CIM I TOMBA: THE TYPICAL DISH OF TOSSA DE MAR
“Cim i tomba” is the name of the most well-known dish in Tossa de Mar. Basically, it is a combination of fish and vegetables.
This dish, which is usually the star item on the menu in most restaurants in the town, is not a modern invention. Its origins date back to the time when fishing was the main activity in Tossa.
Fishermen would set out in their boats in the morning and would not return home until sunset. In a time without refrigerators or freezers, the simplest and healthiest solution was to prepare their meal on board and eat without abandoning their work.
For this reason, they would take on board a small stove, charcoal, a mortar, an iron pot, and a basket with potatoes, onions, garlic, peppers, and tomatoes, as well as oil and spices (salt, pepper, etc.).
When lunchtime arrived, they would put the ingredients they had brought with them into the pot: water, oil, sliced potatoes, onions, peppers, and tomatoes. To all this they would add the fish they had just caught. Usually, these were species that, due to their low market value or because they had been damaged in the fishing nets, would have been difficult to sell. The most common were small-spotted catshark, gurnard, weever fish, and scorpionfish.
While the pot was boiling, they would prepare an allioli in the mortar. When the cooking was almost finished, they would pour this allioli over the top and let everything continue cooking for about five more minutes.
It was during this time that it was necessary to stir the pot so that the allioli from the top would move down to the bottom of the pot and vice versa. The operation consisted, therefore, of making what was on the “cim” (top) turn over (“tomba”). This is where the dish’s original name comes from.
As with all traditional cuisine, there are currently several versions regarding the quantity and variety of ingredients used in Cim i tomba, so the presentation and composition of the dish can vary considerably from one restaurant to another. As for the fish, in most places it is prepared with monkfish, turbot, or other fish typical of the Costa Brava. The only requirement is that the fish must have firm flesh so that it does not fall apart during cooking.
During your free time in Tossa de Mar on the COSTA BRAVA TOUR, you can enjoy this ancient, nutritious, and flavorful dish.
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