Colatura di Alici Tasting in the Cetara–Erchie Corridor
The stretch of coast between Erchie and Cetara is the heartland of colatura di alici — a translucent amber anchovy sauce descended directly from the Roman garum — and seeking it out at source, in the small shops and family producers that line this corridor, is one of the most distinctly local food experiences the Amalfi Coast offers. A few drops transform a simple pasta into something ancient and
What Colatura di Alici Is
Made from anchovies (alici) netted in the waters off Cetara each spring, layered with sea salt in chestnut barrels (terzigni) and slowly pressed over three to four years, colatura is the liquid that drips from the bottom of the barrel — concentrated, intensely savoury and deeply umami without being fishy in a crude sense.
It received IGP (Protected Geographical Indication) status in 2020, cementing its connection to this specific stretch of Campanian coastline; production remains almost entirely artisanal.
Where to Taste & Buy Near Erchie
The short drive or bus ride to Cetara (15 minutes east of Erchie on the SS163) brings you to Armatore and Delfino, two of the most respected producers, both of which sell directly from their premises on the village's small harbour front — bottles make the finest edible souvenir from this coast.
Back in Erchie itself, the village alimentari stocks locally sourced colatura and salt-packed anchovies; buying here keeps money directly in the community.
How to Use It
The classic preparation is spaghetti con colatura: pasta tossed with garlic, chilli, parsley, toasted breadcrumbs and a tablespoon of the sauce — no heat applied to the colatura, which would destroy its delicate complexity.
Ask any restaurant in Erchie or Cetara to prepare a dish with colatura and watch the kitchen take quiet pride; this is a product locals regard with the same reverence Burgundians reserve for their finest wine.
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