>>76588205 (OP)
I have been eating sardines since 2010. I saw them recommended somewhere - maybe here? - as a cheap source of protein and started baking fisherman’s eggs. At first I thought they’d be gross, but I realized small fatty fish are just a different level of delicious than the large ocean fish I’d grown up eating.
Some observations:
Nuri is goated.
The best sardine cans in general come from Portugal and Spain, but Morocco is nearly as good and the fish caught there are more sustainable.
Flower brand is great and cheaper than Nuri. Nuri is maybe 5-10% higher quality but this only matters if you eat these things on a nearly daily basis.
Wild Planet brand at Costco are a different species (Pacific vs Atlantic) and to me don’t taste as good, but they’re a lot cheaper and fine if all you can afford.
Sardines in olive oil > water. Avoid water. Just buy them in oil.
Baltic/Latvian smoked sprats such as King Oscar and Riga Fold are delicious but have these servings have a little less protein than the Pilchards, the species caught in Portugal, Spain, and Morocco. I like them as a snack when drinking. Sort of taste like bacon.
Sardines are unique among other types of protein in that they’re also a hobby. Each type and region offers a unique culinary experience.
They are not poverty food. People in the Mediterranean eat these things out of the can for a reason. And they are right.
No hormones to worry about like chicken.
No mercury or heavy metals to worry about like large ocean fish such as tuna and salmon- sardines are too small and don’t live long enough to accumulate these at a level you need to worry about.
You need to be careful if you’re predisposed to gout.
They are high in Vitamin D which is good for your hormones and immune system, and selenium which improves semen quality.
Find me 200 calories and 20g of protein that tastes better for $7 or less and we can agree to disagree.
