Costa Tropical families asked to save forgotten fishing village recipes before they disappear

A family fish recipe scribbled on an old piece of paper could soon become part of a permanent record of Malaga’s coastal history.

Mediterraneo Azul, Memoria de Nuestras Costas (Blue Mediterranean, memory of our coasts) is asking families, fishermen, former fishing workers, cooks, associations and residents in Motril, Adra and Roquetas de Mar to share traditional recipes connected with their fishing communities.

Recipes passed down by word of mouth can contain much more than cooking instructions. Organisers want to record the fish used, where each dish originated, who passed it on and the memories surrounding its preparation.

Similar work has already been carried out elsewhere in Malaga Province. Chef Ana Abellan documented traditional recipes from the Guadalhorce Valley in her book Entre Berza y Pringa, helping preserve dishes and culinary traditions that might otherwise have been lost.

Her work was featured by Euro Weekly News in 2024 when she gave a talk and cooking demonstration at the Antonio Gala House Museum in Alhaurin el Grande.

Old recipes could become a travelling exhibition

Mediterraneo Azul will take the idea to the Costa Tropical’s fishing communities, with selected recipes forming part of a travelling exhibition around Andalucia.

Five videos about the ports of Motril, Adra and Roquetas de Mar will also tell the stories of their fishing history, traditions and maritime heritage.

Motril will host the exhibition’s opening at Hotel Elba on September 23, following seafood cooking demonstrations on September 22 and 23. Specialist chefs will prepare local fish while discussing seasonality, sustainability and the cultural importance of the fishing industry, with tastings afterwards.

Sharing family food, telling history

The project has a budget of nearly €30,000, funded through Spain’s European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund programme, the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and the Junta de Andalucia, so it should unearth some classic traditional cuisine from the history of the south coast of Spain.

After all, a recipe handed down through generations is more than a meal. It is a little piece of local history that deserves to stay on the menu and be tasted by everyone.