I am a Basque from Mexico. I just want to comment that angulas are very expensive in Mexico; however, the last time I bought a can of angulas at Wal Mart in Chihuahua, Mexico, where I live (I am on Sabbatical now, in Oklahoma), I realized that it was written in very small print "surimi". That means it is a common whitefish, minced, added with gums and other food additives, and then SHAPED as angulas and canned in oil. They even put a small black dot resembling the eyes of the angulas, but they aren't angulas at all, and are sold as if they were. These fake angulas disintegrate and are completely tasteless. I just write this to warn consumers out of Spain who want to buy angulas, read the label, and if it says "surimi", don't buy it! If you look at the ingredients list, it'll say white fish and no angulas are mentioned.

Antonio Anzaldúa

A follow up by Unai Markaida:

About the advertisement "A Warning about Angulas in Mexico" from Antonio Anzaldúa appeared in your "Basque recipes" page, I would like to add that since at least 6 years, if no more, the Basque enterprise "Angulas de Aguinaga" began to commercialize such "surimi angulas" in the Basque Country, after they learned the technique to do that from the Japanese. Such new was well know, as I tell you, several years ago in the Basque Country and it was just the way to offer cheaper "angulas" than those fresh and "real" angulas which price was (is) unreachable for most people. Note that they clearly put "surimi" in the can box, so nobody is expected to be misleaded.

User Contributed Notes /Basque/Food/ang.warn.html	add a note
Total number of notes for this page: 3 Currently viewing page 1 of 1 page of notes
fbarrenechea at barrenecheasoc dot com 26-Mar-2007 14:21 #4846 For an angula treat. Use 3 cans of "surimi" angulas to 1 can of real angulas (expensive) & produce angulas al pil-pil with good olive oil 6 garlic. Good dish and less expensive. For real angulas in Mexico City , go to Mercado de San Juan where you will find real angulas imported from Chile & Spain. Fernando M. Barrenechea
amaia1986 at yahoo dot es 22-Jan-2007 12:11 #4442 And I wonder how anyone can expect to buy real angulas in a...can!!! Such a delicatessen can just go from the fishermonger into your dish. The rest are gulas, and some of us happy to be able to enjoy a more affordable alternative. Amaia, Manchester, UK
kuddly_koala1 at yahoo dot co dot uk 18-Apr-2006 9:15 #2878 I believe according to law "false" surimi angulas cannot be marketed as such because that could be considered misleading product advertising. There is at least one brand that sells them as "gulas", although I dont know if that is the generic product's name or the brand... M. Edinburgh.
add a note
Last updated: Fri, 20 Apr 2007 - 15:44:17

This page is part of Buber's Basque Page and is maintained by Blas Uberuaga. Please report any problems or suggestions to Blas. Eskerrik asko!