Though many of us appreciate how game-changing anchovies can be in cooking, we still have much to learn from the Italians. We usually use the sharp, salty little things to add a salty punch to pizzas and pasta sauces, but in the Mediterranean they become an essential aspect of all Italian cooking, providing bags of deep, umami richness to all sorts of dishes, as well as a good helping of healthy omega-3 fatty acids.
Perhaps the reason Italians seem to love anchovies more than anyone else is down to quality. Anchovies caught off Italy's coastline are a world away from the salty, mushy strips you find in supermarket tins and jars in places like the UK. If you’re convinced that you dislike anchovies, there’s a strong chance it’s because you simply haven’t eaten the real thing. You’ll find gorgeous fresh anchovies all along the west coast of Italy, from Liguria in the north to Calabria in the south, but those caught in Campania – particularly along the magnificent coastline between Positano and Cetara – are widely considered to be the best in the world.