Alaska, U.S.A.-based companies Wildfish Cannery and Barnacle Foods have launched a new small-batch product available for a limited time: Wildfish Cannery Octopus in Bullwhip Kelp Hot Sauce.
The product, which has been available on both firms’ websites since 15 June, satisfies a long-held aspiration for Mathew Scaletta, the owner of Klawock, Alaska-based Wildfish Cannery, who said he has wanted to augment his company's octopus range for years.
“I’ve wanted to add a spiced octopus to our line-up for years, but I knew we needed to work with another Alaska manufacturer who shared our values. I’ve always admired Barnacle, and I already knew our customers loved their products, so this was the perfect opportunity for collaboration,” Scaletta said in a press release.
The new offering combines cured Alaska octopus from Wildfish Cannery with Barnacle Foods’ award-winning Bullwhip Kelp Hot Sauce. It marks the “first tinned seafood and kelp collaboration in Alaska,” according to Scaletta.
“While some European producers offer spiced octopus, none of it is Alaska octopus, and none of it features kelp in the list of ingredients. This product is not only the first tinned seafood and kelp collaboration in Alaska, but I haven’t seen anything like this available on the market, period,” Scaletta said. “We’re always on the hunt for new flavors and new ingredients. While we don’t want to reveal too much, you can expect to see more small-batch, limited-release products like this in the future. The exploration never stops.”
For Barnacle Foods, the collaboration with Wildfish Cannery is one forged with Alaska in mind, Lia Heifetz, who serves as co-owner of the Juneau-based kelp supplier, said.
“We said yes to working with Wildfish not only because of their track record for creating delicious artisanal products, but because we view the company as an ally in achieving our mission to harness the value of Alaska’s resources, create resiliency for coastal communities, and keep the health of our oceans a top priority amidst changing ocean climates,” Heifetz said.
Established in 2016, Barnacle Foods offers a line of kelp-based hot sauce, pickles, seasonings, BBQ sauce, and salsas.
Wildfish Cannery, which was founded in 1987, is an independently-owned, tinned seafood producer working “directly with local, community-based fishermen to transform Alaska’s seafood bounty from catch to can.” Its portfolio includes salmon, herring, geoduck, and octopus products.
Photo courtesy of Wildfish Cannery
