[1] Close-up on a school of sardines (photo courtesy AP | Ventura County Star).

[2] Cleaned, cooked and canned by BELA Brands (photos #2, #3 and #4 courtesy BELA).

[3] Our favorite brand, Bela from Portugal.

[4] Open the can and…

[5] Dig in (photo © Food52).

[6] Easy tapas, with tomato or pimento on a baguette slice at Nomad in New York City.

Often, those undesirables weren’t even sardines, but sprats—a different genus, Sprattus in the same family as sardines. They are less tasty cousins of sardines.

To add to the confusion, sprats are sometimes called brisling sardines, after a canned variety from Norway.

The sought-after European sardine, also called the pilchard sardine (photo #1), is species Sardina pilchardus Walbaum. You won’t find those words on a can: You have to know the best brands.

Now we’ve become a foodie nation, and grocers are offering the world’s best. In sardines, that’s the BELA brand. They’re a boon for Mediterranean and Paleo Diet followers, as well as for anyone wanting a quick meal with quality protein.

Check out the way we enjoy them, below.

And did we mention they’re just $3 a can?
 
 
BELA SARDINES

The premium quality “gourmet” sardines from Bela Brands (photos #2, #3 and #4) have found their way into many foodie homes.

The company also sells premium canned mackerel fillets and skipjack tuna in jars; but given the number of words in this article alone, we’ll have to feature them another time.

BELA Brand Seafood is a family-owned business which has been sustainably fishing the southern coast of Portugal, the Algarve, for generations.

The large, juicy, delicious Portuguese sardines have been the main crop in this region for centuries. BELA lays claim to be the best canned sardine there is:

 
And, you get to choose your flavorings, except in the spring water option. Otherwise, the sardines nestle in seasoned organic olive oil:

 
 
HOW WE ENJOY BELA SARDINES

You can eat them at every meal of the day.

_On a grilled vegetable sandwich, with optional mozzarella.
_A sardine Cobb salad, in addition to, or replacing, the chicken.
_A Niçoise salad, in addition to or replacing the tuna; spinach salad with hard-boiled egg.
_Chirashi-style, on a bed of sushi rice or regular rice, with an assortment of vegetables (raw, cooked or pickled, sliced radishes, seaweed or what you feel like. Photo #7, below, adds an egg for a super-protein bowl.
_Place the fillets on top of the salad, or the salad on top of the fillets—for example, under a crown of arugula, mesclun or watercress.
_On pizza: Who needs anchovies?

 
A can of sardines is also a grab-and-go protein boost for backpacking and other energy-sapping pursuits.

Sardines are small, oily fish within the herring family of Clupeidae, ray-finned fishes, important, nutrient-rich food fishes comprising, among others, herrings, sardines, shads and whitebait.

They are also important for fish oil and fish meal—and as food for larger marine denizens.

Sardines are found around the globe today, although all sardines originally came from somewhere in Europe.

The name “sardine” first appears in English in the early 15th century. Some historians say it may be named for the Mediterranean island of Sardinia, around which sardines were once abundant.

There are four genera of sardines, the two most important of which are:

 
They are commonly found canned, tightly packed in—leading to their metaphorical use to describe a space where people or objects are crowded together.

Canned sardines were a staple of millions of soldiers fighting both world wars. They sustained thousands of workers—the fishermen and packers of Cannery Row in Monterey, California, during the worst years of the Depression [source]. Similarly, they provided important fish protein to ravaged parts of Europe.

Canning is a relatively recent innovation.

In 1795, Nicolas Appert, a Parisian chef and confectioner, began to experiment with conserving foods, without altering their flavor or texture. He ultimately developed a process using a glass jar, similar to boiling the contents in a Mason jar.

In 1810, British inventor and merchant Peter Durand patented his own method, using a tin can [source]. So, canned sardines have been available to export for a bit more than 200 years—and they very high quality and expensive: “gourmet” fare.

But with the Industrial Revolution (from the mid-18th to the mid-19th centuries) things began to change. Fishing grounds became polluted, and some business practices—like labeling sprats as sardines—transpired to create those less-than-pleasing cans of sardines.

Good news: The Portuguese Algarve has no industry, and the ocean waters are clean. That’s another reason BELA sardines taste so good.

Here’s more on the history of sardines.
 
 
WHERE TO GET BELA SARDINES

Check our local markets, or head online to:

[8] Sardines in tomato sauce, chirashi style, from Kitchen Gidget.

[9] Spaghetti and sardines (photo © Taste | Australia).

The Portuguese sardine season runs from May through October (sardines from other waters have their own seasons).

In season fresh sardines even more wonderful, grilled, pickled or smoked. Grilled sardines fresh sardines with potatoes, bread and a salad are a popular summer meal in Portugal—and will be a revelation to you if you keep an eye out for them.

Sushi lovers: head to the sushi bar! Raw sardine nigiri is a treat!