Page 104 - Traveling 71 eng

TUNA RONQUEO
Every spring, the wild almadraba bluefin tuna begins its migration along the coast
of Cádiz, giving rise to one of the oldest and most precise rituals in the marine world:
the ronqueo. This artisanal butchering technique, steeped in centuries of history and
tradition, travels in season to the tables of Madrid, where the restaurant DeAtún offers
diners the chance to witness and savour the art of tuna in real time
THE RONQUEO
OF WILD
ALMADRABA
BLUEFIN TUNA
A live art form
Words: Editorial staff
Photos: Restaurant DeAtún
Un ritual que llega a la mesa
Each year, the season of wild almadraba bluefin tuna trans-
forms the coast of Cádiz—and in recent years, also a few
tables in Madrid. At DeAtún restaurant, located on Ponzano
Street, the live “ronqueo” has become a central feature of
its culinary experience.
Ronqueo is the traditional name for the precise art of but-
chering tuna, a skill passed down for generations in the
almadraba fishing communities. The name comes from the
rasping sound made by the knife as it scrapes against the
fish’s spine—a vibration that diners can hear as they wit-
ness the ritual.
During April and May, when bluefin tuna migrate from the
Atlantic to the Mediterranean, almadraba fishermen catch
specimens weighing over 200 kilos. At DeAtún, skilled ron-
queadores from Barbate and Zahara de los Atunes bring
this age-old tradition to the heart of Madrid. In front of the
diners, they carefully extract, one by one, the most prized
cuts of wild almadraba bluefin tuna.
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