Cambados Preserves

In the northwestern corner of the Peninsula, where the land dissolves into silvered rías and the sea whispers ancient tales, a name emerges that embodies the soul of Galicia: Conservas de Cambados. Founded in the 1950s, this company is not merely a workshop for salted goods and shiny cans, but a guardian of flavors deeply rooted in the eternal dialogue between the ocean and those who inhabit it.

History woven with nets and tides

Born in the heart of a land shaped by the ebb and flow of boats, Conservas de Cambados began as a modest family project, where hands weathered by salt transformed the bounty of the sea into enduring treasures. Over the years, its name rose like a beacon, not for grandeur, but for loyalty to an art that demands patience: selecting mussels from the bateas those floating islands where the mollusk grows between rough and calm waters to can them when their flesh reaches the exact point, the one certified by the Protected Designation of Origin Mejillón de Galicia as a geographical heritage.

Products that are verses of the sea

In its cans, there is no rush, but the rhythm of the seasons. The DOP mussel, the undisputed star, is presented in its own juice or pickled, preserving the scent of seaweed and the silky texture that only the rías guard. But alongside it, other delicacies sail: razor clams that seem captured with the ebb tide, scallops that carry the echo of the depths, and cockles that burst with saltiness, as if the ocean itself had dictated their recipe. Each product is a map of flavors where the latitude of Galicia is read: 42°N, where plankton flourishes and winds shape marine life.

Figures that speak of roots and the future

Amidst the numbers, the company is a bridge between tradition and precision: 100% of its mussels come from the DOP, grown in waters classified as "Excellent quality" by the EU. Its processes, though modernized, replicate the know-how of the old preserve makers, avoiding additives and prioritizing the expert hand that distinguishes an exceptional batch. It is no surprise that its exports reach demanding markets like Japan or France, where the name Cambados evokes authenticity in a world of haste.

Products that are canned verses

Although the mussel is its epic poem, the Conservas de Cambados catalog is a cantiga of friendship to the diversity of the Atlantic:

Razor clams and cockles:

Hand-caught from sandbanks, with a size and texture that challenge industrial preserves.

Scallops and small scallops:

Grilled before being canned, a technique that enhances their umami and prevents 'water' from collecting at the bottom.

Sardines in olive oil:

Small yet intense pieces, ideal for luxury tapas or scrambled with free-range eggs."

Data that speaks in Galician

Total traceability:

Each can can be traced back to its original batea, with records of water temperature and harvest date.

Certified sustainability:

They collaborate with shellfish bank repopulation projects and use 100% renewable energy in their facilities.

Markets:

70% of their production is exported to countries such as France, Japan, and the United Arab Emirates, where up to 18€ is paid for a can of scallops.

Castelao once said that Galicia is 'a land of rain and stone, but with a soul made of sea.' Conservas de Cambados embodies that spirit: cans that capture waves, breezes, and the pride of a people who transformed the humble mussel into a universal delicacy.

(Closing your eyes, you can almost feel the crunch of the shell between your fingers and the taste of salt that travels, from the Galician rías, to the most demanding plate.)