Handmade by a 100 year old family business in a fully modernized facility in southern Italy, this is the tuna to seek out when you want to enjoy tuna at its finest. Callipo starts with dolphin-safe Yellowfin tuna that are only of a sufficient size to assure the lowest possible presence of Mercury. Smaller fish that arrive at the factory are rejected. The fish is then cut, skinned, de-boned and steamed. An important note is that most processors add water back to the meat after cooking to increase its weight for selling purposes. Callipo does the opposite and dries off as much water as possible to concentrate the wonderful flavor of the fish. The resulting product is then filleted and hand-inserted into glass jars. Finally, the tuna is ripened in salted spring water for enough time to impart a touch of saltiness to the product. Serve it proudly, intact as a whole loin atop a plate of greens, drizzled with a light dressing.
Callipo was founded in 1913 by Giacinto Callipo, the great-grandfather of the present company's President and owner, in Pizzo, a small city located in the heart of the Gulf of Sant'Eufemia recognized for their fishing and production of tuna. The company was the first in Calabria and amongst the first in Italy, to process the prestigious Mediterranean Tuna fished using the "fixed tonnare" system. Today, the company relies on tuna fished in the Pacific Ocean, as stocks in the Mediterranean have dropped to critical levels.
Callipo tuna is unique in that it is processed entirely in Italy from the raw fish, at their plant in Pizzo, undergoing a meticulous, laborious process. Most other tuna products with Italian-sounding names are processed in Vietnam or Ecuador, then perhaps canned or jarred in Italy, allowing the brand to claim "Packed in Italy" on its labels. Demanding Callipo brand tuna means you will get only the best the world has to offer.