Tinned sardines have grown in popularity on the internet – but let’s take a step back. What even is a sardine? What are these fish packed in rectangular tins, dressed with pretty paper?
Sardines are small oily fish – there are many different species that live in various places around the world, and about 21 are recognized as species that can be marketed as “sardines.” These include sprats, which are technically not sardines! Brisling sardines (which go by many other names, like “Russian sardine,” “skipper,” “whitebait,” and “garvock”) are technically sprats.
Sardines belong to the herring family of fish, which are characterized by being silvery and flat-sided, with no scales on the head and one soft dorsal fin. They travel in large schools and eat mostly zooplankton. These fish also tend to be very important in their ecosystems, as they are commonly prey for other fish up the food chain.
Sardines from different parts of the world vary in size – for instance, the sardines / sprats from Northern European waters tend to be smaller than Atlantic and Pacific sardines. This is something to consider when looking at tinned fish sourcing!
Sardines are often caught with large encircling nets – this isn’t necessarily harmful to the environment on its own, but there are some concerns with overfishing of Sardines in certain regions.
Hopefully that clears it up – and if you’re looking to try some sardines, check my post on the best tinned sardines for beginners!