Today we take you to the relentless waters of the Bay of Biscay to tell you about one of the most delicious parts of the bonito: the ventresca. Also called ventrisca, mentresca, belly, ventrecha, ijada or ijar, it owes its name to the word ‘belly’, as it is located at the bottom, near the head.

Although the white tuna already carries the guarantee of a premium quality, its ventresca will bring out the colors to anyone who has the pleasure of tasting it. This is because, due to its location, it will have a proportion of fat that is usually higher than in other places, which will give it a much more intense and delicate flavour.

The previous and subsequent preparation, keys to its success

Both the work in the canneries and its subsequent preparation will be key to tasting this delicacy in the best way. Its production continues to be made according to artisan criteria. Choosing the best pieces, cleaning each fillet one by one and separating the belly area and cooking it, will be some of the key parts to make this process so unique.

There are numerous ways to cook this ‘gourmet’ cut. From adding a simple jet of oil to the grill, to other more elaborate ways such as baking, stewing, pickling etc. Even though its intense flavor already guarantees success, you can use our recipe book to guide you through our bonito recipes so as not to leave anyone indifferent.

Tell us your favourite ventresca recipe!