From Sea to Tray

Mercadona is one of Spain’s largest and most popular supermarket chains, renowned for its extensive range of fresh produce, high-quality products and competitive prices. With stores across the country, it has become a go-to destination for everyday shopping, offering a wide range of products from groceries to household essentials.

But did you know...the colour of the trays at the fish counter is a quick way to tell where the fish comes from:

• Green trays: These contain fish that have been freshly caught and brought straight from the local fish market, known as the lonja. This fish is usually caught the same day, making it the freshest option available.

• Blue trays: These are used for fish that come from aquaculture (fish farms) or deep-sea fishing. This type of fish can come from different regions and is stocked across all Mercadona stores, so it isn’t necessarily local.

This simple colour-coding helps shoppers quickly identify the origin of the fish they’re buying.

It’s worth noting that this system of green for local and blue for farmed or imported fish is unique to Mercadona. Other supermarkets in Andalusia, like Carrefour, Lidl, or Dia, have their own ways of displaying and labelling fish, but they don’t follow this same colour scheme. Labelling practices can vary widely between different chains and regions.

If you want to know where fish comes from at other supermarkets, check the product labels carefully or ask a staff member, they’ll be able to give you the details.