DON GAMBERO

In Sicilian dialect, it’s called "Ammaru Russu", but for chefs and their guests, it is known as the Mazara del Vallo Red Prawn—a true culinary treasure. Don Gambero’s red prawns are prized for their firm, delicate white flesh, infused with the natural salinity of the Mediterranean waters where they are sustainably caught. With exceptional organoleptic properties, this delicacy delivers an unparalleled depth of flavor, making it a must-have for the finest gourmet kitchens. From Sicily, with Love.

Mazara Red Prawn: The Pinnacle of Flavor

From Sicily with Love—more precisely, from the Sicilian Sea with love. The Mediterranean waters surrounding Italy’s largest island have always gifted us with unique and unparalleled ingredients. Yet, few can claim the top spot in culinary excellence quite like the Mazara del Vallo Red Prawn.

Vibrant red, luminous, succulent, firm, and bursting with flavor. In Sicilian dialect, it is affectionately called "Ammaru Russu".

For chefs and discerning gourmands, this delicacy is a true treasure, prized for its firm, white flesh that embodies the perfect balance of salinity and umami, a direct reflection of the pristine waters where it is sustainably caught. Don Gambero’s red prawns thrive at depths of nearly 700 meters, where powerful marine currents create their signature firm texture, while the high summer evaporation of the Mediterranean Sea enriches them with precious minerals, giving them their unmistakable flavor.

Every day, fishing boats set out to harvest the finest seafood between the Egadi Islands, Sciacca, and Trapani. Their nets remain at sea for over a month, but the catching, freezing, and packaging process happens within just a few hours. Everything is done directly on board, ensuring only the very best selections earn the Don Gambero name.

Don Gambero: More Than Just Mazara del Vallo Red Prawns

Freshly caught red prawns undergo rapid deep freezing in certified onboard laboratories using an ultra-fast thermal shock. The entire process is carried out quickly and without rinsing or glazing, ensuring that the product retains all its natural freshness. The prawns are then packaged in special trays designed to preserve texture, flavor, aroma, and nutritional values intact.

Tradition Meets Innovation

But Don Gambero is not just about red prawns. Alongside traditional fishing methods, the company has embraced cutting-edge processing techniques, combining craftsmanship—each prawn is hand-peeled to prevent damage—with state-of-the-art packaging innovations.

The result? A gourmet ingredient of the highest quality, with exceptional organoleptic properties, ready to be cooked and enjoyed. And it’s not just one product—Don Gambero offers over 40 premium seafood selections.

In addition to its beloved red prawns—available whole, tail-only, or as tartare—the catalog includes king prawns, pink and violet prawns, and scampi, just to name a few within the crustacean family. Expanding to fresh seafood, the range also features mollusks, squid, and octopus.

Innovation: Ready-to-Use Gourmet Seafood

But Don Gambero goes even further. The evolution of gourmet seafood has led to a new frontier: premium, ready-to-use products.

This is the market innovation introduced in recent years—freeing chefs from time-consuming preparation tasks that do not add value to the final dish, allowing them to focus on creativity and culinary artistry.

There’s no added value in having a chef peel prawns in a professional kitchen. Instead, by entrusting this task to experts who specialize in efficient, high-precision shelling, chefs save time, optimize workspace, and reduce waste. The real challenge is to give chefs back time and resources without compromising quality.

For example, Don Gambero’s red prawns are packaged in flat, 100g portions, allowing for rapid defrosting—just 10 minutes in lukewarm water—and immediate use. Once thawed, simply open the bag and voilà—they're ready for a gourmet creation.

With Don Gambero, "quick and easy" means exceptional flavor. Actually, it means unparalleled excellence.

From Sicily with Love: How a Red Prawn Becomes a Gourmet Delicacy

There is a specific area off the coast of Sicily where Don Gambero harvests its legendary red prawn. This is the FAO fishing zone 37.1-37.2. For those unfamiliar with maritime terminology, these are the pristine waters off Mazara del Vallo, the Egadi Islands, Sciacca, and Trapani. If you’re wondering why it’s famously known as the Mazara del Vallo Red Prawn, the answer lies in tradition. This is where, historically, the first specialized fishing fleets were equipped to catch this prized crustacean.

Quality, Safety, and Innovation at Sea

Today, Don Gambero’s fishing vessels follow strict quality and safety standards, ensuring both sustainable fishing practices and optimal preservation of the prawns.

Once caught, the crustaceans are immediately flash-frozen at -50°C onboard using IQF (Individual Quick Freezing) technology, which preserves their freshness, texture, and flavor while maintaining the highest food safety standards.

The prawns are then carefully sorted by size and weight, ranging from 4 to 6 cm and under 25 grams per piece to over 50 grams, categorized from Grade IV to Grade I selections—with the King prawns exceeding 60 grams.

More than just delicious, Don Gambero’s red prawns are guaranteed safe, making them perfect for raw consumption, just as nature intended