Caputo’s hosted a very special Meet the Maker event featuring Artesanos Alalunga, Spain’s smallest cannery. Guests joined us virtually on Zoom for a guided tasting and live tour with brothers Pablo and Álvaro Huidobro, who revealed their artisan approach to conservas.

Every fish is cooked sous vide before canning, and every sauce is a family recipe made in micro-batches so small the pots could fit on a home stove. With a scale this intimate, each tin reflects true craftsmanship and care.

We were honored to welcome members of the tinned fish community who helped amplify the evening:

– Matthew Carlson (Canned Fish Files on YouTube) joined the event and it was a thrill for his fans (especially Matt Caputo) to see him on the Zoom enjoying the flavor and authenticity Alalunga represents.
– Meijie (Mei) Liao (@daywithmei) raved about the Cuttlefish in Ink, saying: “You wouldn’t believe this came from a can!”
– Harrison Weinfeld (The Sardinefluencer, @thesardinfluencer) during a blind tasting of Seabass in Olive Oil, noted: “This gives fresh fish all day, juicy, packed with natural juices so hard to accomplish with a flaky white fish.”
– Erik Burg (@tinnedfishreview) praised the extraordinary care behind Alalunga’s tins: “Very hard to just call them ‘tins’ that seriously sell them short. Truthfully unlike any tinned fish I’ve ever had.”
– Tyler (Tinned Fish with Tyler on YouTube & Instagram) emphasized the full experience: “It isn’t just the flavors that speak to you, but the surprise of opening a hand-wrapped tin with a seal of traceability.”

These voices helped highlight why Alalunga’s tins resonate far beyond their small scale.

We’re deeply grateful to Pablo and Álvaro Huidobro of Artesanos Alalunga for sharing their time and passion, to the incredible influencers who amplified the experience, and to our Caputo’s crew, whose excitement made the night unforgettable.

Thank you for celebrating with us, this is what makes food culture thrive.

Throughout cacao’s modern history, pure Criollo has existed only in whispers – long thought to have been hybridized out of existence. That is, until now. At the foothills of Belize’s largely uncharted Maya Mountains, an extraordinary discovery was made. On the protected nature reserve of BFREE (Belize Foundation for Research & Environmental Education), ancient wild Criollo trees were found and genetically tested, revealing the most pure, 100% genetically authentic Criollo cacao ever discovered – a mystical relic once revered by ancient civilizations.

Untouched by modern agriculture and thriving in one of the world’s most pristine ecosystems, these trees represent not only a gustatory find, but an archeological marvel. Grown wild on protected ground, this is the very same cacao historically recognized for its complex and unparalleled flavor, flavor that has remained hidden for centuries, found nowhere else on earth. The most pure Criollos previously documented by the HCP (Heirloom Cacao Preservation Fund) have ranged from 27% to 71%, but never higher (see video below for reference). HCP #11 breaks this mold with a very unique 100% USDA Genetic Profile for purely Criollo cacao. The beans are not commercially available as there are simply not enough of them to go around.

In July of 2023 we finally made the pilgrimage to restaurant AND cannery, Gueyu Mar. After an elaborate 10 hour lunch, our poor kids were spent, but Yelena and I were left with a deeply profound experience. Spiritual I could say. Life only offers a handful of meals as impactful as this was for us.

Abel Alvarez knows all the fishermen that supply his restaurant with the catch of the day. When we first met, he and his right hand man (Andre) were walking to the restaurant carrying baskets overflowing with fresh fish and crabs. Restaurants everywhere try to create the impression they source like this, but <1% actually do. Gueyu Mar walks the walk.

Abel says he is not a chef, but an “asador,” or grill master. With years of experience on his custom grill, his charcoal kiss is transcendent.

I ate so much I was worried I might die, but these rare and special dishes couldn’t be refused. A truly unique fish, El Rey, was presented in the 5th hour, on our 12th course. With a diet consisting almost entirely of shellfish and crustaceans, this 200 year old specimen typically costs $80 per kilo, raw. As painful as it was to finish every bite, I couldn’t say “too full” after hearing (and tasting) that!

Most of their specialties are prepared in tinned form at the restaurant. The cannery is right inside!

About half the dishes Abel serves in the restaurant use seafood directly from his tins. He doesn’t tell patrons which are fresh and which are tinned, and we found it impossible to tell. These Espardenas (sea cucumbers)? Tinned. The sauce was an emulsion of the oil from the tin, frothed and served with a masterfully fried egg. It was one of the most delicious dishes I’ve ever had, and infinitely better than other times I’ve tried the same.

They have recently opened a larger space for more comfortable canning, but every tin still features the daily catches chargrilled by Abel or Andre. The duo spend their first shift at the cannery before beginning lunch service at the restaurant, so the tins always contain the freshest of the day.

There is a huge difference between factory made tins and those made by artisans who have dedicated their lives. Gueyu Mar embodies and reminds us of the proper definition of “artisan.”

When the call came from our warehouse that our first shipment had finally arrived, I screamed like a maniac and ran straight out to see for myself. After so many years of admiration and work, Yelena and I are honored to be the importers of Gueyu Mar’s tins. This is why we do what we do! Now who wants to join us at the restaurant next time!?

For as long as we’ve had multiple branches, we’ve heard the hunger for competition. Each veteran behind the line thinks they can make the fastest, prettiest, most well executed sandwich. Each seasoned monger stakes a claim on their ability to carve the perfect cheese slice. When your crew kicks butt, they also want to kick each others’. Who are we to discourage a little healthy contest?

When the gloves were thrown down, six Olympic teams spanned the company: Downtown, 15th, Holladay, Online, Warehouse, and Admin. Rivalries were fierce between the brick-and-mortar branches, but everyone came to play. From a Cookie Discuss, a Hot Soup Dash, to the inception itself of Quickest Sando, every team was given ample opportunity to earn their country, er, crew pride.

We had so much fun, but it wasn’t really about how fast teams run or how far they throw a heavy tomato can. Caputo’s Deli Olympics are about our core values and aspirations. This event was a showcase on our drive to always strive for excellence in welcoming patrons with warmth, offering legendary customer service, connecting our community with world-class products, and promoting responsible stewardship of the Earth.

Best Cheese Cut:

With the cheese selection and required weight unannounced until the gun, the field of six was level and on the edges of their knives. An unexpectedly common choice of Grotte Caputo, requested to be cut at the hard-to-perfect 1/3 lb, left many novices out of their element. Slices were judged on speed, proximity to weight, and presentation in wrapping. Our OG deli-back Matt Caputo cut fast, accurate, and pretty to walk away with the gold.

1. Matt (standing in for 15th)
2. Marta (Downtown)
3. Danger (Online)

Best Written Response:

No matter our department, we’re all in the business of customer service. Knowing how to kindly answer an unhappy customer is a skill we all have in spades, but a written response can present a new bag of challenges. Responses were judged on the number of issues addressed, and calm, yet personal manners. At the end of the painfully brief five minutes, Online Customer Service pro Reana had this one in the bag.

1. Reana (Online)
2. Austin (Holladay)
3. Alicia (Downtown)

DiNapoli Shot Put:

When creating Track & Field style events for our Olympics, the Shot Put was an obvious choice. Perhaps even more obvious was the choice of a #10 (6.5lb) can of DiNapoli Tomatoes as the object to be thrown. Scored on distance traveled from the line, Matt Caputo flexed his Crossfit training to claim another gold. We painted the park tomato red, but carry on dear reader, we had plans to use that mess.

1. Matt (Downtown)
2. Donny (Admin)
3. Sante (Holladay)

“Hot” Soup Fifty Meter Dash:

Ah yes, those plans I mentioned for the crumpled cans above? Waste not, want not; we put that carnage to good use. Deli soup containers topped up to (and sometimes over) the brim were handed to our eager dashers before they embarked across the same field. First across the line (with penalties for spillage) took gold, with Danger earning his name for a shameless, smooth sprint through the finish and a chug off the top to celebrate.

1. Danger (Online)
2. Ryan (Warehouse)
3. Sarah (Downtown)

Best Composed Bite

I got excited and already wrote a whole blog post with accompanying recipes and bundles for this one… but here’s the gist. Using only ingredients found on our market shelves or in our deli stock, contestants were given fifteen minutes to create their most captivating canape. Recipes ranged from fishy drinks to elevated s’mores, and Fern took it with Michelin praise.

1. Fern (Holladay)
2. Ryan (Warehouse)
3. Alicia (Downtown)

Salami Relay:

What’s in a name? A big ol’ stick of Creminelli calabrese (still wrapped, thankfully) passed as a baton between runners for a lap around the park. The only event which incurred an injury (our poor online team BLED for bronze), surely put on a show. Judged, as you might expect, on time. Holladay had the hop, what can we say?

1. Holladay
2. Downtown
3. Online

Best Packed Box:

This test was simple. Prepare a package for the absolute worst a grumpy delivery driver on the wrong day could do. Competitors collected items from the market and packed them as quickly as possible before surrendering their work for judgment from a two story drop to the parking lot. Recovered parcels were judged on accuracy of items pulled and lack of damage from the drop. Despite an initial setback (his pre-packed box got swiped), Preston showed how our warehouse gets it done.

1. Preston (Warehouse)
2. Alicia (Downtown)
3. Chelsea (Admin)

Cookie Discus:

If you haven’t yet had the privilege of enjoying our house made chocolate chip cookies, I would encourage you to change that. We’re well known for, and damn proud of them. It was only fitting to have pastry chef Marian McKenney bake off bigger-than-your-face versions to flick across a field as far as they would fly. Preston landed his cookie edge side down and cooked the competition with a roll into first.

1. Preston (Warehouse)
2. Mason (Admin)
3. Frankie (Downtown)

Caputo’s Trivia:

We all know niche bits of company history, but it should be no surprise that our Admin team walked away with this one handily. Adri has been with the Caputos since they created an Admin department, and her speed to the buzzer was simply unmatched.

1. Admin
2. Online
3. Downtown

Quickest Sando:

The fight that started it all. A battle for the ages and one that didn’t shake out easily. After a first round tie between Marian of Holladay and Katie of Downtown, the redo was fast, furious, and just a little too messy. With judgment placed on both time and cleanliness, Marian walked away with the gold for her speed and grace.

1. Marian (Holladay)
2. Katie (Downtown)
3. Harrison (Online)

Our Olympic Deli Team represents a relentless pursuit of excellence and constant improvement. We talk a big game, and we support each other along the way to hold our core values inherent. Thank you for supporting and joining us in setting and reaching for our lofty goals.

Gooseneck barnacles, renowned as “the delicacy of the sea,” are a hidden treasure found clinging to rugged coastal rocks in the most remote corners of the world. These extraordinary creatures have captivated culinary enthusiasts for generations with their exquisite flavor and unique appearance – Wild food aficionado and diver, Evan O’Brian and Chef Mathew Scaletta of Wildfish Cannery among them. The two have paired up – O’Brian harvesting by hand along the coastline of Sitka, Alaska, Scaletta preparing and canning – to bring us these remarkable Gooseneck Barnacles in Brine.

Foraging at Low Tide

Evan O’Brien, an experienced and dedicated harvester, has immersed himself in the rugged beauty of Baranof Island, Alaska, to bring you some of finest gooseneck barnacles available. With immense expertise and utmost care, Evan personally hand-picks each barnacle, ensuring only the highest quality ones make it into your tins.

Bounty!

To preserve the barnacles’ natural flavors and textures, they are carefully prepared and packed in brine by Chef Mathew Scaletta, allowing you to experience the authentic taste of the sea with every bite. This gentle process ensures that the barnacles retain their delicate sweetness, firm texture, and distinctive briny essence.

We must emphasize that these Gooseneck Barnacles in Brine are available in limited quantities due to their rarity. As demand for this extraordinary delicacy is high, we encourage you to claim yours before they’re gone!

Check out our full selection of Tinned Barnacles, and read more about this collaboration on Wildfish Cannery’s Blog

Awards elation for the gold

I could (and will) write an entire blog about the inaugural Caputo’s Deli Olympics, but for the sake of showing off our talented food people and making y’all drool, we’re going to start off with a highlight of the Best Bites competition. For this test, contestants were given 15 minutes to create a composed bite using only ingredients from our market shelves and deli pantry. The shopping was fast, the prep was furious, and the bites were beautifully plated with only a little sweat shed on the side.

Judges Judging

With teams representing each brick and mortar Caputo’s, Online, Admin, and Warehouse, we had a diverse set of faces working hard behind the line. Our judges, Matt and Yelena Caputo, have an intimate knowledge of the ingredients contestants had access to. At the end of the day, the winners were clear and undisputed, with praise for the gold putting it in line with a “dessert one would expect to find at a Michelin-starred restaurant.” While we can’t share all the bites that came across the judging table, we do want to share the highlights, and present the Bronze, Silver, and Gold with their stories below:

Gold: Caputo’s Holladay

Spicy Citrus S’more

By Fern DeFrance

Fern has been with Caputo’s for less than a year, but she’s been with food her entire life. Some kids want to grow up to be an astronaut. Elementary school Fern wanted to be a baker. Now a full-time online student studying photography and creative writing at Seattle University, she keeps her passion for food alive behind the line at Caputo’s Holladay. Her s’more was inspired by the Chili Beak Citrus Habanero Caramel, and came full circle with her manager, Austin, suggesting the use of a blow torch.

Judges Corner: “The whole is greater than the sum of its parts. This bite could have been the highlight of a meal at a 3 Michelin Star restaurant! Truly transcendent.” 

INGREDIENTS

• Rustic Bakery Vanilla Biscuit
• San Giuliano Orange Slices in Syrup
• Secret Aardvark Habanero Hot Sauce
• Caputo’s Wild Tranquilidad by Ritual Chocolate
• Markham & Fitz Marshmallow
• Bees Brothers Honey Caramel
• Basil

ASSEMBLY

1. Drizzle syrup from San Giuliano Orange Slices and a few drops of Secret Aardvark Hot Sauce on top of Rustic Bakery Vanilla Biscuit
2. Top smothered biscuit with square of Caputo’s Wild Tranquilidad Chocolate and melt with blow torch
3. Top melted chocolate with M&F Marshmallow and melt with blow torch
4. Add a couple drops of Secret Aardvark Hot Sauce to top of melted marshmallow
5. Cover marshmallow with piece of caramel and melt with blow torch until dripping
6. Place orange slice into melted caramel and garnish with small piece of basil

Silver: Caputo’s Warehouse

Pan Con Tomate

By Ryan Terrio

With no time for planning or previous knowledge he would be competing, Ryan played straight to the hearts of the judges. Having worked in food his whole professional life, Ryan understands the importance of simplicity. His bite is a salute to this ethos as well as a callback to the importance of conservas culture.

Judges Corner: “Having just returned from Spain, this would have been a highlight at even the most prestigious tapas bar. Classic flavors and expert execution. The perfectly toasted bread did become a bit soggy in the middle by the time we tasted it, but had it been eaten immediately this would have been absolutely perfect.”

INGREDIENTS

• Ciabatta (toasted on one side in olive oil)
• Tomato (shredded on box grater)
• Onion (finely diced)
• JOSE Gourmet Olive Oil with Piri-Piri
• Gilles Hervy Fleur de Sel
• Espinaler Premium Sardines
• Parsley

ASSEMBLY

1. Toast ciabatta in JOSE EVOO on one side. You’re going for crispy – not crunchy, not dry.
2. While ciabatta is toasting, prep your veggies. Finely dice your onion and shred your tomato on the medium holes of a box grater.
3. Plate sardines with some oil directly onto the toasted side of ciabatta. Top with prepped onion and tomato. Garnish with parsley and attempt to save some to share.

Bronze: Caputo’s Downtown

Throw it on a Cracker

by Alicia Konzen

As the market manager of Caputo’s Downtown, Alicia is deeply steeped in the products on our shelves. In her own words, she is “lazy and likes to throw stuff together on crackers.” Luckily, she knows the right stuff to throw, and her bite was nothing short of divine. She even added arugula because “it’s the Olympics and we had to make it fancy!”

Judges Corner: “The creamy tang of the mild buffalo cheese paired very well with the cinnamon in that vegan salami and the hard crunch of the cracker/crisp was a great delivery device. The bitters added an array of botanical aromas and the bitterness helping bring complexity and balance. Given the bitterness from the cocktail bitters, it might have been better without the arugula, mainly because of texture mismatch, but overall this was a delicious bite.”

INGREDIENTS

• Rustic Bakery Artisan Crisps with Apricot, Pistachio, and Brandy
• Casatica di Bufala
• Hellenic Farms Vegan Fig & Pistachio Salami
• Arugula
• Dashfire Vintage Orange Bourbon Barrel Aged Bitters

ASSEMBLY

1. Place cracker on plate. Top with Casatica, salumi, and a couple dashes of bitters. Finish with a leaf of fresh arugula (to make it fancy).

The conservas industry, although very trendy as of late, has historically been guided by conglomerates that sacrifice quality and the environment to drive down price as quickly as possible, resulting in the regrettable “Chicken of the Sea” reputation that the industry is trying to shake today.

Several years ago we started noticing a shift in the world of seafood; tinned seafood, to be exact. We poured over information and discovered that a renaissance of sorts was happening in the canning industry. Specific attention is being paid to how fish is caught, with strict measures against overfishing aiming to provide sustainable and highly nutritious food sources. Harking back to old time practices of conservation, the producers we work with are fishing seasonally, in optimal conditions and canning immediately to preserve freshness and nutritional value. The canning process extends the shelf life immeasurably and makes conservas one of the wisest and most value dense food choices currently available.

Harvesting Mussels

The founder of Patagonia (with their own conservas provisions line), Yvon Chouinard, really says it best: “People need a new jacket every five or ten years, but they eat three times a day. If we really want to protect our planet, it starts with food.” For Yvon, it started with rope-cultivated and nutrient dense mussels, which don’t require any farming or additives to prosper and are naturally regenerative, actually cleaning the waters around them. Responsible fisheries and canneries are well aware of how to cultivate the sea to obtain abundant sources that are lower on the food chain. Thankfully the world is more aware today than we were just a few years ago about the dangers of overfishing and over polluting our waters. In fact, there is even occasional good news to report! Some species are being removed from endangered lists as their populations are being properly managed. We’re proud to say that our producers are the ones leading the pack in making the waters a prosperous and sustainable environment for all.

Conservas Gift Bundle

Unfortunately, our producers remain in the vast minority. The modern agricultural complex will not give way easily and, perhaps because the category is trendy, it is actually becoming harder to identify responsible canneries. We’re savvy to this and vet our purveyors cautiously, examining their fishing and labor practices to confirm, without doubt, that they are doing things the right way; out of respect rather than the bottom line. We’re proud to offer a wide array of responsible producers coming to us from all over the world, from the Prince of Wales Island in Southeast Alaska, to the famous Galician coast, up to Nordic waters, and seemingly everywhere in between! All of our producers stand by their unadulterated and clean products with the same pride we do for our market.

If you’re like me, you may not look at kelp – a type of large brown algae – and wonder what it tastes like. Luckily for us, the good folks at Barnacle Foods did! Born-and-raised Juneauites Matt and Lia founded Barnacle in 2017 after their bullwhip kelp-infused salsas garnered high praise at their local farmer’s market. Founded with the mission of showcasing just one of the many delicious flavors of Alaska, Barnacle also champions ocean conservation and sustainable harvesting.

Kelp farming is a relatively young industry, and Barnacle is leading the way in bringing it to its full potential. Through tireless advocacy and leading by example, Barnacle is ensuring kelp forests and the kelp farming industry remain healthy for generations of Alaskans to come. Barnacle also pays respect to the indigenous regions from which their ingredients are sourced – including Tlingit, Tsimshian, and Haida waters.

Here at Caputo’s, we share this sentiment. It is crucial to protect biodiversity and ensure our grandkids enjoy the same access to the amazing food and ecosystems our ancestors enjoyed.

Since their inception, Barnacle has since expanded into barbeque sauces, hot sauce, seasonings, chili crisp, and of course, salsa! Kelp imparts salty, savory, and vegetal notes to anything it’s used in. Even more, kelp is an incredibly sustainable product. With a growth rate of up to 18 inches a day, kelp forests require zero additional resources to grow. These sprawling forests also absorb carbon, helping to balance our ocean’s pH levels.

Here are a couple of our favorite products from Barnacle:

Kelp Chili Crisp: Barnacle teamed up with chef Taku of Outdoor Chef Life to bring this wonderfully complex chili crisp to our shelves. Using fried bullwhip kelp, onions, and chilis de arbol, this chili crisp and its accompanying spicy vegetable oil are the perfect addition to eggs any way you want to make them. While the chilis de arbol bring a smoky heat to the mix, the onions, garlic, and sugar add flavor and a surprising sweetness. Try it on pizza, pasta dishes, or – as Barnacle suggests – on top of donuts!

Bullwhip Kelp Hot Sauce: The product that introduced me to Barnacle. This hot sauce blew me away with its unbelievable umami flavor. The piri piri pepper-derived heat balances effortlessly with the briny flavors of bullwhip kelp, creating a deviously addictive hot sauce that pairs well with just about anything! Breakfast burritos, eggs, grilled veggies and much more can be elevated in no time with a few dashes of this hot sauce.

Nettle Meadow Farm

Upstate New York has no shortage of picturesque lakes, verdant pastures, and sprawling, craggy hills of green. This lush region presents boundless opportunities to host a healthy, happy, and wholesome family of animals in its folds. These reasons among many more attracted Lorraine Lambiase and Sheila Flanagan – co-owners, partners, and founders of Nettle Meadow – to Thurman, NY in 2005. Leaving successful careers in law to prioritize their animals and cheese making side-hustle (originally started in 1990), the two purchased their farm and drove across the country from Oakland, CA to start Nettle Meadow anew.

Meet Crabcake

Lorraine and Sheila wasted no time after finishing their 3000 mile trek across the country. “We often say that the sanctuary was developed on day one,” Sheila remembers. Most of their already small herd had developed medical conditions that immediately removed them from production stock. First order of business quickly became converting one of the barns into a retirement home for these goats. Over the years, this retirement home has grown to a village, now housing over 150 creatures who are differently abled, recovering from neglect or malnourishment, or retired from the Nettle Meadow production herd. The Kemp Animal Sanctuary showcases a core ethos of Nettle Meadow Farms: care for their animals above all else. Past the sanctuary and onto the pasture, this ethos holds strong – happy animals make delicious milk, and the artisans at Nettle Meadow churn that cream to gold.

Cheese on Cheese

Whether that gold takes shape as a triple-cream goat’s milk button, a sheep’s milk crottin, or a truffle studded tomme, it holds unique flavors imparted by the landscape on which these animals are raised. Nettle Meadow is more than a moniker – stinging nettles line the pastures where the goats graze. In addition to raspberry leaf, garlic, and wild growing herbs fed to all animals on the farm, the goats aren’t bothered by the nettles’ sting and consume them regularly. We love tasting terroir – a sense of place – and Nettle Meadow lets the flavors of upstate New York shine through with pride.

Kunik

Nettle Meadow isn’t new to our cheese case at Caputo’s. Their flagship cheese, Kunik, recently recognized as one of the 20 best in the world, has been a not-so-secret staff favorite here for years. As we’ve met more of their unique treasures, we’ve only fallen harder for the farm. You can now find beer washed kunik, lavender infused fromage blanc, and maple sweetened treats waiting in the eager hands of our mongers. Each cheese is handmade with attention to detail, thoughtful local inclusions, and a deep loving care for the herd.

Kemp Sanctuary Friends

From our overlap of ethos to our mutual appreciation for thoughtful, local ingredient inclusions, this is a partnership we’re proud to share. We hope you’ll join us in enjoying these handcrafted specialties soon.

Stinky Ewe

Sappy Ewe

Very Adorable Ewe