Spain is fanatical about quality tuna, and Bonito del Norte is the prince of Spanish tuna. Flaked onto a salad or served on toasted baguettes, Bonito del Norte is the most tender, delicate jarred tuna in the world. And the small family company Nardín is among the very finest in Spain.
The secret is in the way it is prepared. Fresh Bonito del Norte is poached in sea water, then the tuna loins are hand cut and placed in glass jars. They are then topped off with olive oil, which preserves the tender flaky texture of the tuna.
During the fishing season the Nardín family selects the best Bonito del Norte tuna from each morning's catch and prepares it that day fresh at their small facility in the Basque country. They never use frozen fish, another reason why theirs is the finest tuna in Spain.
Bonito del Norte is a small tuna that migrates from the Atlantic to the rich, cool seas north of Spain every year. There they linger and fatten up on the plentiful smaller fish. This is the moment when the tuna is ripe for harvest.
The Spanish fishing boats catch the tuna by hand with fishing poles - never with nets or long lines. This preserves the quality of the fish, which would otherwise be stressed by other harvesting methods.
We invite you to try the very best tuna in the world. One of our favorite ways to serve Bonito del Norte is to toast rounds of bread, place a sweet piquillo pepper on top of each, then a piece of tuna. Broil them for a minute or two until warm. ¡Que maravilla!
