Lhe fish skins became pink, green, gray… and soft. Under the expert hands of Teodora Alupei, they are transformed into colorful earrings or original bracelets. In another life, la Préchacaise was an actress. Today, she produces smoked salmon which she sells in the markets. But it doesn’t stop there. The craftswoman transforms the skins, which used to go in the trash, into leather.
“I started by helping my father-in-law, he taught me his know-how for smoking. One day, while rinsing the fillets, I focused on the pearly colors of the skin which vary depending on the light. I wondered if we could use them. » She then discovered that fish skin tanning was beginning to develop, notably the Fémer workshop in the Arcachon basin.
The pearly colors of tanned salmon skin.
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A zero waste technique
Teodora then leaves for Sweden to train in traditional methods. She recounts her revelation during the course organized by Lotta Rahme, who toured the Inuit tribes to discover their know-how: “These people live with the elements, they are intimately linked to nature. They use everything from the animals they hunt or fish, while we live in a consumer society,” she laments.
No fishy smell
She remembers her first attempts, which were inconclusive. “I tried to tan the hides after smoking. But they were already tanned by fat, salt and smoke. » Little by little, she acquired the techniques and mastered the steps. “First there is the fleshing, I use a traditional Swedish knife to remove the thin membrane that remains on the skin. Then cleaning, softening and finally tanning. » It can be oil or vegetable. At her home, in the hamlet of Insos in Préchac, we discover the skins soaking in colored baths.
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The traditional Swedish knife used for fleshing.
After all these “very time-consuming” tasks, Teodora explains as she changes the tannins, the fish has become leather. It no longer has its smell or its texture, we only recognize the scales. “That’s often what people worry about. No, it doesn’t smell fishy at all! » In addition to salmon and trout, Teodora also tans catfish skins, the smoked flesh of which she sells.
“I use Walnut, cherry, willow… I often try new concoctions, all the colors are in nature,” she rejoices.
Fabien Cottereau / SO
Teodora imagines various jewelry from fish leather.
Its recovery approach corresponds to its ethical commitment from the choice of fish. “It’s very difficult to find salmon that isn’t raised on intensive farms. The last independent Scottish breeder we worked with was bought by a large group. » Ultimately, it was a farm in the Faroe Islands that ticked all the boxes: low density per park, no antibiotics and GMO-free feed. “I don’t want to compromise on quality,” she insists.
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Teodora imagines various jewelry from fish leather.
His L’Instant salmon truck travels to Bazas, Langon and Pessac every week. In addition to slices of smoked fish, she sells her earrings, jewelry, cases made from fish leather.
