Society for the Appreciation of the Lowly Tinned Sardine

MEDIA ADVISORY

2012-01-19T10:52:00.000-08:00

- FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE -

MIGHTY POWER OF SMALL FISH EXPLORED IN NEW TV DOCUMENTARY

Halifax, Nova Scotia - January 9, 2012 – Most people have tried them at least once and we often claim to feel squeezed like one. Some people eat them daily while others can’t stomach the smell or their texture. They pack a healthy punch of omega 3 fatty acids and mega doses of vitamin D. Love or hate them, sardines are one amazing fish.

The Last Sardine Outpost is a half hour documentary that explores the last remaining sardine processing plant in North America located in Blacks Harbour, New Brunswick. The survival of Connors Bros. cannery and the associated fishery defies the odds and is due primarily to the resourcefulness and determination of the 900 residents of this tightly knit coastal community.

The film reveals the world of sardines: from the pristine waters of the Bay of Fundy to the fishing boats that deliver their silvery bounty to the cannery, and from the bustling processing line to store shelves around the world.

The Last Sardine Outpost is written and directed by Latonia Hartery and produced by Edward Peill from Halifax-based Tell Tale Productions Inc.

“This story is all about heart. The people in Blacks Harbour are doing everything possible to keep a 120 year old industry alive - it’s very impressive,” says director Latonia Hartery. “The community is very passionate about maintaining its way of life and if anyone can adapt and make it work it’ll be them.”

In 2010, facing cheaper imports from Asia and South America, the last sardine cannery in the United States closed its doors. This catapulted Connors Bros. into the position of North America’s last remaining – and the world’s largest - sardine processor. Blacks Harbour is hailed as the “Sardine Capital of the World” but the longevity of that title is uncertain. The company was recently sold to a group of UK venture capitalists. The future of the cannery – and the entire community – now hangs in the balance.

The Last Sardine Outpost will be broadcast on CBC Television’s Land & Sea on Sunday, January 22, 2012 at 12 Noon. Following the broadcast, the documentary can be watched on the CBC TV website at: Land & Sea. Land & Sea is one of CBC’s longest running TV series and can be followed on Twitter: @cbclandandsea

That's this coming Sunday so get your viewing party organized. Now that the Packers dropped the ball football season is over anyways.

Travel Advisory

2012-01-10T12:48:00.000-08:00

A travel advisory is a public notice issued by the Society to provide information about the relative sardine availability when travelling to or visiting one or more specific foreign destinations. The purpose is to enable travelers to make an informed decision about a particular travel destination, and to help travellers prepare adequately for what may be encountered on their trip.

Portland, Oregon USA

While travelling North to the Hawthorne region of Oregon we chanced upon one small counter with a few tables.

Where they served The Gallego - sardine, fennel and hot pepper slaw on a toasted ciabatta roll. Angelo Parodi, the tin de jour, decent, fine for sandwiches.

It was delicious! As was everything else the five of us devoured that rainy afternoon with two bottles of Castello di Verduno Bianco. The food and service were top notch. Gotta come up with a Society Approved Sticker they can put in their window.

Plan your trip accordingly.

Mail Bag

2011-09-23T14:41:00.000-07:00

My Mother was diagnosed with cancer earlier this year. She has been working with a nutritionist who told her that she needed a good source of Omega 3 fatty acids and protein, and to make sure that the seafood she eats is low in mercury. I'm quite certain you know where this is headed. The attached picture is of the gift basket her brother sent this month.

Naturally, I thought of you.
Scott

Show her the Four and Five Tin Tins.
And the Recipes.

Hang In There Susan!!

Sheee-ets

2011-08-22T01:34:00.000-07:00

Long time Society Member, Foodie and Fasionisto, Nevin Mrgan dropped Us a line.

FOUR PIECE BED SET - $265

There’s nothing cosier than being packed in like sardines. Dream of catching a big fish as you sleep amongst your new friends. You can pull up the doona cover over you so are inside the tin. The best bit is, these sardines don’t smell!

Sardine Tin Bed Toppings are made with beautifully soft 100% 200 Thread Count Cotton.

What's up with the 200 thread count?

I mean I love these so much I want to buy an Airstream with 4 single sleepers just so I can outfit it with these Bed Toppings, or maybe just a trip to Ikea to get a mattress that fits these sheets. We don't have the space but I could make it a dog bed down in the laboratory (Annie would love it). But 200 thread count just won't cut it. Not at that price.

That was one of the big secrets that Everyone kept from me. Thread Count. God what a difference. No one told me till I was like thirty-two. Tell the young adults in Your world. Thread Count - It's Important.

Anyways, Thanks Nevin.

Latas de Contrabando

2011-07-14T22:36:00.000-07:00

Rebecca Jane has returned from traipsing through Southern Europe and she brought back a small load of Spanish Tins. My Sardine Shelf is quite full at the moment, in part from Smugglers bringing back tins from around the world. I have been hoarding precious tins and even have one or two of the newest shipment already.

So rather than stack these in with the fifty eight (58) tins I'm going to pop them all tonight. I can hardly remember where the 58 came from. Some are domestically sourced and maybe a third are smuggled in from places like Spain, France, and Turkey.

Sardinas Cuca en aceite d oliva
Albo Sardinas picantonas
El Porrón Sardinas en escabeche
Paco Lafuente Sardinas en escabeche
Paco Lafuente Sardinillas en aceite de oliva

Interesting packaging notes:
The Cuca has an interesting basic design and mentions "Sin Gluten"
Albo can be found around the States but not in Spanish. We've talked about them before once or twice.
The El Porrón is bright and eye catching with the long spouted wine flask it's named for on the box.
And the Paco Lafuentes have an interesting number system showing how many fish will be in each tin. The sardinas says 3/5 piezas and the sardinillas - 20/22 piezas.

Cuca has a strong website and blog. Check out this article. Paco Lafuente's website has beautiful tinned seafood. The others don't have a real web presence that I can find.

So Spain means another trip to the Spanish Table (such a great place) and a quick stop at the Bowl.

Serrano ham, Cabra al Pimenton goat's milk cheese, morcilla de arroz (blood sausage) a little can of little olives, white anchovies, Valencianos artisanal crackers, a sixer of Estrella Galicia and a bottle of Muga Rioja rose. I'm also making up some patatas bravas.

While those cook Let's talk about escabèche

[es-keh-BEHSH]
Escabeche is a typical Mediterranean cuisine which refers to both a dish of poached or fried fish (escabeche of chicken, rabbit or pork is common in Spain) that is marinated in an acidic mixture before serving, and to the marinade itself. The dish is common in Spanish, Salvadoran, Panamanian, Peruvian, Philippine, Puerto Rican, Dominican, Mexican and Guatemalan cuisine, and popular in Catalonia, Portugal and Provence. Influences of the dish appear as far as Asia-Pacific with adjustments to local food staples. It is usually served cold after marinating in a refrigerator overnight or longer. The acid in the marinade is usually vinegar but can also include citrus juice. Escabeche is a popular presentation of canned or potted preserved fish, such as tuna, bonito or sardines. wiki

Not a common tin around these parts. I haven't had one that I remember.

All Right
Let's get to it.

So, the same order, top to bottom, as in the pic and descriptions above.

We started with the babies. The Paco Lafuente Sardinillas. At the bottom of the platter. These have a really good texture, not mushy. The oil is a bit thin and not the extra virgin We've come to expect, but a fine everyday tin if you like the little guys. Three and a half tins.

We followed this with the Cuca (top of the stack), staying with the olive oil before we ventured into flavors unknown. Three giants. Skin, bones, and slimy internal organs?

These didn't get any better from there. They were mushy and had a bad funk that demanded immediate removal from the table. The lack of evisceration might have fouled this tin. The Spanish Crackers cleansed the palate and the blood sausage made it happy again. Zero Out Of Five Tins

We then jumped on the Albo and were brought back to what makes us happy. Mild, mild heat, great texture, clean tasting oil, two years ago I gave them a bonus tin for bits and packaging, now that I've been spoiled to the glory that is (gasp) the Royal Tins of France, I don't warrant a bonus tin for such veils. It's a Three out of Five Tin tin. $3.99 here in the States. Eat it everyday!

The serrano ham tastes like it's plastic packaging.

We finally get to the escabèche.

These are interesting and different and delightful.
The fish are smoked, and then tinned with the vinegary herbal oil. The oil seems a bit thinner than usual and that's a good thing. Both tins had good texture and Screamed for rye bread, a bit of yogurt and a pinch of dill.

I'm glad We had two tins to taste and compare. The first (El Porrón - middle) , being our first escabèche lifetin, was intriguing. It gave Us a new way to think about sardines. A new flavor. How have I not found these before now?

And then We tried the Paco Lafuente.

And it was even better. Zesty, delicious.

El Porrón set the standard. Three out of Five Tins.

Paco Lafuente passed it. Four out of Five Tins.

These were not the Euro Crème de la Crème. But a fine dinner and discussion they did make.

Thanks to Rebecca Jane for risking detention and interrogation and Thanks to the 100+ Society Members for Appreciating.

Conservas Valcárcel

2011-06-15T18:30:00.000-07:00

We've migrated back. And as soon as we hit town we go to the SuperMercado. And I head to the Sardinas aisle and grab what I don't know.

Back at the House, BK is a Society Member from the way back machine. He calls it out. Let's pop a tin.

This tin cost 790 pesos which is top dollar no matter where you are.

Vigilante

An interesting package got even more interesting when I noticed Serie Limitada on the back of the box.

And then found a fun and thought out tin inside the box. Their Centennial Range.

Plated up with Gamesa Saladitas, La Costeña Rajas, mexilimes and Totopos de tortilla de maíz.

Also some frozen Hornitos and tins of Tecate.

Their website shows History and Tradition, a Sustained Push, and a Calendar of Catches. They are thinking hard and doing good work over in Spain.

These border on brisling, 10 to 12 babies all cleaned up. A decent olive oil but a bit on the mushy side. Not a lot of tooth here.

But damn, put it on a salty cracker, add a pickled chile jalapeño and a squeeze of mexilime and it's delicioso. I wanted to go 3 point 5 but shit, I'm in Cabo, Cuatro Fuera de Cinco Latas. I hope they show up in the States.

No Días Malo.

Remember The Stinson

2011-05-18T02:24:00.000-07:00

Little Sumpin Sumpin from The Sardine King.

The skeletal remains of once thriving existence.

I'll take half a dozen of the with jalapeno peppers and a half a dozen in Louisiana hot sauce.

February 21, 2010

GUY RAZ, host:

The town of Prospect Harbor, Maine, sits across the water from Acadia National Park. It's a small, down-east fishing village, known in the region for its sardine cannery, Stinson Seafood.It's the last sardine cannery operating in the United States. It's been around for more than a century. And if you drive down the main street in Prospect Harbor, you're likely to see a large sign in the shape of a fisherman holding a can of Stinson's signature product: Beach Cliff Sardines.

This week, Stinson's parent company, Bumblebee Foods, said that because of federal limits on herring catches, the plant was no longer economically viable. They plan to close the cannery on April 18. The plant's a hundred and twenty-eight employees will lose their jobs.

One of those is plant manager Peter Colson. He's been with Stinson for 39 years.

Mr. PETER COLSON (Plant Manager, Stinson Seafood): That's on the payroll. I started before I was old enough to be on the payroll, working in the plant. I would do other odd jobs just to try to make some extra money by selling dents, which is dented product that can't be sold on the market, which I would buy for eight cents a can and sell them for 10 cents a can and make two cents.

RAZ: And how did you even get into the business in the first place?

Mr. COLSON: Well, my father was vice president of operations. At that time, he was plant manager of the facility. We kind of grew up in the business. I'd watch what he was doing and just was interested in how the people get along so well together and work together as an industry.

RAZ: Now, you've been there 39 years. What did you think? How did you react when you heard that the plant was shutting down?

Mr. COLSON: Well, the first thing I thought of was the people that I've worked with for so many years. We have one lady here that's worked here for 54 years. I've also handled parties for two ladies that worked here for 60 years. There's a lot of camaraderie around here that people don't want to leave once they get here.

RAZ: Is Stinson the biggest company in town?

Mr. COLSON: Yes, it is.

RAZ: The cannery has been in operation for at least a hundred years, right?

Mr. COLSON: That's correct.

RAZ: What is the building like?

Mr. COLSON: Well, we've done a lot of renovation. In 1968, the plant burnt down, and within a year, the Stinson family had put together a more-modern facility using concrete and steel, and they've made this into a very nice-looking operation.
They modernized the equipment. Back years ago, when I first started, you'd need a hundred packers to cut the heads and the tails off with scissors. Now, we have automated machines that will cut the fish. What we used to use a hundred packers for we do with 20 packers, and they lay the fish in the can, already pre-cut.

RAZ: I understand this is the last sardine cannery in the United States.

Mr. COLSON: That's correct.

RAZ: In the country.

Mr. COLSON: Yes.

RAZ: Where have they gone? I mean, who's canning sardines?

Mr. COLSON: New Brunswick, Canada, will produce the remaining amount of sardines that are produced in North America. They're also produced in Europe and South America as well.

RAZ: Peter Colson, what are your plans? I mean, after the plant closes on the 18th of April, what will you do?

Mr. COLSON: Well, I have to facilitate the closing of the facility and make sure that we can, you know, relocate the people is my biggest concern. And then I don't know if I'm going to I would like to maintain my lifestyle in the town of Prospect Harbor, but we'll have to wait and see.

RAZ: That's Peter Colson. He's the plant manager of Stinson Seafood Company. It's the last-standing sardine cannery in America. It's set to close in mid-April. Peter Colson, good luck to you.

Mr. COLSON: Thank you very much.

Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright National Public Radio.

damn

These Are A Few of My Favorite Things

2011-04-29T17:58:00.000-07:00

Earlier this month while hiking around Mount Tam, my Co-Hiker mentioned there was a small brewery and cafe that she has been enjoying.

Oh, I'm sorry, allow me to introduce myself, my name is Jon, I like beer.

I hadn't yet been to Mill Valley Beerworks but I had heard tell. So after an enjoyable hike around the mountain, seeing wild flowers and waterfalls, we dropped back into town and got a table.

Three Threads Porter, quite tasty and brewed just over to my right!

What? Grumblings from the 3eanut Gallery? Talking about beer worship? Why don't I tell you about the QOTSA show that recently rocked my world?

Well, there is a point to my excitement.

They only looked at me sideways for a second when I asked for the lid to the tin. Then realizing quickly it was Matiz (already reviewed here), asking for the box (notice their use of the word tinned).

I gave a light explanation as to the Workings of the Society and returned to my beer, sorry, and returned to my tin.

Look at that!! Society Style and Everything!!

See!!

Click Here to isolate this post, then cut and paste that address and send it to Your Local!! Tell Them What You Want (with a fine Porter or possibly a Rodenbach Grand Cru)!!

You Tell Them How TheycankeepafewTinsontheshelfforYouandwhenYoureturnYouwillgetonewith"toast&marketaccompaniment"!!

Just make sure they're Matiz or an Equal cause they still merit 4 tins. And Mill Valley Beerworks? Five out of Five Tins! For Great Beer, Staff, Ambiance, and a Great Tinned Sardine Board.

Welcome to the Society.

Life On The Other Side

2011-04-13T01:44:00.000-07:00

For a moment I had to have this and then I realized I have too much Stuff. AND I have too much Sardine Stuff. Gotta get rid of some stuff. Do You need more stuff? I'm just giving stuff away. Some stuff I'm selling, the Good Stuff, but I got stuff I don't even know why I have. Stuff I thought I had to have, really good stuff that I thought I might need someday, when I did something. I don't do that much. And now I know what I do and what I don't do. So some stuff has got to go. Some stuff I've used and won't use again but I enjoyed using it so much that I think I might use it again. But I won't. Gotta take that stuff down to the used stuff store and see if they'll give me some dinero for it. Don't take the credit for the used stuff they got. It sounds like more dinero but You'll come home with more stuff and You know You have some stuff just like that stuff that You haven't used yet anyways. Some stuff used to be useful but has become obsolete but is such cool stuff I can't get rid of it and again I'll never use this stuff again, but I did, but I won't. Don't need that stuff anymore. Shit, the stuff I've been buying lately will be obsolete next year, but I can't stop the buying of stuff. I can curb it, limit it, but I can't stop it. Besides, next year I'll sell that stuff or give it away or put it out in the black hole in front of my house to be sucked away into someone else's stuff sack in less than twenty minutes.

Course if You got me a Tin of Sardines Glove Puppet for National Sardine Day next year I'd be delighted and put it next to the Clock.

Majestic Endeavors

2011-04-07T19:18:00.000-07:00

The Wife manages an SF Food Bank on Monday afternoons.
A little over two weeks ago she sent me this picture.

I didn't get it till later for one reason or another and then we were home together and I just couldn't understand: After all these years, After all these Tins, After all these beers, After all these Wins, how could she not bring it on home. (Wait. Stop. Watch that last link. Kick it up to fullscreen. 1970. At 3:23 tell Jimmy Old Nevermore wants his jeans back. At 6:05 tell Jimmy I want my mind back. watch out, watch out now.)

She claimed She didn't bring home the first Bag because the food product was expired and there was no way She was tasting from it.

I was mildly upset.

So this past Monday She brings home two Bags of Sardines.

They are expired.

I'm hesitant yet curious. I'm not going to do any fancy plating. I'm going to open some windows. Let the storm breeze in. Open the bags and dump them in bowls.
The Wife is in class. Miles away.

The In Louisiana Hot Sauce of course has me intrigued but it says on the back Best Used By:06/2010. I'm not even going to show them to you. They smell fine and look fine but Nope, No Way. I will not endure food poisoning voluntarily. I've ingested many things. Animal, Mineral, Vegetable, Chemical. Felt the poisons course through my body. I'll find these again, in a fresher state and report back. Now that I know they exist.

This is in no way a critique of Majestica.
Let me say that again.
This is in no way a critique of Majestica.

I want to try them. The back label says Wild Caught/Product of Thailand/MSG/Thickner. Imported by P.K. Food Corp.

P.K. Food Corp., located in San Leandro, California was established in 1996 as a food importer and rice distribution conduit from Thailand to the United States. Business began with Asian trade in the Bay Area, but soon expanded to other Asian Markets in Hawaii, Houston, Los Angeles, Seattle, and New York.

The Majestica Brand was created and lauched with Family Dollar, Sam's Club, Wal-Mart, and Western Food Products (Shop Rite). The business necessitated the opening of warehouse facilities in Newark, Baltimore, Atlanta, Reno, Seattle, and the home office in San Leandro.

Today, the PK Food product line offers a variety of the very best from Thailand, including long grain Jasmine rice, parboiled rice, fruit products, seafood in cans, and cracker salads.

I commend P.K. for donating these to the SF Food Bank system. I hope families around the Bay Area are cooking these up into a tasty recipe. Please cook them up to a nice simmer.

With McDeath's offering 20 pieces of chicken parts for $4.99 and pizzas going 2 for $10 People can't afford Not to feed their families this way. It's not a choice, it's survival.

Sometimes it's just food.

I'm not even close to a humanitarian. I blow by Street Sheets and Red Cross volunteers with only a glimmer of guilt. But the Wife is working hard. She runs a Food Bank and works with children that need help. Everyday She faces the true reality that people endure.

Normally, every week, I see the Red Cross volunteers and I just say "Thanks" or "Thanks for being out here", next week when I pass those same kids on the corner I'm going to snap a Fiver in the air. I'm not going to stop and listen, and I won't do it again soon. But there are a lot of Fucking People On This Planet and once in awhile I gotta do a little more than I'm doing.

The hot sauce sardines had potential, the mustard kinda blech. Send flowers to Oakland Medical Center Room 666.

Hot Sardine!

2011-02-23T22:05:00.000-08:00

Oh. Hello. I didn't see you there. Have you been there long? The Clubhouses have been quite quiet lately. Just a couple of crusty old men over in the corner of Oregon, drinking beers and talking about how they used to have the Premier Tinned Sardine Website in the Blahgoshpere. Lying to each other about the cross races they never finished.

Here in Northern California tins have been consumed and forgotten but not anything You haven't seen before. And I've been drinking beer and lying about cross races I never started.

The Wife is in class and I'm home alone with a variety of St. Peter's and the latest issue of Eating Well.

And wouldn't You know it; there's an article with four ~~Canned Tuna~~ recipes.

As I've said before, "Any Tuna Recipe, Anywhere, Anytime."

The first recipe I've kind of riffed on before.

The second recipe looks good but not for tonight.

The fourth recipe must be tried.

Tonight I will execute the third recipe:

~~Tuna~~ Sardine-&-Tomato Mac & Cheese

~~Tuna~~ Sardine mac & cheese takes a trip to the Southwest with spicy tomato and festive blue tortilla chips on top. Canned tomatoes with green chiles and ancho chile powder add a peppery kick, but if you like, you can keep it mellow by using a 14-ounce can of drained petite diced tomatoes and mild chili powder.

8 ounces (about 3 cups) whole-wheat rotini pasta
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup nonfat milk, divided
1/2 cup grated extra-sharp Cheddar cheese
1/2 cup grated pepper Jack cheese
1/4 teaspoon ground ancho chile powder (see Notes)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 1/2 cups reduced-fat cottage cheese, preferably low-sodium
1 5- to 6-ounce tin ~~chunk light tuna~~ Sardines, drained and flaked
1 10-ounce can diced tomatoes with green chiles, drained
1/4 cup crumbled tortilla chips, preferably blue corn

Preheat oven to 450°F.
Cook pasta in a large saucepan of boiling water according to package directions. Drain and rinse.
Meanwhile, whisk flour and 2 tablespoons milk in a small bowl. Heat the remaining milk in a large ovenproof skillet over medium heat until steaming.
Gradually whisk a few tablespoons of the hot milk into the milk-flour mixture, then whisk this mixture back into the skillet. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the sauce is smooth and slightly thickened, 1 minute. Remove from the heat and stir in Cheddar, pepper Jack, chile powder, salt and pepper.
Puree cottage cheese in a food processor or blender until very smooth, scraping down the sides as necessary. Stir into the sauce in the skillet. Add ~~tuna~~ Sardines and the pasta; stir well to coat with the sauce. Sprinkle drained tomatoes evenly over the top.
Bake until hot and bubbling, 20 to 25 minutes. Top with crumbled tortilla chips.

I don't want to spring a new tin on You without the Wife (I have one or two) so I'm reaching into my case of Wild Planets. I'm choosing the In Water as the ~~tuna~~ product recommended is. Also I don't have much taste for Tinned in Water. Cooking with them seems appropriate.

I shopped at the Bowl for all the ingredients, as local and organic as possible, and kept to the recipe as best as I could. I'm popping two tins, one doesn't seem enough, two's too many.

Four big fish, skin no bones. I put 6 in the recipe, ate one (so very ~~tuna~~ like) and gave one to the dags.
You like dags?

That was just fine. Nice spice, a bit crunchy from the chips. Don't crunch the chips so fine and add more for that wonderful trashy crunch.
It wasn't over cheesy. I might have cut back a bit on the cheese.
I over cooked the pasta just a little; the whole wheat is nice.
The sardines are subtle and delicious, kinda wanted more, two tins instead of 1 1/2.
This has possibilities. Three out of Five Tins.

Happy National Sardine Day!!

2010-11-24T12:14:00.000-08:00

What are you doing to celebrate?

An early morning trip down to Monterey to see the roundabout. Then we pick up a few cases of tins and drive around handing them out to the homeless. Later in the afternoon we set up a Sardine Support Group table outside of a Major Shopping Mall providing comforting approval for those who appreciate, and concern and conversion for those who sneer. Finishing off the day with dinner for all our family and friends; we'll build a fire, pop a few tins, drink local, and tell stories of tins gone by.

Daylight Savings

2010-11-07T01:58:00.000-07:00

I don't get an extra hour of sleep by setting my clocks back.

Tonight I will sleep the same number of hours I sleep no matter what time it is.

But Tomorrow...

Tomorrow when I wake I will set the clocks back and get an extra hour of Tomorrow.

That's the great thing about Fall Back. We get an extra hour of Tomorrow.

Also, it's a good time to turn over all your tins in the pantry. Anything sitting around since last March could use a turning. Just to move the liquids and keep the other side, uhm, moist.

You understand.

The Seagulls of Arvor

2010-10-25T22:16:00.000-07:00

Just when I thought it was safe. Just when I thought I'd seen every tin locally available. Just when I began to think I'd seen every tin available in the Greater Bay Area and Beyond, my local boutique busts out something new and exciting. And spendy.

Les Mouettes d'Arvor

A quick googling turns up their website (in French) which shows a wide range of tins (30) including tins of vintage. The second site on the search is this review from a certain French Society Member who shall remain nameless, I'm sure you all know who I mean. The third site to come up is the very Markethall I purchased these tins from, with a very thoughtful couple of paragraphs about these tins (online price even more than I paid).

So does Google know who I am, with my droid (googlecentric), gmail, blogger sites, and google on my Safari? Are they tracking me and giving me sites I already visit or are in my neighborhood? Is this really the search I'm looking for?

Who cares? I've got nothing to hide. I know who I am. Society Member xxx-xx-xxxx. (All Society Members are tracked by their Social but none are known so every Member's number is xxx-xx-xxxx. Please make a note of Your number (xxx-xx-xxxx) and use it with Inter-Society Correspondences and at all Meetings.) How boring tracking me and my movement whether by Googly or the Government. Bikes and Food and Booze.

Tins, talk about the Tins. Ok,ok,ok.

I'm feeling that Les Mouettes d'Arvor is up there in the French Tinned Sardine Royalty and at these prices they better be:
à l'Huile d'Olive vierge extra: $6.75
au Citron à l'huile d'olive vierge extra: $6.50
Piquantes à l'huile d'olive vierge extra: $6.95
That's all taxed, three tins $20+.

I've paid more.

I Am Not putting these in a recipe. These are going on a nice Society Style Platter with a Francophile appeal. I shopped for all ingredients at the MarketHall.

Sourdough baguette. Fromager D'Affinois, a supersoft brie-style. A few slices of Rosette de Lyon. A bit of green beans with almonds. Avocado, olives, mixed greens, and a 2009 Domaine Heritiers du Comte Lafon Mâcon-Villages.

Let's start with the à l'Huile d'Olive (South Central)
Four monsters, skin on with vertebrates. These are amazing, firm texture, clean oil. They might be bigger than perfect but there is nothing that could make them better. Five out of Five tins.

Next up: au Citron (left)
Six medium fish. Skin and vertebrates. A bit smaller than the olive oil but just as firm. The lemon is right there, immediately. This seems like a leaner fish and GG like the avocado to fatten it up and pull out the flavors. I, of course, am a Cheesehead (Go Pack!), Brie Me Baby. The lemon's rind is in the bottom of the tin and gets right in there with the avocado. This is a killer tin but the lemon is almost to dominant and could possibly be artificial as well as au natural. They kind of need the avo or brie to bring it all together. Four out of Five Tins.

And Piquantes (right)
Same fish as au Citron, skin and vertebrates, but Damn! That's one of the spiciest sardines I've had straight out the tin. Piri Piri Peppers right there in the tin. Great texture. Great fish. Again with the avocado or cheese. A little sumpthin sumpthin to cut back the flavor. Good oil. Extra virgin. Four out of Five Tins.

These are high quality tins.

The sliced meat and brie was delicious, the green beans OK, and the wine was wonderful. See those peppers!

It's sad to see that one last sardine in the tin. That's over a buck and a half for just that one yummy fish.
Did you know that if you gooooogle the blogosphere for canned sardines at least a third of the results will be about how they are so good for our canine friends.

Good Night Everybody!

And Then There Were None – The Rise & Fall of Maine's Sardine Industry

2010-10-12T10:41:00.000-07:00

2010 History Conference
October 22-23
Penobscot Marine Museum
Searsport, ME

MAINE'S SARDINE INDUSTRY WILL BE TOPIC OF HISTORY CONFERENCE
Symposium at Penobscot Marine Museum and will also Feature "Great Sardine Cookoff".

A history conference at Penobscot Marine Museum will examine the rise and fall of Maine's once-great sardine industry, and present analysis, documentation and personal reminiscences of the final days of Maine's last sardine cannery. "And Then There Were None -- The Rise & Fall of Maine's Sardine Industry" will be held Friday evening and Saturday, October 22-23.

The museum's history conference draws together amateur and professional scholars and anyone interested in the history of Maine and the Penobscot Bay region. It features an evening of informal sessions and a full day of formal presentations. Presenters will include: David Libby of the Maine Department of Marine Resources; Peter Colson, manager of the Stinson Seafood plant in Prospect Harbor; Al West, Stinson's director of purchasing; Dr. Pauleena MacDougall of the Maine Folklife Center; Bill Kuykendall of the New Media Center at the University of Maine; David Conover of Compass Light Productions; and photographer Mark Starr.

Saturday's luncheon will comprise "The Great Sardine Cookoff." Local restaurants will donate their best sardine-based dishes, and conference attendees will vote for their favorites. Nancy English, restaurant reviewer for the Portland Press Herald, will be on hand to critique the "sardine cuisine." Contestants/donors include Brick House Restaurant, Captain Shorty's, Coastal Coffee, Cooks Crossing (all of Searsport), the culinary arts program at Waldo County Technical Center, and Cappy's Chowder House of Camden. A non-sardine option will also be available.

Prior registration is recommended. For details and to register, call 207-548-2529 or visit www.PenobscotMarineMuseum.org.

PHOTO CAPTION:
How Maine's sardine industry went from abundance to oblivion will be the subject of Penobscot Marine Museum's 2010 History Conference, October 22-23. (Photo by Kosti Ruohomaa; from the Maine Sardine Council Collection in the Penobscot Marine Museum archives)

Sardines From Norway

2010-10-04T11:36:00.000-07:00

Who doesn't like sardine can label ?
Here are four out of more than 25 000 different labels printed in Norway during the last century… Suddenly my french ego shrinks and I just feel like diving in cold water. Just the opposite of what you must feel in your Icelandic pond !
Enjoy Iddiser.

An by the Norway, Is there among the Society someone who's collecting Maine sardine can labels? This is a question I've been asked by a fellow from Norway.

Enjoy !
Philippe ANGINOT

Collection de Boites de Sardines Pleines + de 500

2010-09-15T11:51:00.000-07:00

Here's a link toward a rare sale… it might be of interest for the Society ! 500 different cans at a time, some 20 years old and still eatable by a french stomach… Enough for a lifetime !!!

Enjoy !
Philippe ANGINOT

When Hiking to Volcanic Hot Springs in Iceland Bring Your Own

2010-09-02T10:09:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the absence. I've had a few things going on.

Currently I am in Iceland working as an Art Roadie. Hired Muscle as it were. Driver, Carrier, Court Jester. Working for The Lost Bird Project. Please read all about here. It is a wonderful project.

And wouldn't You know it, they have Sardínur here. Ora Sardínur, í olíu og í tómatsósu.

And they suck.

Brisling, mushy, crap olive oil in one can, crap tomato sauce in the other. Doesn't say where they are from. Paired with a decent sliced Gouda and a Baguette. Forgot the wine. Meh. Two out of Five Tins, barely.

2010-08-03T18:01:00.000-07:00

The Good

Old Sardine Tins

1 2 3

The Bad

From Brazil

From The Philippines

and The Ugly

My Food Looks Funny

The Pantry Runneth Over

2010-07-19T19:10:00.000-07:00

Such a loser. I rolled up to Portland and had many beers with A23, I mean Old Nevermore, AND Oldschooly. Guess I'm the only one not getting old. But I am a loser due to the fact I had planned to take a dozen tins with me and in the excitement of the Wife's Moms moving in to housesit and getting on the road and blah blah blah. Forgot the tins and was later disgruntled about it.

So to the Pantry I go.

I received two shipments smuggled out of Turkey. The first, ahh the first with it's Giant Round Tins... they shall wait for another day. The second was brought back by Friends of Becky's. Thank you Friends of Becky's.

Two tins from Dardanel, but as it turns out one is Hamasi Sosyete (Anchovy Society, I kid you not, that's how it translates). The Sardalya tin is in Sunflower Oil with a bit o' salt.

The Kizli (girl, daughter, blonde, woman) is from the Gelibolu region, produced by Alaeddin..

Let's start with the anchovies. They are not the anchovies Your used to. These are not for Your césar salad. Actually, these would be quite nice with a césar. They are prepared just like sardines. I don't taste any smoke but they have tiny vertebrae and a nice sweetness. Maybe sixteen fun and yummy fish in a clean oil. We had already eaten four or five by the time the above picture was taken. Four out of Five Tins.

I know these are unobtainium and if they were delicioso I would tell you more. The Dardanel Sardalya are not pretty, have light smoke, tasty vertebrae and are just OK. The Kizli are tiny tots and nothing directly good or bad about them. Light smoke, verts, fairly firm, clean finish. But not wowzers. They both are calling up Three out of Five Tins.

I rushed through that, no really I did, so I could tell You about the aram style sandwich.

Lavash
hummus
feta
tabouli
couple of olives, dolmas, and greens on the side
piri piri

Spread it thin. Roll it up. We didn't take the time to plastic wrap and refrigerate them (as recommended). We just got to them.

Come On!

I looked around for Turkish Beer and brought home the Pinkus Trilogy (USDA Certified Organic).

Turkish Tins, a nice change up after all the fast balls. If you know someone going to a Sardayla Sosyete meeting, get a few.

Food Alert

2010-07-18T09:57:00.000-07:00

The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) today (July 13) advised the public not to eat a certain batch of NOSTROMO canned sardines which were found to have a high bacterial count by the European Commission (EU).

According to the EU authorities, the manufacturer is recalling the product. Details are as follows:

Product name: NOSTROMO SARDINE ALL'OLIO DI OLIVA (120g)
Use-by date: December 31, 2014
Consignment/lot no.: AN 155J
Country of origin: Morocco

The EU authorities informed the CFS that some of the affected product had been exported to Hong Kong. "According to information provided by the importer, a small quantity (around 50 cans) of the affected batch had been put onto the market. The importer is recalling the affected batch. The importer (Lorence & Company) has set up a consumer hotline (Tel: 2293 9395) for enquiries," a CFS spokesman said.

He advised consumers who have bought the affected product not to consume it and to seek medical advice if they feel sick after eating it.

"The CFS has alerted the trade to stop selling the product and is closely communicating with the EU to monitor the situation," the spokesman said.

Centre for Food Safety, Hong Kong

These are Moroccan tins exported to Italy and Hong Kong.

Mail Bag

2010-07-01T09:50:00.001-07:00

Jealous?
My brother got me this shirt:

–Neven
P.S. I’ll be posting a sardine pie recipe at Salt & Fat soon.

Do You Know The Way To Municipal Wharf #2?

2010-06-08T11:27:00.000-07:00

California Knows How To Party

2010-05-24T20:02:00.000-07:00

Julia Child (August 15, 1912 - August 13, 2004) was an American chef, author, and television personality. She introduced French cuisine and cooking techniques to the American mainstream through her cookbooks, beginning in 1961 with Mastering the Art of French Cooking, and her television programs, notably The French Chef which premiered in 1963.
Child was born Julia Carolyn McWilliams in Pasadena, California. wiki

Tonight's dinner is from the Book of Julia (10th printing, August 1965) - a California Native. I will be trying to stick to the recipe as best as possible AND use only California Products.

It was quite easy procuring the produce. There are Farmers Markets every day somewhere around here and The Bowl always tells the veggie's origin. Petaluma eggs, Central Valley olives and olive oil, Au Bon Climat chard, almost every ingredient needed to make the primary and secondary recipes was grown or produced in Sunny C.

Except for those damn anchovies. I'm sure I could have located some locals, but...

And as for the tins, You know that I know that You know Who's fishing and tinning these local waters.

Salade Niçoise ala CRSC

Larger

I'm following the vinaigrette recipe, the blanch the beans recipe, and even the French potato salad recipe.

Larger

If You don't know about the Cannery Row Sardine Company, they are the only sardine company tinning in the U.S. I know You've heard the demise of the East Coast Tinneries, but the CRSC are California Tinned. From they're website:

Cannery Row Sardines are harvested from the frigid waters of the Pacific Ocean, and canned locally. They are being sold on Cannery Row and at local Farmers’ Markets, as well as globally via their Web site. The first CRSC cans contain boneless, skinless filets, packed in pure olive oil. Other varieties, including sardines in tomato sauce, will be introduced soon. With the Omega-3 craze in full swing and the sustainable way that Pacific Sardines are harvested, this entrepreneurial venture appeals to history buffs, nutritionists, and environmentalists alike.

I scored these tins on a Field trip ($7.95), but I did recently see this at the corner of 4th and Harrison, SF.

And You wonder why all the tinneries are gone. It is cheaper to ship the fish to Asia, have them tinned and shipped back. If You want U.S. Tins it starts here. Support Your Local Tinnery. If they can turn a profit others will see this and bring competition. I know they're spendy but once in awhile, now and again, with a nice bottle of Central Coast chardonnay.

Too soon, too soon, let's look in the tin.

It's a round tin, which I'm pretty sure was dictated by the tinnery. I know from experience the traditional tins are not readily available in the U.S. It would have raised the price again and 3.25 oz is barely lighter than most traditionals. Custom packed by Dave's. At least You can grip it and rip it.

I know I should love these hand packed beauties. They are super clean with a mild marine flavor. I like the bits mixed with the whole fish. They are very firm and I feel a little too lean. They Are Tuna Texture.

Any Tuna Recipe, Anywhere, Anytime. Including tuna salad, tuna melt, or tunafish sandwich; this tin can be substituted with love and tenderness. There's Love in There! It's a good tin. Four out of Five Tins.

Mail Bag

2010-05-06T11:00:00.000-07:00

We were vacationing in Lisbon, wandering in the Alfama district as it was getting dark. As we reached the bottom of the hill, just by luck we found a shop that was all canned fish- sardines, tuna, anchovies, mackerel, and more. What a revelation for a sardine fan from America! The shop, Conserveira de Lisboa, at Rua dos Bacalhoeiros, 34, was closing for the day so I took photos and purchased a few tins to bring home.

The shop owners referred us to a nearby restaurant for a dinner of freshly grilled sardines that were wonderful.

I wish I had an extra suitcase full.
Cary

Who's going? I need an Importer. I'll have a suitcase waiting for you in a bathroom in a bar by the beach.

Related Link

Also, in that Brazilian Newspaper Scan the article between the Musée Imaginaire de la Sardine Article and the Pasta Chef is about this Portuguese Mecca.

Funny. You Like Samurai Swords, I Like Baseball.

2010-04-29T16:58:00.000-07:00

Oldschooly is Living The Dream in Paris. Philippe is off controlling the Mediterranean Riviera and Educating the Masses. A23 is the busiest man in Portland. And The Wife is basking in Barbados.

Me? I'm in the middle of a homestand with the night off. This is what dinner looks like.

A trip to the Tokyo Fish Market, a new rice cooker, and Kill Bill 1 and 2. I have a selection of Japanese craft beer, some more of that Tazukuri, and for some reason I felt like Kimchee. I bought one larger tin that I'm going to save in hopes that it is Sushi Appropriate. Four tins for tonight.

I've got a load of Euro Sardines, and I'm thankful. But we've got Euro Members for that. I'll get to them soon. I have a plan.

I am going to Kill Bill. And Japanese Tins with Rice. My rice cooking skills are shite. I bought a cooker. See how that goes.

I can't read a thing on these Locally Sourced tins. Two producers. One each of In Soybean Paste and one each of In Soy Sauce. One set is from Mahura Nichiro.

Kokuho Rose Heirloom Varietal Rice. California's oldest family-owned and operated rice farm and mill, established 1928.

Just sayin.

Oh and first up is the Coedo beers; Ruri (Czech Pils) and Kyara (Vienna Lager). I like beer.

The Japanese tins are soy soy soy. Sauce. Bean Paste. Soy.

These are all Gigantor. Poured the sauce over the rice. Starting with the Soy Sauces. Two very big fish. Firm, bit of vertebrae. Reminds me of those Latvians. I like 'em. They aren't epic, but tasty. I do have a sweet tooth.

I have had better kimchee. It's a bit mild, but it's working.

The soybean paste are different. Three big meaty fish in each tin. They're all right, but not exciting or interesting. The fish themselves are fine, but the flavor just isn't quite for me. Meh.

These tins (from two different companies) could easily have been tinned at the same, uhm, tinnery (ha!). They are very similar.

I would recommend soy sauce tins for a nice change up, in a Three Tin kinda way.

The soybean paste tins are edible and some folks might dig them. For me, it's Two out of Five Tins. They might make a fine base fish for another recipe, but on there own, well, there are better meals out there.

The rice cooker works.

2010-04-17T08:20:00.000-07:00

Trifecta of Delicious

2010-04-15T04:13:00.000-07:00

I am lucky enough to be surrounded by family and friends that support my love of the tinned sardine and enjoy taking part in the reviewing process. My wife is always there, always willing to tear into a new tin. Her excitement is comforting. We've recruited her mother into the society. My kids (3 and 5 year old girls) love themselves some sardines. We are growing stronger as a group. There is no need to hide your enthusiasm for the tinned sardine! Fly your flag I say!
Anyway a short while back we had SALTS Paris chapter meeting at the apartment to celebrate a friends birthday. The wife and I had finally visited the Bon Marche and grabbed a few tins. We decided to enjoy these for the meeting:

Rödel sardines with lemon

Rödel sardines in olive oil

and La Belle-iloise sardines marinated in muscadet and herbs.

We had also ended up with a can of Russian caviar. Sure, why not?

This sparkling wine is deeeelicious and cheap and rediculously easy to drink. Watch out!

All sardines were really good. The rödels with lemon were good though not as popular as the rödels in plain olive oil. It's funny as with the connetable brand sardines I really like the ones with the lemon a bit better than those without. Not in this case. This night the red tin was the hit and emptied first. The la belle-iloise tin was good but there were some who didn't care for flavor of the wine. I'm not sure why but the men in the room, myself inlcuded, really liked these. I would say that these, though very different, command the same rating as the rödels with lemon.

There you go. I know that I need to do more cooking with sardines, but it's just so damn easy to cut up a bunch of whatever you have in the fridge, pop a tin or three, pull a cork or three and enjoy yourself. Do it.

Rödel with Lemon

Rödel in Olive Oil

La Belle-Iloise

all about brazilian zardines

2010-04-07T12:09:00.000-07:00

Click Here and then pop it to agrandissez

Enjoy !
Philippe ANGINOT

EvaWhere You Go, There You Are

2010-04-05T20:31:00.001-07:00

I see that some of You are getting out there and spreading the Word. I see signs of the Society all over the place. Tins are popping here and there and people are talking.
3-0 Giants after two

Recipes are being created, ideas are forming, a Tinned Sardine Consciousness (TSC) is growing exponentially. I'm not talking only about the major metropolitan areas, I see Society Members voicing their Appreciation all around the planet.

In the April issue of Eating Well tins are popped in the name of the Sustainable Table, and that's where we find tonight's recipe: Tomato Toast with Sardines and Mint

INGREDIENTS
1 4-ounce can boneless, skinless sardines packed in olive oil, preferably smoked
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh mint
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/8 teaspoon salt
3 slices multigrain bread or 12 slices baguette, preferably whole-grain
1/2 medium ripe tomato
1 tablespoon very thinly sliced yellow onion

PREPARATION
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Flake sardines with a fork into a mixing bowl. (The pieces should not be mashed, but should be no bigger than a dime.) Add mint, oil and salt; toss gently to combine.
If using whole slices of bread, cut off the crusts and cut each into four triangles. Place the triangles or baguette slices on a baking sheet and bake until crispy and golden brown, 12 to 14 minutes. As soon as you remove them from the oven, rub each slice with the cut side of the tomato. As you progress, the tomato will break down until only the skin remains; discard any remaining tomato.
Top each toast with about 1 1/2 teaspoons of the sardine mixture. Top the sardine mixture with a couple of onion slices and serve immediately.

While I was up in the PDX drafting A23 he took me to Fubonn. It's like going on a treasure hunt only you don't know what it is your looking for. The old man knew where to look for these though.

Eva

4-0 Giants

I have here S Limunom (yellow box), Pikant (orange box), U Biljnom Ulju (in vegetable oil, white box), and a Special Tin of U Biljnom Ulju (blue tin) that was smuggled back from Serbia by a friend. The boxed tins are all products of Croatia and I'm assuming the blue tin is as well. It's probably the same as the White Label so I'm not going to pop that tin right now. It's dated until 2013 and I think I might just save it for SALTSCON.

seven strike outs, no walks for Lincecum after seven

Eva products have been discussed here before. Oldschooly reviewed the White Label and the Limunom. A23 reviewed the Pikant, the GOLD, and enjoyed their Tunj.

DeRosa over the wall, 5-0 Giants

I'm not looking to Re-Re view these but after reading those critiques I am inspired. The White Label goes on the Tomato Toast and the Pikant and Limunom are going on a platter based on a John West recipe for Sardine, Cress and Hummus in Pita.

While I'm thinking about it, look at this.

damn, Wilson in for the save in the ninth

Love the mandoline for those thinly sliced yellow onions.

The Giants win 5-2!!
Let's eat!

The toasts are tasty. Go easy on the onion and a dash of piri piri doesn't hurt.
Duke by three

Plated with hummus, feta, tomatoes, onion, greek olives, mixed greens and toasted pita.

This is super tasty.
Duke by one with less than 50 seconds
Good ingredients, good recipes, good dinner.

There are more recipes all the time and more Members everyday. Tell a friend.

If your looking to get an Eva tatt here's the jpeg.

Duke won.

Remember When You Ate a Lot of Sardines And Started A Blog With Your Friends and Everyone Got You Sardine Stuff For the Rest of Your Life?

2010-03-28T00:50:00.000-07:00

That was awesome.

Bad Blogger! A Bad, Bad Blogger!

2010-03-22T04:46:00.000-07:00

Yes, I've been a bad blogger and a bad member of this society. I have consumed tin upon tin with intention to write about them but have been caught up and run over by life's wheels of confusion. Now those beautiful tins but a fleeting memory. I have photos but at this point I would be grasping at a memory to describe those fish in any detail. It'd be similar to wringing the last drops from a dry sponge or better yet squeezing the very last bit of juice from an already taxed lime onto the proverbial Taco Al Pastor of the blogoshphere. I have attached photos of a couple of tins that I will have to revisit in order to inform you all of their content.

There was this one,

Which, if memory serves, was not quite as exciting as this one. Deliciousness....I think.

So, to reintroduce myself to the world of writing about sardines the plan was to take a visit to the Bon Marche for some real nice tins with the Wife and kids. However by the time we actually left the house it was getting too late, the Metro was packed and the kids were getting hungry. We ended up hitting the Franprix for a couple cans of Connetable Sardines. Hey, at least I'm blogging again, right? I mean they're good damn fish, especially if you're used to what you get in the States.

First up was the 'Pen Duick' (a type of yacht?) 'Belles de l'Atlantique' Sardines in extra virgin olive oil. Okay, they were good I guess. When I opened the tin I was almost surprised by the size of these suckers. Some big ol' fish! We found them to be very unremarkable and bland. They were not at all fishy, which is good I guess, but could have really used a pinch of salt. The oil they were in didn't look so great either, so there's that. Oh, and they were firm and not mushy which is a plus.

So, uh, I'll give these two tins. I think my persepctive has changed a touch.

Next up is a tin I actually bought for lunch and is a regular staple of my diet, The Connetable Sardines in extra virgin olive oil with lemon. I like these. They're rich in Omega 3's ya' know? Anyway, upon opening this can I was comforted by the unassuming small size of these handsome fish. They taste clean and salty with a nice hint of lemon from the slices sitting at the bottom of the can. Yum. I found myself sopping up the quality olive oil with chunks of baguette. Yum again.

Although very satisfying and safe I give these Sardines three tins just because I have an idea of what exists out there, some truly remarkable four and five tin tins.

I am a rejuvenated and inspired man....I think.

For the Connetable 'Pen Duick' tin,

And For the Connetable Sardines with Lemon,

Mail Bag

2010-03-17T11:09:00.000-07:00

Hey there!

I'm trying to find sardines in a can that has to be opened with a key, not the pull tab kind. Any idea where I can find that type, or do they not even exist any more?

Thanks
Erik

And

Can any of you sardine affecionados tell me if cans are still available with a key???

Thanks
Molly

It was a hungry soul way back in the second half of the 19th century who invented the key to open tins. In 1920s the hand cranking, serrated edge can opener still used today was invented, but still the tins came with keys attached in one way or another. In the late Fifties the pull tab tin was devised.

I remember seeing tins with keys attached when I was a kid back in the Seventies but I haven't seen any tins like that in this century.

So, I put these questions to the Society. Are there any tins with keys attached still in production? Have You seen any anywhere? Go look in Your Grandma's cellar, behind all the jars of pickles, jam, and veggies. I don't know if You should eat them, but We want to see them. Probably shouldn't even open a sweet antique tin, but if I found more than one of the same label I would have to pop one open. Just Cause.

Related Thread

This Week Each One of You Has a Homework Assignment

2010-03-12T12:04:00.000-08:00

You are going to go out, You are going to recruit a Smuggler.

You can't be shy with the Unenlightened. They will laugh, they will look at you sideways, maybe a shade of pity behind their stares. Stand tall, be proud.

I'm not shy. I will ask anyone, including people I've just met. People who know nothing of the Society. If anyone within earshot says they are going on a trip, I will ask them to get me some tins.

And they just might. I tell them about Us. I mention the low low cost of a tin or two, and how those few euros, or yen, or pesos, or lira, or rupees is a small price to pay to see the smiles that will emanate from every part of my head.

Most people will forget as soon as you walk away, but those that know You, and want to see You smile from every part of Your head, will remember. And if they don't remember the first time, well, hopefully it's a long life, and the next time they go on a trip and you ask them, maybe they will remember.

My Mom really likes to see my whole head smile and she just got back from Turkey.

Look at those round tins!!

And here is a fine example of what I'm talking about, my friend Mr. Stone Finger does not enjoy the finer nuances of tinned sardines, but he is a Level 3 wine geek and foodie and spends his vacations meeting elderly men and looking at their vineyards. In the beginning good always overpowered the evils of all man's sins, no wait, sorry, Mötley flashback. In the beginning I would ask Stone and he would say "Yeah right." Then I asked again before he went to Italy and he brought me back a few delicious tins. Now he has returned from Spain and Portugal. I Said God Damn.

Is that the infamous Ramón Peña?!?

So, yes there seems to be a lesson or a moral or a bit of gloating going on here.

Don't be shy about Your Membership in Our Subculture. If someone is going on vacation, a family member, a co-worker, someone You met in a bar before a baseball game, hit em up. You might have to explain Your weakness for a fine tin, just tell them about the Sardine Society, but say it loud, the guy two stools over might be a Member, might even be Me.

Oh, and be sure and tell them to check those tins. No carry ons.

America's Last Cannery Going Out Of Business

2010-03-09T13:03:00.000-08:00

All Things Considered

Guest Article: Five Ways Your Baby Can Enjoy Canned Sardines

2010-03-07T09:29:00.000-08:00

Sardines are not usually an ingredients that spring to mind when you make your own baby food - yet they're packed with omega 3 fatty acids and make a wonderfully healthy addition to baby's diet!

Fatty acids play an important role in infant nutrition. They help support the growth and development of baby's brain and give his immune system a boost.

But the goodness of sardines doesn't stop there - they are also a great source of calcium (especially when packed with their bones) and contain a range of other nutrients, including zinc, B vitamins, iron, manganese, copper and phosphorus.

A common concern when feeding fish to babies is their mercury content...

...but sardines, being both small in size and low on the food chain - contain either very little mercury or none at all, making them one of the safest types of fish for your baby to eat!

Another great bonus for parents is that sardines are relatively inexpensive, although quality does vary considerably from one brand to another and some of the cheapest varieties are also the most inferior in terms of taste and texture.

It's a good idea to check the label carefully and avoid buying sardines containing additional flavorings or preservatives for your baby. We also recommend avoiding those packed in a 'sauce', many of which contain added salt and (in our opinion) may taste anywhere from poor to unpleasant!

During the canning process, the sardines are cooked - and this softens their bones to the point where they can be crushed with a fork and safely eaten. Our babies have all enjoyed sardines mashed with their bones from around 7 months of age - but if you are concerned about feeding them to your little one, then look for boneless sardines instead. Do bear in mind, however, that they will have a lower calcium content than those with their bones intact!

How to Include Sardines in Your Baby Food

Sardines are deceptively delicious - so if you've never eaten them before, don't be put off by their less-than-appealing appearance (particularly if their skins are still on!).

Try these simple ideas instead - then your baby (and you!) will be in for a treat!

Make a simple and nutritious lunch by stirring mashed sardines into scrambled eggs.

Prepare a quick and easy salad by combining sardines with finely diced cucumber and cottage cheese.

Create a tasty topping for bagels or toast by mixing mashed sardines with cream cheese and a touch of sweet paprika.

Make a healthy sandwich filling for your baby by mashing sardines and avocado together, then finishing off with a little fresh, chopped cilantro.

Cook a delicious dinner for your baby with a decidedly Mediterranean flavor! Just saute a little garlic in olive oil then add fresh, chopped tomatoes. Cook until the tomatoes have broken down, then add mashed sardines and cook for a few more minutes. Toss with cooked spaghetti (chopped to size) or small pasta shapes and finish with a topping of chopped, fresh parsley!

Christine Albury
Homemade Baby Food Recipes

When Sardine Workers Take a Lead in Anti-Capitalism Struggles…

2010-03-02T10:02:00.000-08:00

I received 3 nice sardine cans from a Venezuelian fellow and green (or red) world activist.

Everyone knows that sardine workers in France have always been up in the first raw for social struggles… and elected the first communist mayor in the 100% catholic city of Douarnenez… (that was long ago). The same story seems to happen in Hugo Chavez' Venezuela where a sardine factory has been nationalized as a first national interest production and given to its workers for an exemplary ruling…
As you can see on the can label, politic is never far from sardines…

Even sardines are standing in the can, wearing the red tomato coat of their workers…
I heard Californian sardines were headind for a new recognition… beware of infiltrations…

Enjoy !
Philippe ANGINOT

Wild Planet Extra Virgin Olive Oil and Oil with Lemon

2010-02-21T18:20:00.000-08:00

"Unlike any sardine you’ve had before, premium Wild Planet Sardines are sustainably caught along the central California coastline which made Monterey’s Cannery Row famous."
I was at the West Bowl on a Quest for a tube of polenta. We were foraging and I'd already been by the Sardine Shelf to see if there were any new tins. I'm not quite familiar with this store. I have the East Bowl as the closest grocer to my house. But Truth be told, the West Bowl has a better selection of beer and tins.

And There They Were.

In a refrigerater filled with interesting fish and pickled items. Why they were there I do not know, but I was happily surprised. Perhaps they are a chilled luncheon favorite of a co-op member.

Typically I'm not in a rush to review anything. I still haven't paid my respects to the CRSC, but it's a rainy day, I've got a Serious Ragu alla Bolognese in a five and a half hour cook down, and the Wife is hungry again.

I swear I fed her earlier.

I'm just Poppin' Old Style here. Local Tins, toasted Acme, and maybe a dash of Mezzetta's. Trying to keep it simple. Course I had some cheese spread and crispybread leftover so i had to throw that on there.

Oh, Snack.

These are Old World and New World combined. Four fish with skin and bones. A very traditional tin in appearance. The oil is clean in both tins. In the Lemon Tin there are bits of lemon and a distinct lemonyness but it comes across as Lemon Oil not Lemon Flavor. The smoke is there subtly in the lemon oil and a bit more in the extra virgin.

These are beautiful fish. Tight skin, firm texture. Not as fatty as a colder water fish will be. Not melt in your mouth. And that's OK. These's are a Fine Fish. Smoke, Texture, Oil, Political Boundaries, Pricepoint, Packaging, Tradition, Flavor, Five Tins.

This is a Killer Tin at a Great Price. Go and Find It, Enjoy It, and Use It as a Gateway Tin to Enlighten the Uninspired. I'm still looking for the Marinara.

Bourdain In Brittany

2010-02-15T13:42:00.000-08:00

The Sardine bit is in the last two minutes.

Philippe, do you know this guy? What are your thoughts about standing sardines?

And Just Like That

2010-02-09T11:30:00.000-08:00

There's a New Boat in the Harbor.

click pic to pop
From their Website (which is lacking on sardine info):

Wild Planet is committed to providing the finest tasting sustainably caught seafood while supporting the conservation of wild marine ecosystems.

These Folks are giving Us a more traditional tin at a more traditional price. Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Water, Marinara Sauce, or With Lemons at a Suggested $2.99. California Caught.

I haven't come across them at my Local but they are on the web. If You find them around town let us know what you think and where you got 'em.

CRSC

Nordisk Fisker

2010-02-03T19:58:00.000-08:00

We're so glad to see so many of you lovely people here tonight, and we would especially like to welcome all the representatives of the California Highway Patrol, who are waiting for me and the Society after the show. We sincerely hope that you all will enjoy the show, and please remember people, that no matter who you are, and what you do to live, thrive and survive, there are things that make all of us the same. You, me, us, them, everybody people, everybody.

I know I've mentioned the virtues of Your Local Store of Ethnicity (LSE). Are you getting out there? Are you stopping in to see what tins they have? Today I returned to the Nordic House.

I had already purchased these tins on my last visit, but needed some accoutrements and advice; as it turned out I was in the right place. May-Brit, who might or might not have believed my Sardine and Bull story was extremely helpful. I told her my Norwegian intentions and she filled my plate. Jarlsberg cheese and Kavli Crispybread were her first suggestions. Next, she sliced me off some local Pork Rullepølse and Lamb Rullepølse, which she assured me was enjoyed in variation all over the Scandinavian Continent. She pointed out a tube of Kavli Cheese Spread and I couldn't resist (not the one with shrimp), after all May-Brit is Norwegian. Some baguette and baby greens and it's on.

I asked her about beverages of course. She sold me a Solo orange drink I thought the Wife might like. She didn't think there was any Norwegian beers around these parts. Fortunately there was one other customer in the store and He suggested Whole Paycheck.

As much as I hate to admit it Whole Foods does have a great selection of beer and a fine tin selection. Sure enough, they now have craft beers from Norway, Sweden, and Denmark. When I enjoyed the Sunnmøre tin, and the Gaffelbidder (both procured from the Nordic House) none were to be found.

I got a Beer Here Dark Hops hoppy black ale, Beer Here Mørke pumpernickel porter, Nøgne Ø Sunturnbrew smoked barley wine, and a Nøgne Ø Tiger Tripel abbey tripel. These are all imported by and probably package designed by Shelton Brothers. I'm not going to turn this into a beer posting, it's already a shopping posting, You can read about these beers everywhere else, but I am going to start with some Turbonegro and the barley wine just to kick things off.

What about the tins???

SilverSea Brisling Sardiner. One in Vegetablsk Olje (soybean), and one in Tomat Saus.

According to a label obviously stuck on the back during U.S. import, these are a North Atlantic product of Scotland packaged for Norway. The aftermarket label is titled "Norden" which is Scandinavian for Nordic apparently. No direct website or info out there so we're on our own. It does look like these are refered to as the Blue and the Red. Like, "Gimme a tin of Blue", nice. This reminds me of a Local up in Portland that A23 told me of. Where they keep the tins chilled in the fridge and when you stop in to get one for lunch they offer to pop it for you. Maybe someday we'll get more info/pics on that.

Another packaging note is the Blue tin is "Best før utgangen av 2008" and the Red tin "Best før utgangen av 2009". These are Brisling, so 8 to 10 tiny tots, smoked, skin and bones.

Let's start with the Blue. These are pretty fatty and rich for such a small wonder. I wonder how the aging effects a tin. They start out smokey and finish with a bit of sweetness, but they kind of disolve away too quickly. Hell, on to the Red. A bit firmer with a mild red sauce. The Sunnmøre is better. These are both Average. Three out of Five Tins Twice.

These would make an Amazing Sardicado Sandwich.

But let me tell you, the meats were Killer (the lamb dominated), the cheese really good and the cheese in a tube - is like crack. Sooo good. It's only got gouda, water, and disodium phosphate in there, and they keep it refrigerated at Nordic House. It is perishable. A smear of tube cheese, a leaf or two of lettuce and a sardine on that crispybread is unparalleled. This Nordic Antipasta Platter Works.

Well, to make a long story boring, Too Late, here's The Silver from the Sea. Twenty minutes of the Norwegian Fishing and Tinning Industry. At least watch the second reel - it ends well

Yeah, that's a lot. Skip that and listen to Norway's Greatest Export.

If that's too much, well, at least stop in your LSE and see what They have.

Avocado is Nature's Mayonnaise

2010-01-24T10:24:00.000-08:00

Society Member Erin Zimmer, a prolific and entertaining writer and SuperFoodie, has been Spreading the Word of Alton Brown over at Serious Eats.

As a form of Acknowledgment for her Continued Dedication to the Advancement of Knowledge and Appreciation of the Lowly Tinned Sardine I would like to present her with this:

Only I can't remember where I saw it and I spent all the money in the Society Strongbox on beer and tins.

So in lieu of this fine piece of Americana, I can only say Thank You, and hope that all Members of the Society will heed the Writings of Ms. Zimmer.

Here is Mr. Alton's recipe for what Ms. Zimmer calls the Sardicado Sandwich. When You try it let us all know what You think.

Speaking of Museums

2010-01-20T09:52:00.000-08:00

Society Member Piers Crocker is the Curator for the Norwegian Canning Museum, part of the Stavanger Museum (founded 1877). If your up that way stop in and say Skål.

Do You Know The Way To Monterey?

2010-01-10T09:15:00.000-08:00

We did a dayshot down to the Monterey Bay Aquarium recently. It was extremely crowded, but, we we're constantly delighted.

Society High-Lights included the Sardine Roundabout, where you walk into a darkened round room and the little beauties swim in a wheel of a tank above head level built into the wall. the fish rarely change direction. I've been there when the crowds are sparse and it's intense.

The Outer Bay, The Kelp Forest, Sandy Shores, Sea Horses, Otters, Penguins and Octopus are all Amazing.

Parts of a Tinnery were built into the lobby with videos and displays. It was way too crowded to shoot decent photos, but here are some vintage tins under glass.

I like to believe there are still fish in those tins.

And, of course, we stopped by the CRSC.

I'm starting to lose track of where they all came from.

The Society Gives Back

2009-12-29T22:54:00.000-08:00

Philippe:

"Here are some peculiar
sardine tins.
Which one will you prefer???
Hope you'll enjoy !"

Nong:

"Ape

Last one package looks good I know
inside not that good sorry-
Try these may be good let me know.

Hang loose."

Thanks, amigos. I'll let you know.

BELA-Olhão

2009-12-28T17:41:00.000-08:00

I just counted Twenty-Five tins in the pantry - plus other assorted tinned fish. Only two of those 25 have I had before. I keep those two on hand for guests. The other 23 are waiting for a call up.

The Wife wanted sardines tonight. She was all Dandy Warhols and I was like Brian Jonestown Massacre. I wanted to wait till another Voice spoke to you of fine tinned fish, but, knowing the Fathers of the Society, that could be a long wait.

I picked up these three specimens locally. Actually, at the Cowgirl Creamery up in Point Reyes Station.

They make the cheeses there and have a boutique of fresh vegetables, sandwich deli and other pricey food products. $4/tin. I know, but I once paid $12 for a tin, and bought two of them (tell you later). I saw them for $2.59 suggested price online.

BELA-Olhão, pronounced "Bella, Ol- yow", according to the importer, Blue Galleon. (mybela.com is temporarily unavailable). Some quotes from their website:

Blue Galleon navigates the business currents with a focus on quality, excellence, standards, and intention.

Blue Galleon products are better for the environment and fish stocks. We fish species that are plentiful in magnitude and incorporate catch methods that ensure sustainability.

We work with local communities and use “Fair-Trade-Like” principles to guide our interactions with primary fishers.

These sardines offer the advantage of being a classic sardine (species: Sardina Pilchardue Walbaum) located in the waters of Portugal. BELA-Olhão Portuguese sardines are caught by local fishers and packed fresh within hours resulting in a product that is healthier, looks better, has less smell, and taste far better than other brands and varieties.

And

BELA-Olhão products are kosher certified by the Orthodox Union (OU).

These are all over the net, I even found a rumor that Blue Galleon, a Massachusetts company, is no longer operating in the U.S. so maybe buy em if you see em, well, let me pop these and see.

Plated up with the Wife's Green Onion Blinis, TJ's herb salad, olives, cornichons, a horseradish creme sauce, and Perro Negro Holiday Sauce. Matched to the always yummy Paco & Lola Albariño.

Cayenne on the left, Lemon in the middle, and Tomato on the right. They all contain 3 Big Fish, skin and bones.

We started with the Lemon. and the key word here is Light. Light oil texture, Light lemon flavor, Light flesh - good tooth, not mushy, nice lemon infused oil. Four Tins. Solid.

Next we were in to the Cayenne. more great, light oil texture, firm and flakey meat with a mild, mild heat. A notch above average. I wonder if they might heat up with aging. Three and a half tins, and I hate giving halves, but these were better than average, and yet, not quite Above Average.

And the Tomato. Sauce is a little bland and thin/oily. The smoked flavor of the fish comes through nicely and the meat is firm, but it seems Tomato is all about the sauce, a hint of oregano or spice might be required. Three out of Five tins.

All in all, the caliber of work here shows through. Quality is Job One.

The blinis are always good, the cornichons broke up the different bites nicely and the Albariño is Right On.

Happy New Year

Mail Bag

2009-12-17T09:23:00.000-08:00

I have been advised by my local shop that Connetable has gone out of business. Do you know anything about this... If so I am devastated. They are far and away my favorite. Any recommendations about other high quality sardines; particularly from Brittany?

David
Oakland, CA

Hello fellow members !

Connetable sardines are still on their almost two centuries old feet !
Leader on the french market they still make more than a half billion dollars with sardines…

What's the problem with Connetable in the US ? I've been told that customs fees are protecting american so called sardine cans. I supposed Connetable are just too expensive for retailing as only a small community of connoisseurs is able to appreciate quality in sardine cans. You are part of it. Congratulations.

You can also taste Les Mouettes d'Arvor from Concarneau in Brittany,they're often better than the best of Connetables, also try La Perle des Dieux from Vendée, they're as good.
Also taste Capitaine Cook's sardines from Brittany, they're worth the bite.
I do understand how desperate you must have been with such bad news about Connetable and how shocking it could have been…
I'm happy to give relief with good news from my side of the ocean.
Sardinaly yours

Philippe ANGINOT

Conserverie La Perle des Dieux

2009-12-03T11:25:00.000-08:00

You have got to see this Flickr Set:

Images de la conserverie et diverses sardines artistiques!

Seventeen awesome shots of the Pearl of the Gods from Naviciel.

No, I don't speak French either, but watch that video all the way through, because the last guy's collection est magnifique.

Unitas Sardinas estilo Portugues en Aceite de Oliva

2009-11-30T11:11:00.000-08:00

It's our last full day here in Cabo. We migrated down last Tuesday for our Annual.

We come down and do nothing. Well, nothing except eat and drink and sleep and read and sun and beach and pool and snorkle and repeat. Head into town once in awhile, mainly for supplies or a dinner out. Same five people, same house with it's pool overlooking the bay and an empty semi private beach. Two years ago we snorkeled with a School of Sardines. It was Awesome. Literally.

We mainly shop at Costco, but also at the Mega. Which is truly Mega. A huge store with a little bit of everything, bicycles, tvs, microwaves, clothes, but mainly groceries. Meat counters, fresh bakery, and a tortilla factory on premise. "Un Kilo Por Favor". So Good. This area seems all about the flour and they are Killer.

They had an interesting assortment of Roland's Sardines, and a couple of those traditional large oval tins of Mexicano en tomate that we've all seen around yet not reviewed, a few tins of Pulpo (got one), and a huge selection of Atún.

The only tin I didn't semi-recognize is this Unitas.

Hecho en México. Nice clean packaging (Nuevo Imagen!) with websites that have recipes. En Español.

A few folks are off to the beach, McCune is deep into World War Z (so good, read it before the movie comes out), and I'm poppin Vitamins, Tecates, and tins.

Plating it with local queso fresca, beautiful local tortillas, Gamesa saladitas, La Costeña rajas de chiles jalapeños en escabeche, Salsa Huichol picante and Lol-Tun salsa e chile habanero.

Three big fish, skin and bones, the oil appeared dark, the smell is strong, not off or bad, but strong. This is a situation were the accoutrements are better than the tin. I think I see scales. Wrapped in a tortilla with a bit of cheese and pickled jalapeño and of course it's tasty but being the Spoiled Gringo I am, I have to say "Pat, if these were any good I'd make you try them, but I won't." Two tins if I were at home, but due to the perfect tortillas, queso, and the View, I'm going Tres Fuera de Cinco Latas.

No Días Malo.

Guest Review: Connétable Huile d'Olive vierge extra

2009-11-22T09:39:00.000-08:00

After two consecutive days of food pilgrimage to San Jose's Grand Century Mall (for amazing Bahn Xeo crepes, Sugar cane juice, and other assorted awesomeness), I discovered that one of the deli shops carries a selection of yea olde tinny ﬁsh. Since Connétable tins have consistently scored high marks, I settled on investigating the Huile d'Olive vierge extra, a gorgeous red tin from Douarnenez, Bretagne.

The tin contains six medium sized ﬁsh, skin and bones on, as opposed to the Connétable ﬁllets previously reviewed. They're préparées à l'ancienne which I took to mean prepared Old School. The ﬁsh are perfect - fresh smelling, mild tasting, ﬁrm. Exactly the type of tin one brings on a proselytizing mission to convert the Sardine-averse, those who got turned off to sardines thanks to mushy, nasty smelling Brunswicks from their childhood. Comrades and fellow travelers, this is the ﬁve tin deal.

A few notes on scoring any tin. Skin is where the ﬂavor and best nutrients are, so lack thereof is a negative attribute. It's like the difference between a Salmon steak and a ﬁllet. If you're not eating the cut with the skin, not only are you skipping on a lot of the Omega-3, but your texture preference is that of a baby. It's like eating skinless chicken - WTF is wrong with people? Bones are an essential part of the lovely texture of sardines, as well. Mushy sardines are the same as overcooking your steak, it's just wrong. And if the tin smells ﬁshy when you open it, holy shit. No.

Finally, at $3.25 versus the $1.39 I pay for my stockpile of bon appétit this is a bit of a splurge, but it was deﬁnitely a treat with some Kalamata olive sourdough and blue cheese.

Arrr

Irish Tins of Fish and Stout

2009-11-14T17:43:00.000-08:00

Well, the Wife's off to Austin, TX to help celebrate the passing of time and I've got a furlough. Do I go to the Barrel Aged Beerfest? Do I go to the Cross Races under the lights? No, I'm safely tucked away in The Hidden Fortress with a pantry full of tins and a fridge full of beer. Staying home, watching what the General Public views as B Movies, to bring you useless information on tins of sardines you probably can't or won't try to find.

Normally I would be following a recipe when the Wife's gone, creating some fantastic tinned sardine entree, but tonight I'm going to clean some tins out of storage.

I have four of the six tins brought back from Dublin, Ireland by Mr. Jonnie Carpo and I'm going to pop em all.

I picked up two four packs, a brick of Kerrygold Pure Irish, and a loaf of Straun Harvest Bread from Brother Juniper's bakery. Toast it up, add some greens and it's on. I was going to bake a loaf of Amazingly Easy Irish Soda Bread but I overcooked a TJ pizza I was going to have for lunch and decided I was glad I bought the Straun Micheil as a backup. I think there's some Jamie around here as well.

Two tins are in sunflower oil, and two tins are in tomato sauce. I've not enjoyed a tomato sauce tin yet and I'm thinking side by side will be interesting.

Let's start at the top. The Yellow edged tin at 10:30.

John West (JW) is a fish tinning company popular in Ireland and the UK. Sardines, Tuna, Salmon, Mackerel, and Anchovies. The Sardines are tinned for JW (Liverpool, England) in Portugal.

Hilarious or Interesting, I'm not sure, but they are revolutionizing the tinned fish market with such products as No Drain Tuna AND Sardine Tempters, which I think are sardines in a more traditional tuna tin style layout. This style of packaging is bound to appeal to tuna people and will make it obvious to use these tins just as you would in any tinned tuna recipe. Like an Onion and Tomato Sardine with Cucumber Sandwich. This is how I see or imagine the CRSC is packaged. I still haven't ordered a tin, mainly due to the pantry overflowing.

Sorry. On to the tin.

JW In sunflower oil. Three big fish, bone in, skin on. A light schmeer of butter on a toast point, a pinch of greens and a chunk or two of love.

Look at that!

The sardine fork cuts the big fish right into bitesize.

Clean, Killer, Nice to Have the Skin and Bones.
Four Tins.

Next, the John West in tomato sauce. Red edged tin at 1:30. After that last JW tin I'm not afraid. Going to stick with the light schmeer of sweet butter. Wish I had some bacon.

Again, three big fish, skin and bones. It's a tasty sauce, bit o herbs, no butter needed, put it right on the toast point. I'm enjoying this, but let's cross the platter to the Nixe, at 7:30, before rating this.

Nixe, while being purchased in Dublin, are a brand for a discount chain known as Lidl. Expiration date: 31.12.2009. Reaching maturity, the label is in four languages, and I can't decipher where these where tinned. Again. Three big fish, skin and bones. These fish are a bit soft. Not exciting but not bad.

The JW has a tastier sauce, prettier fish, and seem proper.

John West in tomato sauce: Four Tins

Nixe in tomato sauce: Three Tins

And the Picnic.

These are Peruvian "Pacific Sardines" (Engravlis Ringens) in a package that screams of pallets and pallets of tins bought by grocery wholesaler Beck, Smith and Associates and shipped over, and then shrink wrapped accordingly.

Seven medium fish, meh at best. Skin on, no bones. I'm done with that tin and going back to finish off the others.
Two Tins for the Picnic.

Well, I've cleaned out the pantry of more Smuggled Tins, and, I've developed a taste for sardines in tomato sauce. I have a few more Unobtainiums, France and Italy, but I also have some Scandinavians and Japanese sourced locally, and a very scary tin I got at a Murder Mart in Unincorporated Hayward.

What the hell are you eating? Didja go out to that weird store and see what tins they have?

Sando Calrissian

2009-10-26T12:47:00.001-07:00

Before my wife and kids left for Paris seven weeks ago and before I began living out of my industrial workspace I sat down on what were my front porch steps. I sat there with my five year old daughter and enjoyed one of the finest sandwiches of my life. My wife had read a recipe for this creation that included a parsley chive mayo and bacon. Though it also called for fresh whole sardines we made due with the old faves, King Oscar brisling sardines. Two effing Layer!
Now I apologize about the poor photo quality and that perhaps the photo of the said sandwich may not appear too appetizing but believe you me. It was absolutely delicious. Yes!

Hawesta piri-piri

2009-10-20T20:50:00.000-07:00

I must apologize for continuing to bring you tins of Unobtainium, but here is another Smuggled Tin. The Other tin brought back form Germany. Code Name: Gordy.

I understand. Unobtainable. I can't stop. I know I will never see another of these tins. I just happen to have access to people who travel the world, and will drop a euro or pound or two to see a Juvi-Adult smile. It's not my fault.

That being said.

SHUT THE FRONT DOOR!!

Hawesta zarte Sardinen piri-piri.

This tin has an amazing spice to it. Piri-Piri. You've seen it here before. I first found it as a hot sauce at The Spanish Table. This tin, Filets ohne Haut in feinem Olivenöl, has heat. Four fish, super clean and pretty, and Oh, What Heat!! There was a small whole pepper in the tin!

Plated with toasted dark rye, a bit of sour cream, and some roasted up olives. Good firm texture, if only there were some bones, a bit of crunch, I've been missing that in my recent attacks, don't need the skin here. Four out of Five tins. Big, Beautiful, Spicy, but Unobtainable.

It's not my fault.

On a side note: I recently received a call from a young lady wanting to hook her father up with some tasty tins available at her local. I immediately thought of the Pollastrini. These are getting wide North American distribution and are killer. Her dad has sardine experience. If your out there trying to convert, well, maybe they aren't a gateway tin, but that's a damn good tin.

Something Special to Get That Certain Someone

2009-10-09T10:41:00.000-07:00

Here are some french books about sardines that the Society members can be interested in, if not already done.

Sardines à la clé is a nice picture book about the history of sardine cans illustrations and use by artists. A bible ! Not without humor as Nicolas is a real freaky sardine fan…

Miss Sardine mixes history of Parmentier brand and original recipes out of cans. I'll come back about Parmentier's sardine soon.

Enjoy !
Philippe ANGINOT

Cannery Row Sardine Company

2009-10-09T07:06:00.000-07:00

Cannery Row Sardine Company
Monterey County Weekly Article.

CRSC’s sardines are wild-caught in the Pacific Ocean from Big Sur to Washington, filleted, de-boned, skinned and hand-packed in olive oil. At $7.95 per can ($6.95 online), they’re spendy next to the $2 tins in stores. Warnick says it’s worth it. “This is the only canned sardine that’s a product of the U.S.A. you can find on the grocery store shelves.”

We ALL have to get some of these. Get them on the Web. Ask for them at your Local. Know they will be talked about here and soon.
Read that article.
Believe:

Aquacalypse Now

2009-10-07T21:01:00.000-07:00

The New Republic quotes the journal Science:

"by 2048, all commercial fish stocks will have “collapsed,” meaning that they will be generating 10 percent or less of their peak catches."

Read it HERE.

Let's remember to drink local, and eat low on the food chain.

Pop a tin, and tell us about it.

Appel MADELEINE ROT

2009-10-05T22:40:00.000-07:00

My friend Gordana just returned from Germany. And it's October!!!

She smuggled out two tins and I rounded up the beers. Octoberfest officially ended yesterday, so I'm going to try and catch up real quick. I'm starting with a Spaten Oktoberfest Ur-Marzen (labeled a malt liquor!), while I roast beets.

We are having pork chops, Hengstenberg sauerkraut, Maggi spaetzle, and roasted beets and carrots with butter lettuce. I have a selection of German beers, including a Celebrator Double Bock. Also grabbed a Clean Slate Riesling from Mosel, Germany for the Wife to dent.

Tonght's tin is Appel zarte Sardinen MADELEINE ROT Filets ohne Haut in feinem Olivenöl. According to the website, Appel has seven different tins available. One is Piri-Piri. The other six include, Provence, Toscana, Cicero, Rosalinde, Madeleine grün, and tonight's tin: Madeleine rot. Those sound pretty good, Provence (in feinem Olivenöl mit aromatischen Kräutern der Provence und Knoblauch verfeinert), Tuscany (mit Olivenscheiben, Basilikum und Oregano)(these sound like the French tins we've experienced)(these sound like what should be made available at $6 a tin using fish caught politically correctly off the Coast of California, tinned locally using small bits of artichoke from the Salinas Valley, and a bit of goat cheese from Humboldt), I can't read the website, and am too "busy" to translate but this tin is zarte Sardinenfilets ohne Haut, in feinem Olivenöl, führende Fischqualität - fangfrisch verarbeitet, and Sardinen von Appel - "Klassiker" seit über 100 Jahren. Guess I'll learn more when I pop that zinn.

While I cook up a spicy smoked beer sausage for the platter, I'm moving on to the Klosterbrauerei Reutberg Brothers of Dunkel (5.2) and Hell (5.1). Start with Hell I guess.

The Tin, sausage (Berkeley Bowl), Mestemacher rye bread, Hengstenberg cornichons, Hengstenberg sweet mustard, and a ramakin of horseradish cream make up tonight's platter.

Five or six beers, I mean fish. A very light pleasant oil. Very mild, letting the fish come through. A bit on the tuna side all in all, firm, mild, really nice with the rye and sour cream. A bit hearty and enjoyable. Better than average but not killer Killer. The mustard only worked with the sausage. Four out of Five Tins.

With the platter I had the Mahr's Weisse (4.9). Saved the Celebrator (6.7) for the chop.

The Chicken and The King

2009-09-28T20:57:00.000-07:00

I'd already had a delicious meal and we'd settled in to watch part two of Ken Burns' The National Parks. We'd caught part one yestereve and it is some wonderful stuff. Tonight he is tweaking the Wife's nerve by talking about bird poaching, flower hats, and the unique landscapes.

Then, I got the munchies.

I stopped stocking Oreo's and Ben and Jerry's Willie Nelson's Peach Cobbler Ice Cream, but some how had ended up in Spaceway the other day and had to check what they were peddling in the tinned fish aisle. I picked up two tins for just such an occasion. A quick nosh while listening to Peter Coyote tell me about Theodore Roosevelt's taxidermy habits and meetings with John Muir.

I grabbed one: Chicken of the Sea. $1.00/can. It claims to be lightly smoked in oil, and from Thailand. (Sidenote: as the Wife put away groceries the other day, she thought, What the Hell? Has He lost his mind? Do we really need all these Tins?)

I gripped it and ripped it and was not all that fond of what I found inside.
(They just told of Roosevelt snacking on sardines out in the wilderness of Yellowstone, I kid you not.)

Uhm, Sorry Charlie. These weren't working for me. Too big, not pretty, didn't smell bad but didn't smell good, I don't know, I threw those fish back. Maybe some other time, maybe not.

So the other tin I picked up was King Oscar's Med Style. One layer Brisling.

These were much more appealing.

Dominant Smoke. The fish are a bit mushy and falling apart. The olives and spice are quite qood. I would love to make a sandwich with a splash of mayo and this tin. All in all just OK. A "C". Average. Sometimes they're just fish. Three out of Five Tins.

Having come to this conclusion I must ammend an Earlier Review. The Sunnmøre Sardiner i olje are some fine fish.

This Just In

The Wife just grabbed some Kettle Baked Hickory Honey BBQ chips, a ramakin of sour cream and some King O's.

Now That's Some Munchies Food!!!

Aquaculture 2010

2009-09-25T09:51:00.000-07:00

Mama Ramen, Smiling Fish, and the Poverty Knife

2009-09-14T21:39:00.000-07:00

I know these things;

Thai people love to eat Mama ramen, so save your judgement.

Mama comes with a little package of fish-saucy soup base and HOT chili powder. Typically, you'd add a squirt of your own fishy sauce, a squeeze of lime, some fried garlic, white pepper, a six-minute egg, and some sliced what-have-you's, and you've got dinner for just about a dollar.

I double-dog-dare you to do better for that kind of money.

*****

My friend Nong is an upstanding member of The Society. A couple of weeks ago, she dropped in on me during a Friday service, all smiles and waves, and plopped a tin on my bar. We didn't have much time to chat. We rarely do.

She pulls LONG days at her cart, and I'm generally a Mess, so it's usually just hugs.

She is thin, and I am fat, and she always lights me up.

*****

My goal tonight was to put together the meal that I would eat in Bangkok, were I a Thai dad staying in at night while Wife worked the restaurant.

Doped noodles and a can of sardines seems appropriate.

I have reviewed the Smiling Fish before. These were the worst yet. I think they were mackerel. Bland sauce, huge bones, dry meat, and chickpeas. Not good.

At all.

The bowl was good. I eat the same thing a couple nights a week, so no surprises.

Didn't have any Singha, so I drank Tiger. Singapore shmingapore. Good beer from the region fits.

Oh, and the Knife. Kiwi brand, from Thailand. I see cooks all over using these. They are $3. They get sharp, and stay sharp. I have replaced all of my Euro-steel with these, and so will you, dear sardinistas, come Christmas time.

Sunnmøre Sardiner i olje

2009-09-13T18:20:00.000-07:00

I know I have been celebrating tins smuggled back from the far corners of the world. Tins not available locally; maybe with an expensive net search someone might bring home some of these tins. Well. Back to domestically sourced tins.

I picked up this tin quite awhile ago from the Nordic House. They are around the corner and down the street.

The East Bay has many different ethnic stores. Little markets with very specific products. They all seem to stock sardines from their respected origins.

Nordic House is a lot of fun, filled with food products and chachki galore. If they sold Nordic beers and liquors it would be perfect. I know there are many intoxicating Norwegian products, but I don't think they are exporting many of them.

Sunnmøre Sardiner i olje

Sunnmøre is a southwest region in Norway. Waterfront Property. These are Brislings and Hånd pakker, and one website says

The sardines that attain the SunnMore brand are caught in the pure waters off the Norwegian coast, using the same methods which have been practiced for generations. These premium quality sardines are packed in one of three sauces and free of any preservatives. Each variety is wonderful as an hors d'oeuvre or eaten straight out of the tin! Varieties sold separately.

GG is making up some Zucchini Fritters with a beautiful zucch from Twidwell Farms down in Pacifica, some greens, toasted baguette, dill sour cream and lemon.

There are seksten of these Smokey Little Monstre. Similar to smoked oysters, but in a lighter oil, giving them a delicate difference.

Another great tin to throw in your lunsj boks. Three, NO WAIT FOUR, out of Five Tins.

2007 Tomero Torrontes. Mendoza, Argentina. From some of the highest peaks of the Andes. A wonderful wine, light peach, honeysuckle, clean, crisp.

Find your local obscure ethnic stores. They are out there. From all over the world. Talk to Them. Get some tins.

Upon Further Consideration I am adding a tin (it was originally three) to this review.

The Jacob Pike

2009-09-03T11:26:00.000-07:00

We received a nice letter from Bob Holtzman over at the Penobscot Marine Museum up in Searsport, Maine. He writes:

Maine used to be a major sardine producer -- it was our largest fishery, by dollar value, and there were literally dozens of canneries all along the coast. All but one are gone now, but the Penobscot Marine Museum retains part of Maine's sardine heritage with its flagship, the 83' sardine carrier Jacob Pike.

He thought we might be interested, and while I can't speak for the entire Society, I think he was right.

From the website:

The Penobscot Marine Museum was given the best preserved and arguably the handsomest sardine carrier ever built—the 1949 83-footer JACOB PIKE. When her home cannery in Rockland closed in 1997, industry veteran Dana Rice of Birch Harbor bought the vessel to use as a bait carrier but with a dream of preserving her. Last summer that dream began to come true when Taylor Allen and Martha White bought the JACOB PIKE and in December donated her to the museum.

The resulting publicity has brought forth stories worth preserving, from people like Dan Holmes who crewed aboard for sixteen years, John Melquist who managed the cannery the vessel last worked from, and Raymond Wallace whose father Roy designed the vessel and served as her master builder. There will be other stories— many others—that this historic sardine carrier will inspire.

Short-term plans for the PIKE call for her to roam the midcoast during the coming summers much as she did during her working days, but with an educational mission: raising awareness of the now-defunct herring industry and the efficient carriers that helped make it possible. Later, the aim is for her to become the centerpiece for a permanent, land-based sardine exhibit as well as for an exhibit of smaller craft to showcase the heritage of Maine’s boat- and shipbuilding skills, past and present.

There's a nice multimedia slide show on The Pike Page.

And!!

Go to this Article, scroll down to the bottom and Check Out image #2 titled Sardine Man!!

There are no Rules, but there is Tradition. Know your history.

Thanks Bob.

The Sandwich. Part Le Deux.

2009-08-17T21:39:00.000-07:00

The Man was running off to Thailand again last week. We caught up on the phone right before he split to talk a little business, and he hipped me to a place out on Powell. The dirty part.

Way out.

I have kind of a thing for sandwiches. Especially the Indochine style. I have eaten hundreds of them. SF/Oakland/NYC/PDX. Pretty much any town, with any kind of Viet immigrant population will have a small counter, in a rough neighborhood, slinging $2 sammys and potent coffee.

Get your nails done, eat a couple, chug a Heineken, all's right in the ghetto.

This lady here, she's putting the tinned sardine to good use. Making a kind of doped-up salad out of them and putting them in the bun. All the other typical ingredients-- Daikon, carrot, cilantro, peppers, and mayo.

Them shits is Good.

Good coffee, too.

This has been added to my 7-days-a-week of sandwiches. Screw bike racing. I want to eat.

Rizzoli

2009-08-16T19:27:00.000-07:00

Tinned Anchovies Smuggled In From Italy.

You can Read about How They Improve a Perfect Sandwich.

You can Believe that Eight good size rolls on a plate of Heirloom Tomatoes, fresh Mozz, fresh Basil from the Garden, a drizzle of aged Balsamic and Extra Virgin is Summertime Heaven.

Well, only Six on the plate cause we each ate one, right out of the tin.

I don't know how to explain to you how these are better than just about anything I've had domestically. They have a certain meaty flavor, salty, a hint of spice, I want to do shots of the oil, or pour in a Bloody Mary. I can't read any of the info on the tin, mainly cause the prints too small, but also in Italian.

You can Believe

These Guys are in the Society.

So is the Man in the Borsalino Hat.

Guest Review: Roland

2009-08-11T03:53:00.000-07:00

I received two (2!) packages from The Coast today; one with a CD, the other from SALTS World Headquarters containing Aquavit and sardines. Incidently I have already eaten Roland Sardinas in oil from Morocco for lunch today. Clean and neat. (That's a review.) One more thing I don't understand: Lorna was eating some disgusting tuna from a can. I ate neatly packed, skinless, boneless little fish. Which she called "disgusting". ??!

Neil "Gunnar" Berg
1410 Oakwood

SUNYO

2009-08-09T20:29:00.000-07:00

This tin was smuggled back from Japan by a wonderful couple, whom I cannot name due to the nature of this business. Suffice to say, Thank You.

This tin has all Japanese labeling except for SUNYO F.I.C. SARDINES IN SALAD OIL. Goo-Glee didn't help at all. There is no pull tab and, sadly, no tab for using a tin opener of old.

Whoa. Wouldja look at that. An even dozen, small, boned, handpacked.

These little bites are quite tasty. Good texture, real smokey flavor. Would be great on a party platter, due to their size, texture, and flavor. Buy a sixpack of tins, pop em all, stick tooth pics in each fish. Like those Lil Smokeys or Roasted Bacon Wrapped Shark Bites. Invite me to that party.

I was worried.

I was worried these would be fewer and larger. But no, they are stacked in there beautifully. Perfect. Perfect for tonight.

For Tonight.

We Make.

SUNYO Tinned Sardine Sushi

I'm rolling up these fish with real rice vinegar sushi rice, avocado, green onion and lemon zest.

The lemon zest really brings the roll together. Tinned Sardine Sushi. But only with the right tin. And as Ebisu would have it, this is the tin.

These fish are really good for their size and being of Asian Origin and not being masked by a soy or mustard, I like 'em. Four Tins for the Tin and The Sushi. Come On!!

What the hell does F.I.C. mean?

Waitrose Piccanti

2009-08-01T20:23:00.000-07:00

Sardina Pilchardus Walbaum is in the ingredients. That, olive oil (27%), sea salt, and chili peppers are all that's in this tin. I found two small chili peppers, With Seeds, in the bottom. I love finding bits.

These are the third tin smuggled in from England, Europe.

Not quite three large fish, boned and skinned. The oil tastes clean and spicy. There is a nice heat here, it lingers, I like it. The meat is very lean and dense, it doesn't melt in your mouth like a fatter fish might. It seems like a perfect luncheon meat. Great for a sardine sandwich, baguette, greens, and a lighter luncheon style beer. Bag of crisps.

This fish is Alberto Contador; Spicy, Lean, Dense, Smart, Fast and Furious.

Three Tins

Fork, courtesy of Chez Panisse, they served it with a side of anchovies.

Oh, on a side note, I have turned all the tins in the pantry upside down, thinking they have spent most of their lives right side up, on display, or in cases on pallets, etc. Let the oils saturate the other side.

Eva Skuša Fileti

2009-07-27T20:41:00.000-07:00

Thanks Neven.

Waitrose Al Limone

2009-07-25T18:23:00.000-07:00

I was behind the rail one night and one of my brethren (Loyal Reader #11 or 12) (I mean Non-Member #xx), couldn't get his thumbs off his phone. Being the pinche bandejo I am, I busted his chops. He tells me of how he's checking on his Mother landing safely at Heathrow. Claims there was a storm or she doesn't fly often or that he just worries about his Mom cause she's a Good Woman. I don't really recall.

The next night or two nights later, or maybe the next week, I'm asking him about his Moms being in England with the Society in mind. He has already expressed his Appreciation and I hope to recruit a smuggler.

And. Of course. He's all about it.

Ms. Jean brings home three tins from Jolly Ol'. She is a Good Woman.

The first to be discussed was the Marks and Spencer that I palmed off to A23 as we crossed paths without making eye contact or arousing suspicion in a crowded bus terminal.

The other Two are also from a self branding super store, that has quality goods and delivers. One tin is Piccanti and tonight's tin is Al Limone.

Waitrose

*********************************************************************************************

We packed a picnic and grabbed the mutts and headed up to our favorite cemetery. It's very old and built into the hills and overlooks the bay and San Francisco. We could see the City was socked in with the marine layer (fog) and it's dog on leash only which works well with our anti-socials.

Tonight's platter is filled with a Wensleydale Artisinal cheese from Neal's Yard Dairy, England, a pepperoni piccolino, some greens from the garden, almond slivers, baguette and a Mariposa Plum.

This is some fine packaging.

Four fish, skinned and boned, bellys up. These are small fish, slender. A product of Morocco.

They are wonderful. A clean olive oil, with bits of lemon rind floating under the fillets. The meat is firm yet flakey, like a good tinned fish ought to be. There is a definite yet subtle lemon zing to the flavor. We are loving these fish. If they had a spine and maybe some skin they would probably merit five tins, but being filleted, Four Solid Tins.

Um, this Chateau la Rouviere Bandol Rosé is so So SO perfect for a sunny afternoon nibbling on Sardine Al Limone. It matched up with all of it. The fish, the plum, the cheese. A wonderful nose, delicate and floral, even after it had warmed up during the photo shoot. This should be drank by the pool everyday, after all it's "Bandol Rosé for the San Tropez Man".

The cheese is light and creamy like a mild cheddar, crumbly and slightly fruity like a good cheshire. Perfect for the Rosé. And get yourself a Mariposa Plum.

Thanks to T.S. and Ms. Jean.

Waitrose's website throws up this recipe which is quite close to this recipe.

If you get yourself a Euro-Smuggler get a tin or two for me.

The Sandwich

2009-07-21T20:50:00.000-07:00

Bunk.

I awake to the need of this sandwich.

Watch me stand in line on the sidewalk, kids in tow, waiting for My Man.

This hunger won't turn me loose and now I'm maybe regretting having come inside.

I have an $8 a day habit and I think it be killing me.

It is, at the least, making me fat as shit.

The bread is perfect. The oil leaking out onto your jeans- Perfect. The big men behind the counter shouting your name, a pile of chips and red peppers, a can of beer. There's no ventilation. It's hot and it smells like meat.

Heaven.

I'm not reviewing sardines here, Jim.

I'm talking about sandwiches as a delivery vehicle for anchovies of the finest kind.

Anchovies that were given to Hamachi by a man in a Borsalino hat.

I have eaten of these fish, and they were worth whatever amount of money the man had to pay for them..

Salty, spicy little bastards, each. And perfect.

And, Bunk.

The wine was from Sardinia, and wasn't anything much to speak of, but I remember it fondly.

Casino Delices

2009-07-20T01:55:00.000-07:00

Casino delices 0 tin
Never trust black sardine cans. This one was supposed to be at the top. It was just awful. I could'nt even eat the sardines and had to throw them in the garbage. And this is rare for me ! Should have been good one, expensive can, britany labeled and prepared by 29046, means Connetable product. All fake ! Disgusting experience. Beware of black cans I say, they might be poisonous… Smelled like rotten…

CASINO au piment 4 tins !
Casino is a supermarket brand as Mark and Spencer
Hopefuly this one was really excellent, really nice fat sardines from Morocco, nicely hot, nice fish, delicious with Marsanay 2000 white burgundy. Of course I had to open the can on the back side, I know it's barbarous but it's the only way to keep the can fakely full for disposal… And as I am chic in any occasion, I used my special sardine server just to add a little ceremony to a Sunday evening lazy dinner, listening to an old Leonard Cohen song under the veranda…

Enjoy !
Philippe ANGINOT

Sardines Are Not Cool

2009-07-19T08:12:00.000-07:00

Well, Maybe.

Thanks David Gorn and NPR.

Grecian Formula.

2009-07-12T14:21:00.000-07:00

So, staying true to my nature, I ate these fish, probably, two weeks ago and will wrangle the memory of this gifted tin of greek sardines from my beer soaked memory.

I remember that the fish was as any other handsome and firm sardines in clean tasting olive oil. Awesome and enjoyable but not remarkable.

The cheese was intense. Beautiful, but it upstaged everything else on the cutting board. A showboater.

And we also drank tequila. A bunch of it. The fact that I have any recollection of the evening is testament to my many years of practice.

Three tins.

"I don't care to belong to a club that accepts people like me as members." G. Marx

2009-07-10T23:37:00.000-07:00

There are no dues. There isn't a newsletter. No scheduling of SALTSCON in Vegas at the HardRock with Nick Cave opening for Tom Waits and Bourdain as the keynote speaker (yet). No pledge drives or guilt stricken return address stickers. There aren't even Google Ads.

There's some folks in Idaho, more than a few in Oregon (one guy eats them for breakfast), quite a few from California. There's that crazy French guy. And the Sardine King! A small enclave in Southern Minnesota. There's even some Vegans. Sardinistas one and all.

There are many others. Folks who aren't quite ready to announce to the world that they are on the wave, tucked in tight and ready to ride. But they know. They know who they are.

Because if you think you're in the Society, even for a second, then you're in the Society. If you're reading this, you're in the Society.

There's no pressure, no reminder letters, offers of low percentages on SALTS Mastercards. You don't even have to ever open a tin. Maaaaybe a beer. If there was an initiation it might involve beer. But there isn't. There's just the Appreciation of Tinned Sardines, and the Appreciation of Those who Appreciate Tinned Sardines.

If you come here looking for Justice, that's what you'll find: Just Us.

Pop a Tin, Drink Local. Tell us how you do.

Maybe we'll show you the secret handshake.

Marks & Spencer

2009-06-30T19:26:00.000-07:00

The Society met last week. Well, some of us did. What I had hoped would be the first of many annual symposiums-- showcasing famous guest speakers, tasting in some of our favorite rooms, and of course all of the attendant media flash that we'd have to tolerate-- turned into me and Hamachi eating, drinking, drinking, passing out on porches, beer-nerding, eating, and drinking.

All the usual.

The Secret: Entombed somewhere in the back of GG's Prius, beneath the mound of vintage Louis Vuitton garment bags and Filson slings, there was a crumpled paper sack packed with rare and yet-to-be-sampled sardines.

It took a week of plying the both of them with strange food, sparkling wine, and dreadlock-smelling weed for Jonny to finally, on the last day, dig around in his tent and invite me aside for a "talk".

It's known to all that dude has been holding out for months, but I had no idea the embarrassment of riches that he possesses. Hamachi's people are widely travelled and uber-generous-- He's been stacking up tins like he breaks hearts.

Or something.

Mostly Euro stuff, couple of goodies from Japan. He layed some on me with handshakes. Dropping irreplaceables out of his personal stash. He knows I'm drying up and is trying to jumpstart me on putting down a review or two. No pressure, just like, "Hey man, try these out and let me know what you think..."

***********************************************************************************************

If nothing else, these are the first sardines I've seen with the postmodern, minimalist, "Helvetica in a colored line" label. Sort of intriguing in a way-- As if sardines, and the eating of them, may have finally arrived in the 21st century.

I figured that the least I could do was photograph them outdoors, with a plastic pig.

Had a lookee into the website for Marks & Spencer. Seems like kind of a do-all for cheap British yuppies. Wine, hip and inexpensive clothes, furnishings and housewares, other crap.

The back of the box says:

"Our sardines swim in the turbulent, rocky waters off of the Portuguese coast. It improves their muscle texture and gives a firmer and tastier product. Local fishermen have been catching fresh sardines for us for over 20 years. The fish is specially selected from the top of the net to ensure the best quality and delivered to the factory within 4 hours of the catch for maximum freshness"

It's like, informative yet vague all at the same time. Yay!

Fishwise, they're damn good. Three big 'uns in a light olive oil. Big spines, pretty skin. They broke apart but were still firm, and I wiped the oil/bone/fish slurry out of the bottom of the can with a crust of bread.

If you're not hip to Vinho Verde, get there, Jim.
Beautiful Portuguese almost-sparkling. The good ones are $6-$10. Cheap because they come from rustic-assed family vinyards where the vines are grown up high so they don't crowd out the vegetables planted beneath. Should be opened and enjoyed within a year of bottling. I can get behind that.

This was Senhoria Alvarinho Trajadura. $8. Bom! (thx Couves!)

"Small fish, however, not only provide higher levels of beneficial nutrients, but are significantly lower in contaminants..."

2009-06-30T11:21:00.000-07:00

This was originally published in December 2008 here.

Eating with Intelligence ...
Philippe Rouja, Department of Conservation Services, Government of Bermuda, Bermuda
Eric Dewailly, Faculty of Medicine, Laval University, Québec, Canada

Fisheries of different species around the world have already collapsed or are in imminent danger of collapse. The demand for fish continues to increase yearly even though consumers remain confused about the risk-benefit balance of fish consumption.1 Is it possible to maintain the benefits of fish consumption while minimizing the risks to both human health and global fisheries?
We are familiar with the image of a series of fish, each progressively larger than the other, eating the fish in front and being eaten by the larger fish behind. These kinds of cultural representations have been created by our incredible brain capacity, which arguably evolved due to the availability of marine fats.2 Western culture has transcribed our assessment of what one could call the brain chain (with the human species posited at the top) to the food chain so that we logically believe that we are, and should eat, at the top. But this mistaken belief may be leading us to the nutritional equivalent of the Peter Principle,3 whereby our harvesting from higher trophic levels in the marine food chain eventually leads us to make nutritionally and ecologically incompetent choices. Ironically, while seafood may have pushed us to the top of the brain chain, the way we consume seafood today may not keep us there. We are eating the wrong kinds of fish and too many of them. Fish consumers and the planet alike might be much better off were they to follow the example of many indigenous fishermen by fishing and eating with more intelligence.

The Bardi people of North Western Australia follow fishing strategies in which fish are selected for both their nutritional quality and their relative seasonal fatness, rather than their size, ease of capture and relative quantity of calories they might provide. The Bardi teach us that in temperate and tropical fisheries such a seasonal fishing strategy based on procuring seasonally fat fish enhances human health and leads to the avoidance and protection of spawning fish, many of which are not fat when reproducing.4
In traditional Polynesian society, pregnant women specifically avoid pelagic fish consumption, fish that we now assess as being relatively low in nutrients and high in contaminants such as mercury.5,6 The Polynesians and many other Pacific islanders also cook fish whole with the guts, head and skin intact in order to consume the fats found therein. These parts of the fish are discarded and rarely eaten by most western consumers but are considered a delicacy in many other cultures around the globe. For many indigenous fishing cultures these parts of the fish are the prime motivating factor in choosing which fish to catch.

Our recent research in Bermuda, which measured omega-3 fatty acids, selenium and mercury in a wide range of local fish species, indicated that some of the smaller fish species have more to offer to human health with less risk than larger fish closer to the top of the food chain.7 There are several reasons for this. Fish at the top can become significant repositories for a range of contaminants—both natural and anthropogenic—and may also have unhealthy concentrations of certain nutrients that have negative impacts on human health. The flesh of most large predator fish from warm water fisheries (big tuna, swordfish, marlin and shark) is usually lean with low omega-3s and high in mercury/selenium ratios.7

Small fish, however, not only provide higher levels of beneficial nutrients, but are also significantly lower in contaminants ubiquitous to the marine food chain. Small fish, such as sardines, tend to be eaten whole, whereas large fish like tuna or swordfish are treated, sold, prepared and eaten in much the same way as cattle. What we are left with is a slab of meat, that is for larger fish species, referred to (without irony) as a steak and for smaller fish, a fillet. The fillet and the steak are both divorced from the most nutritious parts of the fish: the skin, bone, brain and eye. The parts of the fish that we discard are, in fact, preferred by the brown and black bear which, during specific seasons, only consume the head and stomach of salmon, leaving the racks along the river’s edge for less nutritionally discerning scavengers.8 As people have less time to prepare fish, the fish fillet and steak have taken over from the whole fish that may have once been available from the fishmonger. Smaller fish, however, continue to be eaten whole, giving consumers access to the full warehouse of nutrients that fish can deliver.

Get off the Top of the Food Chain

Small fish have not been subject to the same over-fishing pressure that has befallen almost all of the larger fish species. Sardines, for example, have been the top pick for many fish watch organizations as they are healthy to eat and sustainably harvested.

We are selling ourselves short every time we use smaller more beneficial fish to catch or grow larger, more contaminated fish. We need to investigate how we can catch fish exclusively for the particular nutritional benefits they impart, not just for the ubiquitous meat and protein all fish can provide. Like the Bardi, we should learn that every fish has its season where both its taste and its nutritional value will be maximized. In seeking the best from their resources, they also nurture their sustainability. It has worked for them for at least 27,000 years9--–perhaps it is not too late for us. Think big. Eat small.

Link to References
This paper is based on research project partially funded by a funded by a grant from the Lepercq Foundation.

Fats of Life

Do You Hear That? There's a Rumbling on the Horizon. A Storm is Brewing Off the Coast of Everywhere. Eat Small Fish. Rush down to your Local and Demand Responsible Fishing, Fresh Sardines, and Better Tins. Use the Power of your (insert local currency here). Slow Down, Pop a Tin and Drink Local.

Trader Joe's

2009-06-14T17:30:00.000-07:00

The one's in the pink can. Lightly smoked in olive oil.

I believe Philippe mentioned smoked sardines were good for aging. I thought these might be a good candidate, but after reading A23's thoughts on the matter, and the fact that the pantry is crowded with tins right now, I changed my mind.

Donated to SF Food Bank. Someone, somewhere, will be stoked, in a "Two-Buck-Chuck way".

When Premium Sardines Hit the Chic Top !

2009-06-09T10:42:00.000-07:00

Last chic cocktail I went to was a meeting of french restaurants headers. It was all about aperitives and snacks. Although I'm not in the food buisness, I was invited and brought some of the best sardine cans I have for a sardine lesson. And then suddenly this guy Bruno from at Bruno's restaurant in Dijon took out of his jacket pocket a Ramon Pena sardinillas can.

Damned ! I had never seen this one before. We opened and tasted. It was a circular can with small sardines disposed in wheel. Very good olive oil, not too green. The sardines were a bit too young, they would have admit at least 2 or 3 more years of aging. But it was utterly delicious and had to admit that Bruno had found a jewel in the sardine world. When I asked where it came from he answered we can only find them at Fauchon's in Paris.

Ok! Forget Fauchon if you're not a millionnaire ! In any case, remember the name Ramon Pena if you travel in Spain near Vigo or Santiago de Compostella, and remember also (new proverb) that sardine cans wrapped in black with gold letters on may lead you on water and bread for weeks…

Enjoy !
Philippe ANGINOT

"There are many reasons to praise the lowly sardine."

2009-06-03T14:29:00.000-07:00

Jane Black is a Washington Post Staff Writer. This was originally published 6/3/2009 here.

A New School of Thought About Sardines
They're Eco-Friendly. But Can They Be Tasty? Printer Friendly Version

MONTEREY BAY, Calif. -- "Revolutionary" isn't the first word you'd use to describe Mark Shelley. The California filmmaker drives a Toyota Prius, for goodness' sake. But Shelley is a key member of a culinary counterculture plot to reintroduce sardines to the American palate.

They call themselves the Sardinistas. Along with Shelley, the conspirators are an environmentalist, a veteran commercial fisherman and a semi-retired entrepreneur and marine biologist. For several years, the "cell" has been meeting informally to gorge on sardines and wine. Now, the Sardinistas are forging a plan to produce canned sardines and prepared foods. Their message: These are not your grandfather's sardines.

"We want to reinvent the sardine and this time do it a little more thoughtfully," Shelley, 58, explained at recent propaganda lunch here on Cannery Row, which once served as headquarters for the California sardine fishery. "We want to value what these fish can give to us from an ecological standpoint and a health standpoint. And we think there are real ways to enjoy them."

Sardines have the blessing of environmentalists, who applaud California's sustainably managed fishery, and nutritionists, who praise the oily fish's high level of omega-3 fatty acids. High-end chefs also have recently begun to rediscover the pleasure of fresh sardines, which now appear on chic menus across the country: In Los Angeles, Sona chef David Myers serves them with ginger, garlic and ponzu sauce. At Dino in Cleveland Park, they are pan-roasted with fennel.

The Sardinistas have their work cut out for them, however. For nearly half a century, most Americans have grimaced at the thought of a smellier, seafood version of Spam. With bones, to boot.

Sardines weren't always such a hard sell. For the first half of the 20th century, they were an American staple. The booming California fishery, headquartered in Monterey Bay, helped feed millions of soldiers in two world wars and employed thousands of European and Asian immigrants. At its peak in the late 1930s, the California sardine fishery processed more than 700,000 tons of sardines annually.

Within the decade, however, the sardine population mysteriously began to decline. And by the 1950s, it had collapsed. Overfishing certainly contributed; sardines were not only processed for food but also ground into animal feed and oil. But there's evidence that natural boom-and-bust ocean cycles also were a factor. Whatever the case, tuna soon replaced sardines as a cheap go-to meal.

By the 1980s, sardines had begun to reappear in Pacific waters. But they did not make their way to American plates. At the Sardine Factory, a popular Monterey Bay restaurant, Shelley remembers ordering canned sardines that were so delicious he asked the server to show him the tin. "A product of Latvia," he said with a laugh. "Here on Cannery Row, we're eating sardines from Latvia."

There are many reasons to praise the lowly sardine. The species is on the Blue Ocean Institute and Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch green lists because it is abundant and fished in environmentally friendly ways. Quotas are carefully managed: Fishermen are allowed only 80,000 tons annually, just over 10 percent of the peak haul in the 1930s.

Environmentalists also promote sardines because they object to the way they are now used. The Monterey Bay Aquarium estimates that more than 80 percent of the Pacific sardine catch is used to feed bluefin tunas raised in Mexico and Australia. The problem: It takes at least seven pounds of sardines to produce one pound of tuna, a ratio that they say doesn't make sense. "Eating tuna and salmon is the functional equivalent of eating grizzly bears and cougars on land," said Sardinista Mike Sutton, who directs the aquarium's Center for the Future of the Oceans. "We need to eat lower down the food chain to be sustainable."

Eating smaller fish also offers health benefits. Because sardines eat mostly plants, they do not accumulate high levels of mercury or PCBs the way larger, carnivorous fish such as tuna or salmon do. Sardines also live shorter lives: six years vs. about 10 for tuna, meaning less time in the ocean to absorb hazardous toxins. Those factors, say the Sardinistas, plus high levels of protein and omega-3s, make sardines an excellent option for pregnant women, children and eco-conscious college students on a budget.

Intellectually, it's a strong case, but to succeed, the Sardinistas must overcome a big cultural hurdle. Sardines look like fish. And most Americans would rather not be reminded that the meat they eat was once a living creature. "The reason we eat big predators [such as tuna and salmon] is not because they are big predators; it's because they can be cut into steaks," said Alton Brown, host of Food Network's "Good Eats," who attended the Sardinista lunch. "Americans: We're people of the cut, not the carcass."

Brown is an admitted sardine fanatic. When he travels, he takes one can of the fish for every day on the road and a pair of chopsticks with which to eat them. After 10 years on television, Brown said, he has finally received permission to produce a show on small fish. In it, he plans to take his signature matter-of-fact approach in explaining how and why to eat sardines. "We need to teach our children that, yes, it had a face. And, yes, it had a life. And here, it has fins," he said. "Bluefin tuna is like crack cocaine if it's good. But we all know what happens if you try to live on crack cocaine."

Chefs, too, are doing their part to acquaint diners with sardines. At Washington's Jaleo, José Andrés presents the fish grilled with garlic and parsley, and in New York, chef Michael Psilakis plates them alongside a chopped Greek salad at Kefi. At Dino, the sardines are roasted whole and served with fennel, but the chef will remove the heads upon request. "The heads scare people," said owner Dean Gold.

The Sardinistas enjoy the small fish's strong flavor. But they are working to make it more universally palatable. To that end, Shelley is experimenting with canning his own sardines, which he hopes one day could take the place of canned tuna, and testing recipes for frozen foods with broad appeal. Most promising so far are his pot stickers, a mix of sardines, ginger, garlic and chopped vegetables, and similarly flavored sardine patties, which aim to be an eco-friendly version of salmon and crab cakes. The next step is to write a business plan and raise enough money to get the venture off the ground.

"I'm not a chef. And if I can make this stuff taste good, imagine what someone who does this for a living could do," Shelley said. The goal is to "make people raise their eyebrows and say, 'I can't believe these are sardines.' "

The Sardinistas Are Coming! It's A Revolution! I wonder if they're Revolutionary Sardines will be in quality olive oil with little bits of goat cheese or ham. Maybe some herbs and an olive. They do recommend a crab cake like fritter.

The More The Merrier. Gourmet West Coast Tins. Come On!!

La Perle des Dieux au fromage de chèvre et aux herbes de Provence

2009-06-02T22:12:00.000-07:00

Canned with fresh sardine in the pure tradition, the particular feature of these recipes is that they are flavored with very different ingredients to satisfy the palates of the finest connoisseurs. Smoked ham and goat's cheese sardines are to be eaten alone with pre-dinner drinks, or accompanied by cherry tomatoes, etc.

This is quoted from a brochure describing the different tinned fish available from La Perle des Dieux.

Said brochure came with the tins.

More Baby Greens from our garden.
Toasted Baguette.
Heirloom Cherry Tomatoes.
Castelain Blond Biere De Garde

I had high expectations here and they were met.

The tin smelled delicious as soon as I popped it. Five meaty fish. Filleted but not skinned. This fish looked a bit better than Philippe's (SSK). A subtle yet available herb taste and a certain creamy flavor, maybe. No bits o cheese but a whole small black olive. Here again, the fish with greens and baguette is amazing. After the fish was gone I soaked up the oil and finished off the greens and tomatoes. It must be like reading about heli-boarding in Canada or the Galapagos. Five out of Five Tins.

Castelain Blond Biere De Garde. Meh. Not a bad beer. C+/B-

And Then There's This

Processed fresh, just at the right moment of the season, our sardines are manually canned after being freshly killed, tails and heads having been removed. They are covered in the finest extra virgin olive or vegetable oil. Thus prepared in the traditional manner, our sardines then mature with time (turning the can every 6 months).

This came from the same said brochure.

The Saint Gilles Croix de Vie Vintage Sardines "2008 Vintage"

A beautiful tin. It will rest easy. Too be turned and admired and turned. I'll share this with the Society Members of the Next Generation. The Lads.

Smuggler's Blues

2009-06-01T18:14:00.001-07:00

My friend Jonnie Carpo just got back from Ireland.

Some Wonderful Giants Fans just got back from Japan.

On behalf of the Society; Thank You.

For Chocolate and Sardines Lovers!

2009-05-26T21:27:00.000-07:00

Of course Cluizel chocolate sardines are the best to be found worldwide in Paris, New York and Tokyo, but why not tasting other brands if you like chocolate and sardines ?

Begin with Jeff de Bruges belgian ones in a nice drawer can filled with really good black chocolate sardines… Too bad we ate the sardines before I thought of taking pictures !

And then try a DV chocolate sardine can from Nantes, nice can and tasty sardines.

Then try an average Cluizel copy, with a nice can but with very common chocolate sardines.

In France, around Easter most of the bakeries and pastries and candy shops sell chocolate sardines of their own. You know sardines have always been associated in the catholic religion with the fast before Easter. Chocolate sardines are then a reward for your efforts in eating dried and salty sardines during 40 days ! But sardines have no monopole : chocolate eggs, chicken, bells, rabbits and hares are also hidden with sardines in the gardens for kids to find them on Easter Sunday after mass.

And then Vendée's chocolate sardines (for the fun of it) that you can find everywhere…in Vendée ! (Vendée is known to be the most catholic and traditionalist place in France, ruled by a still aristocrat -le vicomte Joly de Villiers- antieuropean governor, and with a quota of 20% of royalists among the population…) . Who said there's no politics in sardines studies ?
I won't review all chocolate sardine cans that are in the Musée Imaginaire de la Sardine as there are dozens, even from the beginning of the 20th century sold by Amieux… Here are only the ones I brought back last week !

And I wish to add a little sample of my wife's work as she is using sardine wrapping paper for years now in her paintings. Only Cluizel's of course, noblesse oblige ! (this picture is to be signed Nadine Morel, thanks)

Enjoy !
Philippe ANGINOT

Them's Good Eatin

2009-05-20T22:51:00.000-07:00

This Place Rules!!! The Tuna Tank. The Octopus. The Jellys. The Otters. All of It. Put It on your Bucket List. Twice.

We go every year.

les DIEUX

2009-05-19T22:09:00.000-07:00

Long Story Short. I received a beautiful package from France, Europe.

It involved a book, three tins, and other informative papers.

So tonight we dine ala Philippe.

Sardine Les Dieux au Jambon Fumé.
Mixed baby greens from the garden.
A bit of baguette, half toasted, half not.
And a
07 Chateau de la Fessardiére Muscadet.

A Quality Oil, No Brinyness, Good Texture, Firm with a tiny Vertebrae Crunch. A Smokey Sublte Ham Ness, with little bits in there. I love the little bits. These are really good and, Well, now they're gone.

Worked wonderfully with the baby greens and bread. Very Very.

I tried to find a wine from a bit closer to Vendée. Even went to Kermit Lynch, possibly the most esoteric of French wine importers here in the States. Lots of obscure regions and wines. Some might say the Loire is an obscure region but I've been selling and enjoying their wines for years and years. Booth McKinney.
This is a wonderful wine from the North Coastal region. A bit bigger than I imagined, but a perfect pairing for our Tin Course. Dry, Crisp, and Yummy.

All In All a Wonderful Experience. Five out of Five Tins.

There is So much more to tell. Soon I shall tell long and photographic stories of the other two tins, the papers, and the book.

Back from Vendée

2009-05-14T10:37:00.000-07:00

Here is a little review of my Vendée trip's crop

Sardine Les Dieux au jambon fumé with local Cola
Not a good idea ! I let Jonny review the sardine can in a few days. The Cola was great and unmissable considering that one can find it only within a 50 kms area around Les Sables d'Olonne, Vendée, France…

Believe it or not, Vendée is THE other sardine place in France and as a proof, just have a look to what fishers catch in their nets. Isn't 'it nice? But 20 eurocents per item at the marketplace seems a little expensive, worth it in any case as these are really delicious, being very young atlantic sardines (pilchardus) and not average old mediterranean gnarves! And blue as you can never see anywhere else. It needs only a few hours for sardine backs to become as grey as a parisian sky. Once barbecued, you only let a small head for your cat and eat everything else, don't even need to open and wash them : everything is tasty in Vendée!

One can also visit the local museum showing sardines just like pharaonic relics and a fisherman as a poor bald Ramses without cap and pipe.

Enjoy !
Philippe ANGINOT

Eiffel Tower

2009-05-10T17:17:00.000-07:00

A.R. finally came back. The Boss was jamming around Hong Kong, Macau, and Thailand-- Eating, drinking, and refining his near mastery of the regional cuisine.

I asked him to remember The Society in his travels, and bring us back a tin, which he obliged.

A new can of sardines is a lovely thing to see, sitting in your "In" box of a Friday morning.

So, we'll set the place;

Lord Fritz and Chef Chu keep watch.

Fish Balls, and baby octopus.

Le Tin, with accoutrement.

I'll admit here, that this isn't really a review, considering I haven't opened that can yet. I didn't drink the beer either. I was at work, for chrissakes.

Chef Chu laughed at me, and said "That is not a good brand of sardine"-- Very well. I'll leave it sitting on the back-bar, looking cool, and waiting for me to be really, really hungry.

Also, our friend Nong LOVES sardines.

So Many Tins, So Little Time

2009-05-05T21:42:00.000-07:00

Nichiro and Nishimoto

2009-05-04T18:59:00.000-07:00

I don't want this to be a long story, but it started a few weeks back when Til brought me home some tinned and some dried. So in anticipation of tonight's extravaganza, I went to the Tokyo Fish Market to stock up on accoom, acompt, the feller that plays the guitar. Accompanists.

It's pretty boutique: huge fishmarket, great sushi guy, small produce area, and a lot of Japanese products that I can only begin to figure out.

They had tinned sardines, powdered sardines, dried sardines.

And Tazukuri. I asked the Man what they were, they looked good and so he offered me a taste. So much better than the dried sardine, salty and chewy with a soy based BBQ sauce. I should have, I mean will, get some more of these.

So, I get home, plate up rice, sea salad, edemame, wasabi, ginger, Sriracha, roasted green peas, the Natori dried sardines, and two tins of sardines and wait for GG to get home.

One is the Mahura Nichiro tin that Til brought back from Japan. And a Nishimoto Trading Company, LTD product, I picked up at TFM.

Let's start with the bad news.

Those Dried Salty Chewy Sardines, came six to the package, and while the belly bites and the head bite, for me were OK, GG thought they were nasty and scrambled for her Ozeki Karatamba.

The tin on the right is the Nishimoto, they're in soy sauce, three big lightly smoked fish with a bone, mildly briny, and kind of falling apart - but tasty. My first soy adventure and I like it. Four out of Five Tins.

The tin on the left is the Mahura Nichiro, brought back from Japan. Four nice smoked fish in a killer BBQ sauce. Reminds me of Unagi, firm, sweet, I want more. FIVE TINS.

Echigo Stout. Imperial Stout, straight outta Nigata. Its alright.

Not really, but we drink the Ozeki Karatamba all the time.

Chased it all with more Amazing Food.

And a better beer.

喝采

Michel Cluizel

2009-05-03T19:49:00.000-07:00

Michel Cluizel. Five nice fish individually wrapped for your protection. A tasty milk chocolate, but I'm more of a dark chocolate kinda guy.

Better than Hershey's. I dipped them in the peanut butter jar for ultimate pleasure. Four out of Five Tins.

Thanks Frankie.

Chocolate, Dried, and Tinned

2009-04-27T18:15:00.000-07:00

Received some wonderful gifts from friends recently.

My friend Frankie Frankeny brought me by some Chocolate Sardines and this wonderful image she created. You've seen her work before, you just didn't realize it. She's famous.

I don't even want to open it. It is awesome

And my friend Til brought me back an assortment of fun from Japan. Some kind of Dried Sardines, a Humping Dog - USB meets Love toy (plug it in and it humps your computer), the Super Crazy BLACK LABEL eye drops, and A TIN!!! The only English on the tin says Maruha Nichiro

Look for a review of the tin and dried fishies soon.

2009-04-27T17:51:00.000-07:00

2009-04-24T10:57:00.000-07:00

King O Brisling, Mediteranean Style

2009-04-20T21:55:00.000-07:00

Went to see Doug Benson at the Punch Line tonight, to celebrate the Holiday. Good Line Up. Good Times. Came home with the munchies. King O, Brisling Med Riv Style.

A few saltines, salami, beer, and the rest of that iSTARA P'tit Pyrénées.

These came with garlic powder, red bell pepper and black olive. I always love bits and pieces in the tin. These however came across as very salty. They smelled a bit briny upon opening, and while the cheese helped balance it, and the Crystal made it taste like Crystal, these are not for a salty saltine. Kinda worked with a piece of salami wrapped around it. Good Texture for a Brisling. Three out of Five.

These are "One Layer". Sixteen Fish. How many "Brisling" fish can fit in a tin?

Acme IPA. Straight outta North Coast. Wonderful balance, not over hopped. Better than the Stone IPA I keep drinking everywhere. I like this beer.

Doug gets Four Tins.

Sardinettes Les Mouettes d'Arvor et Nuri

2009-04-20T09:46:00.000-07:00

Here's a review of a nice piece of tonight's dinner

Sardinettes Les Mouettes d'Arvor with Espelette chili and olive oil from Britany
Nuri portuguese sardines spiced and pickled in olive oil,
Vintage sardine can opener from New York
Camembert de caractere from Normandy
French bread baguette
White dry Marsannay from Burgandy.
Colgate toothpaste

It was designed to be a hot friday night crunch with a glass of white wine and some camembert to end with.
Sardinettes, as it's written on the can means little young sardines , 8 to 10 in an average size can devoted to connoissers.

And really I don't know what more one can expect of a sardine can : everything is just perfect, smooth and tasty without any oily feeling in mouth, perfectly dissolved bones… Just great ! The best I ate for a long time. 5 on 5 ! What shall I say to temperate my enthousiasm ? Could look better may be… And the sardines didn't taste as hot as I expected… Not hot at all in fact unless you dip bread into the oil. And even there, it's hot for a french taste, just a hint, that is to say not hot at all ! Really good for sardines, no need to add anything. And for sure, there is a difference between sardinettes - from the Atlantic ocean, and spanish sardinillas -from the mediterranean coasts, also called "poutine" on the Riviera and sometimes packed 20 in a can or even 50 in a wheel like big round can.

Nuri sardines are just the opposite : the sardine itself is really hot and the oil even more. 3 aged sardines in the can and displayed in the blue way as you can see… by opening it with special sardine scisors by the bottom (I collect cans and I eat sardines so most of the time I have to tear the bottom instead of pulling the ring ! And I'm glad I found this sardine can opener in an antiques shop in NY ! No kidding, it was sold as a sardine can opener before the removable lid was invented.) So you can see that Nuri sardines are displayed with white bellies facing the bottom, this being a taste falt would say a traditionalist canner. But 4 on 5 for the taste and 5 on 5 for the nice label.
The camembert was a little too strong. I had to empty the whole toothpaste tube not to spoil the end of the night.

Sardines from Les Mouettes d'arvor are available and can be easily ordered through Jacques Gonidec or Penn Sardin.

Enjoy !
Les Ateliers de la Sardine Eblouie
Philippe ANGINOT