Small Fish, Big Memories and a Love Letter
The nostalgic sardine club
Not everyone likes a sardine sandwich. “Ugh,” says my wife, Diane. “The kitchen smells for the day.”
It doesn’t matter. Like hot dogs and beans, like a bologna sandwich, sardines are nostalgic for me, and I like them in a sandwich.
Years ago, I blogged about my love for them, and I could not believe how many fellow lovers there were out there ----- almost enough to form a club.
I grew to enjoy them during my first year of medical school. I rented a room from a psychiatrist (a good idea at the time) on the faculty at Albany Medical College. It was a simple setup ---- a bed, a window, a desk and a door outside leading to a communal bathroom. That’s all I thought I needed.
It was a grind, studying for hours; terrified of failing. I needed food. I was not one to cook. There was no place to cook anyway. Occasionally, I went to the nearby Greek Restaurant for “One cupsz cuffee, one rust beef samich and smush pudado.” Otherwise, I ate in the room or the hospital cafeteria that first year.
The sardine sandwich was a staple. It was efficient: open the can with the key, wave off the initial scent, pour the olive oil on Italian bread, and layer the fish. No study time lost, and plenty of Omega-3s for the brain.
“What is that smell?” someone would invariably ask from outside my door.
“I’m eating brain food,” I’d reply.
I liked them then, and I like them today. Now, when I have them, Diane lights a candle—not as an offering to the food, but to mask the aroma.
So, my readers told me of how they not only loved sardines but also gefilte fish, one of whom chided me for not switching. And there were those who liked the large, freshly caught sardines packed in olive oil to which he added thinly sliced onions, or guacamole. And always in a sandwich. Or the one whose dad introduced her to mustard on sardines.
When I traveled to Portugal, the first dish I ordered was freshly grilled sardines with sea salt, never expecting how big they were. Mine were the little ones from the small tin, remember?
Why the difference? I’ve since learned that the nutrient-rich, cold Atlantic currents off Portugal promote ideal growth, while canneries specifically sort for “sardinillas” or “petingas” (small sardines) because they are prized for their tenderness.
My readers’ comments prove I’m not alone in this obsession.
Their memories have been jogged, and for a moment, we’re all part of the same “smelly” club. One reminded me of the sardine scene in Steinbeck’s Cannery Row, which makes me want to revisit my high school English assignments.
Others shared their own rituals:
Here’s a quote from a reader . . . Brain food, I shall remain at the bottom of the class. I’ll have another piece of apple pie with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Diane, you have my sympathy!
And another; I always ate them right out of the can. Sandy also used to light a candle or spray the house until I took out the garbage containing the empty can. I could not kiss her until I brushed my teeth or chewed on some mints.
Another . . .
Hi Ed, Love sardines especially cooked on the grill. Best I’ve had were at Portimo on the Algarve in Portugal. On the docks they have rows or 1/2 steel barrels used as grills and served at picnic tables with pitchers of beer or wine. Must be what heaven is like. If you go however, someone else must drive home.
Another
I ate sardines as a child, but as a grew older I had one word to say about them “disgusting.” Now I have a granddaughter who eats them as a snack and dips them into some sort of concoction. My son joins her in the snack. This coming from a guy who refuses to eat squash, peas, sweet potatoes and beans. Go figure.
And this . . .
I have liked sardines since I was a child, but my favorite is King Oscar or Brunswick Kipper Snacks. Kippers are herring fillets and are always in stock. I have them on Saltines or in a salad along with a few anchovies for a salty fishy taste.
I love it when readers comment. It means they have thought enough of what I have written that their memories are jogged.
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Sorry Ed, have to pass. Did have a brother in law who lived his Kippers, but no sardine fans in the family.
My dad was a big sardine fan. I never developed the taste but I love anchovies, which seems odd. I always have a tin or jar on hand and add them to my pizzas or our home made Caesar salads which we have often. My wife is definitely in Diane’s camp.