real-time production control. In addition, we are allowed by the Health Authorities to auto-control

- ISO 9001:2000 / HACCP PLAN / FDA registered