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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

For tinned fish obsessives, ‘affordable luxury’ comes in a can

By Christina Morales New York Times

Last month, Robert McGinnis came across a series of TikTok videos about tinned fish featuring people holding handfuls of colorful cans, opening them and pairing them on charcuterie boards.

McGinnis was so intrigued that the next morning he went out and spent about $60 on about 30 tins to try himself. Then, he turned his quest into a series of tasting videos on TikTok to help others navigate the broad world of tinned fish.

“I’ve had tuna all my life, and some of those flavors looked incredible,” said McGinnis, 34, of Orlando, Florida. Since he began posting videos Aug. 19, he’s tasted more than 80 kinds of tinned fish, from sardines in mustard to barnacles in brine. “It was a whole new world that was exciting, with new flavors to try.”

Since the pandemic, Americans like McGinnis have added more canned fish to their diets, even though the tins have been popular elsewhere for centuries.

TikTok has fueled interest, with videos for tinned fish date nights, reviews and meals. Restaurants are adding it to menus, a tinned fish market opened in Times Square and there are now vegan options, subscription services and cookbooks. Tinned fish brands like Scout have said they’ve seen a bump in sales after being featured on TikTok. Their products are now in 6,000 stores in the United States and Canada, up from 1,500. Many brands sell cans for as low as about $2, but some enthusiasts are willing to pay more than $20 a tin.

Ali Hooke began posting her tinned fish date nights to the social media platform last year. She opens up a few cans from her collection of more than 200 tins and arranges them on a board along with toasted sourdough, cheeses and pickled mustard seeds.

“It really just spurred out of the need for quality time together,” said Hooke, 32, who lives in Seattle with her husband, Sathya Prakash, and their toddler, Alden.

Both economical and convenient, tinned seafood fits into a shift in eating habits for many who are turning snacks into meals, said Anna Hezel, the author of “Tin to Table: Fancy, Snacky Recipes for Tin-thusiasts and A-fish-ionados.” “Tinned seafood is an approachable form of luxury,” she said.

Designs on the tins, similar to the art on craft beer cans, also contribute to the appeal. They make excellent travel souvenirs, Hezel said, because they typically cost less than a bottle of wine and take up less luggage space.

People are also interested in the seafood’s umami flavors and the sustainability of the canned fish, said Nick and Anastasia Pontacoloni, the couple who run Tinned Fish Club, a subscription box service for imported canned seafood. A monthly membership for the annual subscription is $30.

“It gives you an identity,” said Anastasia Pontacoloni, adding that she ate canned fish at parties as a child in Ukraine. “A lot of people are willing to pay more and appreciate the weird.”

Three types to try

Salmon: Use it like lox, or put it in a frittata.

Anchovies: Set on buttered toast or on a skewer with an olive and pickled pepper.

Mussels: Serve atop deviled eggs or on potato chips with olives and hot sauce.

Green Anchovy Butter

Recipe from Anna Hezel, adapted by Christina Morales

Straight out of the tin, anchovies can be assertive, but their umami flavor can be judiciously harnessed, adding depth to Caesar salad dressing, pasta puttanesca and other recipes. Affordable and accessible, jarred or canned anchovies can be a great introduction to tinned fish. This butter, from Anna Hezel’s cookbook, “Tin to Table: Fancy, Snacky Recipes for the Tin-thusiasts and A-fish-ionados” (Chronicle Books, 2023), makes good use of anchovy’s salty notes, taming it with fresh herbs and lemon to create a bright green spread that has many uses: Baste it over a seared steak, toss it with pasta or roasted vegetables, melt it and toss with fresh popcorn, or cook an egg in it. Anchovies can provide a salty, funky undercurrent or a whack of flavor; they may be diminutive, but their presence is substantial.

1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick), at room temperature

5 anchovy fillets in olive oil

1/2 (packed) cup fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves

1/2 lemon, finely zested, plus 1 teaspoon juice

1 garlic clove, minced

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

In a blender or mini food processor, combine all the ingredients and whir until the parsley and anchovies appear to be evenly distributed throughout the butter, scraping down the sides as needed. (Alternately, you can chop the parsley very finely, mash together the garlic and chopped anchovies until a paste forms, then stir all the butter ingredients together until combined. You won’t get such bright green results, but it will still taste delicious.) Taste, and season with more pepper if desired. Store, refrigerated, in a tightly sealed container for up to 5 days.