ABSTRACT
The Mediterranean diet, representing the dietary pattern usually consumed among the populations bordering the Mediterranean sea, has been continuously and widely reported to be a model of healthy eating for its contribution to a favourable health status and a better quality of life. On December 4, 2013, UNESCO recognized the Mediterranean diet as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Italy, Portugal, Spain, Morocco, Greece, Cyprus and Croatia. Portugal and the Algarve have a centuries-old, continued relationship with the sea, fisheries and fish and fish products. Traditional processing technologies have clearly been developed in order to preserve excess quantities of fresh fish for storage or transport. In both fisheries, most captured specimens are discarded. Drying, salting, smoking, acid curing or a combination of the methods forms the basis of preparation of traditional fish products in many countries. Thermal sterilization of fish on a commercial scale was initiated with the invention of canning.
