Mojama is the salt-cured tuna loin of Andalusia, air-dried until dense and deep red — a delicacy with Phoenician roots in the tuna ports of Cádiz and Huelva. Its very name comes from the Arabic, a thread back through Spain's layered past.
Dense and chewy like cured ham, releasing a deep, concentrated tuna flavor that is intensely savory and pleasantly salty. Good olive oil rounds the sharp edges, and a few almonds balance it. A little goes a long way.
Salt curing osmotically draws water out of the tuna loin, concentrating proteins and flavor while preventing spoilage, and air-drying further firms the texture. The result is a shelf-stable, umami-dense product akin to cured ham.
Variations
served con almendras (with almonds); over tomato; shaved over salads; ijada/ventresca cuts
On the Palate
Where Mojama sits in the Spanish flavor cloud
Ingredients
Serves 10How it's made
8 steps · 20 min
- 110 min
Select thick, fresh loins from the tuna and trim them cleanly.
- 28 min
Bury the loins completely in coarse sea salt to draw out moisture.
Watch outBury the loins so no flesh shows — any exposed patch spoils instead of curing.
- 35 min
Cure under salt for one to two days, depending on thickness.
- 45 min
Rinse off the salt thoroughly and pat the loins dry.
- 55 min
Hang the loins to air-dry in a cool, breezy place for two to three weeks.
Watch outHang where air moves freely; still, damp air breeds mould instead of a clean dry crust.
- 63 min
Check that the exterior is firm and the interior dark and dense.
Watch outIt's ready when the outside is hard and the core dark and dense — a soft middle means it needs more time.
- 76 min
Slice the cured loin paper-thin across the grain.
Watch outSlice paper-thin across the grain — too thick and it eats tough and overly salty.
- 83 min
Arrange the slices and drizzle generously with extra-virgin olive oil to serve.
