Canned fish has created its own community on TikTok. Yielding billions of views, users are rushing to their markets to try a variety of canned fish. From salmon and mackerel to tuna and trout, as well as the most nutritional food that nobody eats, sardines.
Sardines have an immense amount of health benefits. Similar to salmon, they are high in omega three fatty acids- which contain anti-inflammatory properties essential for cardiovascular and brain health. One can of sardines offers 23g of protein, 351mg of Calcium, and is a solid source of Vitamin D and B12. That is not to mention the Zinc, Iron, Magnesium, Phosphorous, and Potassium that it has. And unlike bigger fish, which can store mercury in large amounts, sardines -being lower on the food chain- have the least mercury levels of any fish.
Despite its health benefits, the attitude most people might have towards the tiny fish is a reluctant one due to its aroma. On the other hand, there are those who desire nutritional value but cannot get themselves to eat it.
Sardines might not be the most popular choice of fish in the U.S, but in the Mediterranean, they are a staple. In Portugal, the pilchard fish is a cultural symbol. Each June, the Portuguese celebrate the Festas dos Santos Populares (Popular Saints’ Festival) which involves street parties, music, and of course, grilled sardines. In Greece, a summertime festival is also routine in Lesbos. There they are commonly grilled with lime and garlic. The small silvery fish is also enjoyed throughout Asia, Africa, the Americas, and the rest of Europe. The ways in which they are eaten is endless. It could be in a salad, over rice, in sushi, in a stew, on bread, anything imaginable.
What was formerly known as a poor man’s fish, the rich in nutrient sardines are a fish that find themselves as the delicacy of many around the world.