Tuna stands as a culinary art form where the best flavors unfold, with almadraba bluefin tuna signaling the peak of season. In traditional kitchens, nothing is wasted, much like other prized meats, and even the skin yields delights such as delicate tripe preparations.
With masterful speed and exacting skill, ronqueo experts carve the fish into distinct portions. Around 25 pieces are harvested from a single tuna, offering a spectrum of preparations that underscore the tuna as a king of the sea. This ancient Almadraba craft connects Cadiz coast gastronomy from Barbate to Tarifa, reviving regional culinary heritage.
Ronqueo describes the precise method of slicing and selecting tuna meat, separating the noble, tender cuts from the more robust parts. This approach preserves prized sections that are rare and highly sought after. Chef Ángel León, a vocal advocate for showcasing these flavors, chose to reveal the most secret facets of tuna at his Alevante restaurant, a one Michelin star destination in Europe, linked to the Gran Melia Sancti Petri hotel.
The process begins by freeing the tail and head while paying careful attention to the cheeks and the neck. León, nicknamed the seas chief, works with two cores and four waists from a bluefin tuna caught off Cádiz. The specimen weighs about 130 pounds and is estimated to be six to seven years old.
The presentation of these substantial cuts captivates diners and onlookers alike as the slicing unfolds, creating a spectacle that underscores the fishs regal status.
The navel area, locally called icâr or icada, sits in the belly as the fattest portion of the fish. The kidney is composed of large clean meat segments, lean and ideal for sashimi style preparations.
Nearly every part is utilized, with the bones and some head portions excluded, a practice that has earned the tuna the nickname sea pig in certain circles.
Using some of the most secret portions from Almadraba bluefin tuna, a very authentic fifteen-course tasting menu has emerged. It highlights rice dishes alongside rich fish information, with nods to Cádiz sailors and classic side dishes, while also incorporating inventive twists. The story behind this tradition traces to the origin of the term choke, a historic nautical term describing how large tuna were once cut with a saw. The noise of the instrument inspired the name, which over time came to be associated with the tuna itself.
Almadraba remains an ancient ritual repeated each year along the Cadiz coast from April to June. It relies on a carefully coordinated network of routes out to sea, catching tuna that swim through the Strait of Gibraltar toward the Mediterranean, seeking to spawn. The practice reflects a deep cultural link between seasonal harvests and regional identity, reinforcing Cadiz as a cradle of seafood gastronomy.