Inside Conservas Delgado: Artisanal Boquerones, Anchovies, and Gildas from Seville

A Day at Conservas Delgado in Alcalá de Guadaíra

On my last trip to Seville, I had the opportunity to visit Conservas Delgado, a family-owned company located in Alcalá de Guadaíra that has been dedicated to artisanal fish preserves for over 20 years. I was welcomed by their general director, Fran Delgado, who guided me through every step of their production process of boquerones and anchovies.

From the Sea to the Table

Each day, Conservas Delgado produces around 1,500 boquerones and anchovies, sourced from the Mediterranean Sea and the Cantabrian coast. What makes them unique is the completely manual cleaning process: expert hands carefully remove the viscera one by one, preserving the integrity of each fillet.

Fran explained: “Our priority is quality. Every fish is cleaned by hand, and before anything else, it goes through freezing to eliminate any risk of anisakis. Only then do we continue with the curing process.”

The Curing Process

After being frozen, the fish are defrosted, cleaned, and cut. They are then cured in a vinegar solution, which gives them their characteristic texture and flavor. From there, each batch is seasoned depending on the final product—whether with organic olive oil, garlic and parsley, or vinegar and paprika—and finally packaged with care.

Discovering the Gildas

One of the most fascinating parts of the visit was watching the preparation of the famous Spanish gildas skewers. These pinchos, iconic in Basque tapas culture, combine an olive, a piparra, and either a boquerón or an anchovy. At Conservas Delgado, the olives and piparras come from Sarasa, a prestigious producer from Navarra, ensuring that each gilda has the perfect balance of flavors.

Fran told me with a smile: “The gildas are a bite-sized symbol of Spain. We want people to taste the sea and the land together in just one skewer.”

Conservas Delgado at Iberico Taste

At Iberico Taste, we are proud to offer some of the most popular Conservas Delgado specialties, true classics of Spanish tapas:

A Taste of Andalusian Craftsmanship

Visiting Conservas Delgado was a reminder of what makes Spanish gourmet conservas so special: tradition, artisanal processes, and an unwavering commitment to flavor. From boquerones en vinagre to anchovies from Cantabria and gildas skewers, each product tells the story of the sea and the people behind it.

We invite you to discover these delicacies at Iberico Taste and bring a piece of Andalusian tradition to your table in the U.S.