in the Cinque Terre region of Italy anchovies are on every menu.  Italy and anchovies go together.

are there any fellow anchovy lovers out there?

anchovies are a small — usually three inches in length — sea water fish.  often salt cured.  they have a briny flavor.  they pack a punch.  they wake you up.

anchovies are extraordinarily versatile.  you can have anchovies on your toast, on your pizza, in your salads, in your pasta, in your sandwiches, or just by themselves. they also make terrific sauces, dressings, pastes and dips.

it turns out that there are a lot of anchovies in the Mediterranean Sea.  as popular and as plentiful as anchovies are in Italy and the Mediterranean Sea, most of the anchovies in the world are caught in Peru and Japan.

in addition, there are several health benefits that come from consuming anchovies.  first of all, calories are deminimus.  second, it is a great source of protein.  ditto omega three fatty acids.  anchovies contribute to strong bones, a healthy heart and our daily iron needs.  they are a good source of calcium and Vitamins E and D.

the Huffington Post ran an article in April about an Italian community where one third of its citizens live to be beyond 100 years of age.   the study indicates that anchovies (a lot of anchovies) are a part of their daily diet.  here is the link  http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/anchovies-secret-longer-life_us_570d5288e4b0836057a2a9eb

enjoy these pictures of a very simple dish of toast with anchovies that I engulfed in Varnazza in Cinque Terre.  as you can see, I could not even wait to take the picture before I took my first bite.

I only wish that I could transmit via this blog the salty smell and the tangy taste of these anchovies.

as the heroine in Douglas Alan Walrath’s recent book, Naked Believer, said to the male protagonist, “real men eat anchovies.” 

Yes!