Cockles in Olive Oil w/ Garlic & Chili

About This Tin Berberechos — Galician cockles — are one of Spain's most instinctively beloved tapas. Small, briny, and deeply satisfying, they're the kind of thing you eat standing up at a bar with a cold glass of Albariño and wish you'd ordered two tins. La Curiosa's version takes that classic and adds garlic and chili to the olive oil, creating a sauce that's more interesting than brine alone but still lets the cockle lead. These are small-size cockles (Cerastoderma edule), hand packed at La Curiosa's Nigrán facility — each one chosen for consistent size and clean flavor. La Curiosa sources from the shellfish-rich waters of the Galician estuaries, a region where cockles have been harvested and canned for generations. Founder Cristóbal Fernández built the brand around that tradition, with a deliberate eye toward doing things right rather than doing them at scale. These cockles are new to the US, and FishNook is the first and currently only US retailer to carry them. What Makes It Special The Format: Small-size cockles — the designation on the tin itself. Smaller pieces, higher piece count, and a consistent texture that works especially well in olive oil preparations. Iron-Rich: Cockles are one of the highest-iron shellfish you can tin. Each can provides 15% of your daily iron value alongside 8g of protein. FishNook Exclusive: Brand new to the American market. FishNook is currently the only retailer in the US carrying this product. Perfect Pairings Vermouth Hour: Drain lightly, serve with toothpicks, and pour the garlic-chili oil into a small ramekin for dipping. This is the Spanish bar snack at its most essential. Ceviche-Style: Drain and dress with fresh lime juice, diced tomato, red onion, and cilantro. The cockles' natural brine gives you a head start on flavor. Pasta: Stir into spaghetti aglio e olio at the end of cooking. The cockles warm through without toughening, and the garlic oil doubles as the sauce base. Product Details Ingredients: Cockles (Cerastoderma edule), olive oil, garlic, chili Weight: 3.90 oz / 110g net (2.22 oz / 63g drained) Origin: Galicia, Spain Fishing Method: Hand-raked