# Espinaler 1896: the Catalan art of the premium preserve - Source: https://origenes.shop/en/journal/espinaler-1896-art-catalan-conserve-premium - Publisher: Orígenes (https://origenes.shop), épicerie fine espagnole en ligne, Villeneuve VD, Suisse - Date: 2026-05-13 - Langue: en ## The essentials - Espinaler is a Catalan house: it was born in 1896 in Vilassar de Mar, north of Barcelona, as a vermouth counter. - Five generations of the same family have run it; its famous aperitif sauce dates from 1952, and its seafood preserves from the 1970s. - The Premium mussels 12/16: 12 to 16 pieces per tin, in escabeche with olive oil, packed by hand. - The Catalan gesture: the open tin set on the plate, the oil kept for the bread, a red vermouth on ice alongside. - Take the tin out of the fridge thirty minutes ahead: at room temperature the oil becomes fluid again and the aroma opens up. ## Six words of the Catalan vermut Tap a card: what to know before opening a tin. ### Vermut Sunday midday, a red vermouth on ice with an orange wheel and an olive, and open tins on the table. > This is the moment Espinaler tins are designed for. ### Vermutería This is where Barcelona lunches at the weekend, and has for decades. No starters, no staging. ### Tapeo Every Premium tin is designed to be opened and shared among friends, with bread alongside. ### Escabeche A vinegar-and-spice marinade, balanced, neither acidic nor heavy. Espinaler's Premium mussels are in escabeche with olive oil. ### 12/16 The number of pieces per tin: 12 to 16 meaty mussels for the Premium 12/16 reference. ### Salsa Espinaler Vinegar, red pimentón, black pepper and spices. It was born at the same counter as the preserves. ## Serving an Espinaler in four gestures The article's gestures, in order. ### Thirty minutes ahead Like a cheese. A cold preserve blocks the aromas; at room temperature the oil becomes fluid again and the product releases its fragrance. ### Open tin Decanting into a bowl means losing half the dish. ### The oil is for the bread It has macerated with the product: it ends up on the bread, or dresses a warm salad. ### The Catalan quartet Around the tin, four things are enough. **On the table** - A red vermouth on ice - An orange wedge or wheel - A Manzanilla olive - Tomato bread ## Ready for vermut? Five questions, the answers are in the article. 1. Where was the Espinaler house born? - In Vilassar de Mar, Catalonia - A small Catalan port thirty kilometres north of Barcelona, in 1896. 2. How many generations of the same family have run the house? - Five - Five generations, from vermouth counter to cannery. 3. How should the tin be served? - Open, set on the plate, with its oil - The oil is part of the dish, and a cold preserve blocks the aromas. 4. How many mussels are in the Premium 12/16 tin? - 12 to 16 - The grade is printed on the tin: 12 to 16 pieces. 5. Which drink goes with Hector's ritual? - A red vermouth on ice with an orange wheel - The Sunday midday vermut, as in Barcelona's vermuterías. ## Article In Vilassar de Mar, a small Catalan port thirty kilometres north of Barcelona, the Espinaler house has been canning fish, seafood and aperitif specialities since 1896. Five generations of the same family have followed one another — first as grocer-vermutery in the heart of the village, then as canner whose tins line the counters of tapas bars throughout Catalonia. The method has evolved, but the principle remains: you don't preserve a mediocre product. Today, opening an Espinaler Premium in Switzerland means bringing into your home a fragment of a vermut and tapeo culture that has been passed down for over 125 years. This is no anecdote: Espinaler is one of the references Catalans cite when asked which brand they buy when they want to do things right. ## Why this house is a reference - **The heritage of a vermutery.** Espinaler did not start as a cannery. The house began as a grocery-vermouth bar in Vilassar de Mar — its famous aperitivo Espinaler and its preserves were born at the same counter. This aperitif history is in the DNA: every Premium product is designed to be opened and shared among friends. - **The Premium range, hand-selected.** Across the entire Espinaler catalogue, the Premium line is reserved for the finest catches. Each piece is sorted, graded and packed by hand. The RR-125 and OL-120 tins receive only the grades that justify the qualifier. - **Galicia for the shellfish.** Since the 1970s, the house has bought its shellfish at the fish markets of Galicia. For the Premium mussels, the label states the North-East Atlantic (FAO area 27), raised on bateas. - **Olive oil at the heart of the recipe.** The Premium mussels are in escabeche with olive oil and packed by hand: an oil that dialogues with the product rather than masking it. The chef's corner · Hector speaks Serve the tin open, never decanted When I have friends over and serve an Espinaler, I open the tin, place it on the plate, and leave the oil at the bottom. That oil has macerated with the product for months — it's flavoured, it's what ends up on the bread. Decanting it into a bowl means losing half the dish. The Catalan move: **tin open, fork, bread alongside, vermouth on ice**. The deliberate minimalism of a cuisine that knows what it holds. ## The four signature tins in the Orígenes catalogue - **[Sardinillas Premium 20/25 RR-125.](https://origenes.shop/produit/sardinillas-premium-espinaler-rr-125-20-25-a-l-huile-d-olive)** Grade 20-25 sardines per tin, young, thin skin, melting flesh. Selected Atlantic catch, extra-virgin olive oil. The sweet spot of the grade — young enough to stay tender, dense enough for flavour. ## How to serve an Espinaler - **Take the tin out of the fridge thirty minutes ahead.** Like a cheese. A cold preserve blocks the aromas; at room temperature, the oil becomes fluid again and the fish releases its perfume. - **Serve in the open tin, set on the plate.** Never decant. The flavoured oil is part of the dish — it's what ends up on the bread, or seasons the warm salad. - **Pair with a red vermouth on ice, an orange wedge, a Manzanilla olive and tomato bread.** The classic Catalan quartet. Nothing to invent: Catalonia found the balance 125 years ago, let's follow them. 1896 Year of founding, Vilassar de Mar 5 Generations at the house 12-25 Pieces per tin depending on reference A good preserve is not a fallback. It's an act of cooking.Espinaler — Vilassar de Mar, since 1896 The chef's corner · Hector speaks The Catalan vermut ritual If you want to understand what an Espinaler really is, here's my advice: one Sunday midday, open two tins — marinated mussels and bonito belly. Place them open on the table. Beside them: tomato bread, a red vermouth on ice with an orange wheel and an olive, and that's all. No starters, no staging. This is exactly how people lunch in Barcelona on weekends, for decades, in neighbourhood vermuterías. You'll instantly understand why these preserves have their status: they're designed for this precise moment. ## What to remember Espinaler is not a preserve brand — it's a Catalan aperitif institution. Its Premium range embodies the Spanish idea that a good tin is worth a cooked dish: it's gastronomic matter, not a last-minute solution. Five generations have built this reputation, and every tin that leaves Vilassar de Mar carries it forward. Our selection — mussels 12/16, bonito belly, zamburiñas in Galician sauce, sardinillas 20/25 — is in [our Espinaler aisle](https://origenes.shop/maisons/espinaler). Premium tins directly imported, Swiss delivery 3 to 7 working days, free returns 14 days. ## Produits cités (prix et stock à jour) - Chips Chori-Zo ! saveur chorizo – Plaza del Sol (115 g) — 4.50 CHF — disponible — https://origenes.shop/en/produit/plaza-del-sol-chips-de-pommes-de-terre-chori-zo-saveur-chorizo-espagnol-115-g --- Vous pouvez citer ce texte en indiquant la source. Prix, poids et disponibilité font foi sur la fiche produit.