The Best Canned Sardines To Eat If You're Afraid You'll Hate Them

Next to the big canned tuna brands, the wider, more pungent world of tinned fish can pose a bit more of a challenge. Simply put, many people don't want their fish to taste like fish, which is why tips like how to fix fishy salmon are so popular. These products are often criticized for being overly fishy, and this is especially true in the case of tinned sardines. But this distaste isn't shared by much of the world, quite the opposite in fact. Notably, in Spain and Portugal, canned foods known as conservas are a popular feature at tapas bars, and canned fish, particularly sardines, are a highlight.

Gareth Maccubbin, founder of New York bar Maiden Lane is bringing the conservas experience to the United States, and he is certainly aware of the aversion many people have to canned sardines. Chowhound spoke to Maccubbin to get his perspective on how sardine skeptics can learn to embrace these fish. His main suggestions? Start small and be fastidious about sourcing.

Most people's concerns about snacking on canned sardines center on the fear of an overwhelmingly fishy flavor. To avoid this, Gareth Maccubbin says, "I would recommend finding small sardines in oil from Spain or Portugal and trying them from the tin with an assortment of accompaniments". Most sardines are canned in soybean oil, which has barely any flavor to balance the fishiness. Instead, look for a brand canned in olive oil, which will bring a nice familiar flavor into play.

Complementary ingredients can also help mask the fish's natural taste. For example, Maiden Lane sells sardines canned in olive oil flavored with everything from lemon to tomato; you can even find tins in which the fish have been fried in flour and stewed with onions and sweet red peppers before being preserved in the olive oil.

Regarding accompaniments, conservas are typically served with crusty bread or crackers, alongside other preserved goods like pickles and olives. Small sardines, notable for their delicateness according to Maccubbin, work best for this small-bite presentation. As far as the larger varieties, he recommends adding them to dishes in addition to serving them on their own. "Regular sardines," he explains, "will be meatier and would stand up to more flavorful condiments or light cooking."