Tinned fish talk!

[Cristinabina]

Hello pilgrims!

I love tinned fish. I am excited about having better quality and more options in Portugal and Spain! Do people buy it at the grocery or can you have it in cafes?

If you are a tinned fish fan, any recommendations?

 

[trecile]

I recently listened to a podcast - The Intelligence from The Economist. The third story of this episode was about the rise of the popularity tinned fish.

Julian Assange’s release ends an ambiguous press-freedom story

Also on the daily podcast: the plans of Donald Trump’s (not-yet-sprung) trade hawk and tinned fish gets a social-media makeover

www.economist.com

 

[Cristinabina]

It’s definitely trending up! I grew up on it (and it’s one of my snacks our kids won’t steal). It seems like a handy source of portable protein but I haven’t seen any Camino TikToks mentioning it…

 

[trecile]

It’s definitely trending up! I grew up on it (and it’s one of my snacks our kids won’t steal). It seems like a handy source of portable protein but I haven’t seen any Camino TikToks mentioning it…

Stop watching Camino TikToks!

 

[David]

In the big supermarkets in the UK the tinned fish aisle is mainly Tuna and sardines and is only shelving about four feet wide ... go into a big supermarket in Spain and the tinned fish aisle is about 3 kms long! (well, seems to be - and the variety!!) Wonderful!!!

I particularly like the long tins where the fish inside is already in a light dressing - pull tab opening - have that on Camino with some good bread, now there is a lunch.

 

[Camino Chrissy]

I buy tinned fish sometimes on the Camino for a lunch on the go. Mostly tuna which I like with olives on bread, or the occasional pulpo.
At home I buy tuna, small smoked clams, and small sardines in a Mediterranean sauce. I usually eat them on crackers.

 

[Simperegrina]

Orbiz tuna is one of my favourites. I usually have a tin lurking in my pack - good source of protein on Camino. The olive oil the tuna’s packed in, comes in handy as a dressing, to drizzle over pasta etc.

 

[davejsy]

I am a tinned mackerel convert - cheaper and more nutritious than tuna. Always in olive oil.

But agree, your choice in a Spanish supermarket is going to be much bigger than at home.

Can't believe there is no Tik-tok for this.

 

[Tony Lenton]

In the big supermarkets in the UK the tinned fish aisle is mainly Tuna and sardines and is only shelving about four feet wide ... go into a big supermarket in Spain and the tinned fish aisle is about 3 kms long! (well, seems to be - and the variety!!) Wonderful!!!

I particularly like the long tins where the fish inside is already in a light dressing - pull tab opening - have that on Camino with some good bread, now there is a lunch.

In the UK Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference ventresca fillets of tuna and Cantabrian anchovy fillets come in the same shaped oval cans as the Ortiz ones. Both are canned in Spain and represent great value in relation to the quality.

 

[CindyMX]

I became a tinned fish convert after walking the Norte last year. Look for the anchovies de Santoña. On our first night on the Camino we were served some in Hondarribia that blew my mind! Large, flavorful filets in lovely olive oil. My understanding is that there are different sizes/grades, and look for “gold series”. Delicious!

Anchoies

We have two series in olive oil: The Gold series is the highest quality Cantabrian Anchovy with a spring fish selected and made by our best artisans. The Silver series is high quality Cantabrian Anchovy manufactured in order to obtain an anchovy for day to day without leting be a gourmet...

www.conservasemilia.com

 

[Cristinabina]

Stop watching Camino TikToks!

Haha, it’s too late my algorithm has been forever changed! Or do you mean… stop watching TikToks in general

 

[Jeff Crawley]

I always bought a tin of sardines in olive oil as a backup meal, mashed over fresh bread or even supermarket crispbreads, drizzled with the oil mmmmmmm and would get through perhaps 3 tins on a CF but sometimes a tin would "hide" in the bottom of my pack and make its way home.
Come the Zombie Apocalypse I know I can fall back on a tin from 2001 (a bargain at 155pts), 2012 and 2015 . .

 

[Cristinabina]

I always bought a tin of sardines in olive oil as a backup meal, mashed over fresh bread or even supermarket crispbreads, drizzled with the oil mmmmmmm and would get through perhaps 3 tins on a CF but sometimes a tin would "hide" in the bottom of my pack and make its way home.
Come the Zombie Apocalypse I know I can fall back on a tin from 2001 (a bargain at 155pts), 2012 and 2015 . .

View attachment 174394

Very nice memento! I would find it hard not to break in in a fit of nostalgia!

 

[Nelle]

Lots of terrific tinned fish in Spain. You can buy it in grocery stores and it’s served in some bars, particularly in Galicia.

 

[wynrich]

Ha ha, it is funny this topic came up. Yesterday my husband and I made Nicoise salad for lunch, with canned tuna. This made us remember the ensalada mixta in Spain and how it always has tuna and we were saying how much more we like the tuna on the ensalada mixta than the canned tuna we get here in the states. Has anyone else noticed this? Any brands to suggest that might be better than what we've been getting at Trader Joe's and at Costco? Or suggestion of brands to bring back from Spain next time?

 

[Perambulating Griffin]

There’s an excellent provider in Galicia and I always stock up on Percebes, octopus, etc. but they also have wonderful sardines, tuna, etc:

And when I was last in SdC, I noticed that there’s a large speciality shop for tinned fish at the Asbastos market.
Happy eating!

 

[henrythedog]

In the UK Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference ventresca fillets of tuna and Cantabrian anchovy fillets come in the same shaped oval cans as the Ortiz ones. Both are canned in Spain and represent great value in relation to the quality.

I don’t know where you are in the UK, but in the north Booths stock ‘Ortiz’

 

[lt56ny]

In the big supermarkets in the UK the tinned fish aisle is mainly Tuna and sardines and is only shelving about four feet wide ... go into a big supermarket in Spain and the tinned fish aisle is about 3 kms long! (well, seems to be - and the variety!!) Wonderful!!!

I particularly like the long tins where the fish inside is already in a light dressing - pull tab opening - have that on Camino with some good bread, now there is a lunch.

I guess you all mean canned tuna (tinned). When I walk Sardines and tuna are a staple for me. I eat the sardines from the tin/can and when I buy those premade salads in the grocery store I always put a tin/can in my salad. makes a good dinner. Without a doubt there is tuna and sardines in Spanish grocery stores every which way!

 

[David]

I guess you all mean canned tuna (tinned). When I walk Sardines and tuna are a staple for me. I eat the sardines from the tin/can and when I buy those premade salads in the grocery store I always put a tin/can in my salad. makes a good dinner. Without a doubt there is tuna and sardines in Spanish grocery stores every which way!

Hi, I don't. Tuna is universal, tinned, I was thinking of the varieties of fish you can buy tinned in France and Spain - think the specific ones I was thinking of were Mackerel fillets.

 

[Perambulating Griffin]

Ha ha, it is funny this topic came up. Yesterday my husband and I made Nicoise salad for lunch, with canned tuna. This made us remember the ensalada mixta in Spain and how it always has tuna and we were saying how much more we like the tuna on the ensalada mixta than the canned tuna we get here in the states. Has anyone else noticed this? Any brands to suggest that might be better than what we've been getting at Trader Joe's and at Costco? Or suggestion of brands to bring back from Spain next time?

See the tins I have posted in this thread — they sell filets of tuna that you are looking for. The price here is shocking, compared to in Spain… but low prices on food in North America are on the backs of so many… so I just eat smaller amounts and begrudge no Spanish worker the cost of the high quality product.

 

[joeboybollo]

When I arrived at the top of the Monte Santa Lucia albergue in Viana do Castelo,after a long walk from Esposede and a really tiring climb up what seemed like 4 or 500 steps I booked in and only then asked around about a food shop.Iwas told the small shop on the site was now closed. But then a young Austrian girl told me she had left half a bag of mixed salad leaves in the fridge and also a bottle of salad dressing and I was welcome to help myself to.Then I remembered the tin of sardines I had bought,on a whim,two days before which were buried in the bottom of my bag.Sat on the balcony,outside the kitchen,with some wonderful views of the harbour and coastline far below I enjoyed one of the most welcome meals of my whole camino.(Only wish it had been mackerel,which I later found and bought).But I was very happy and thankful for this simple meal.

 

[Jeff Crawley]

Spurred on by this thread I stopped off at lunchtime to pick up a tin of sardines in olive oil and ate them mashed up and topped with a sprinkle of white wine vinegar on a crusty baguette while sitting in the garden under a shade.
It would have been better on a hot day in Spain, shaded by vines and sipping a nicely chilled Albariño of course but it did bring back memories so thanks to @Cristinabina for the post.

 

[peregrina2000]

And when I was last in SdC, I noticed that there’s a large speciality shop for tinned fish at the Asbastos market.

For years I went to the Abastos in Santiago to purchase all types of canned fish, seafood, etc. at this shop, Las Conservas del Camino. When I first started going, it was a husband and wife operation. The last time I was there, in fall 2021 or 2022, it was just the wife. Her husband had been diagnosed with dementia and was not doing well. I was just there recently in May, and the woman in the carnicería across the aisle told me the shop was closed, that the husband had died, and that the wife had moved to A Coruña.

I am hoping you are talking about another shop, @Perambulating Griffin, but I didn’t find any other place.

There is now a conservaria in the Plaza de Toural, Frinsa. They are connected with a very large cannery and had a variety of products. Definitely not a mom and pop operation with connections to small canneries along the coast, but that was all I found.

Not to take this too far off course, but sardine stores are all over the place in Lisbon now. The “original” go-to place is the Conserveira de Lisboa, close to Praça Comércio. But it’s getting a lot of competition from the chain that has opened up with merry go-rounds, bright flashing lights, a real circus atmosphere, O Mundo Fantastico da Sardinha Portuguesa. Now with a shop in New York City! Prices at the Conserveira are lower, and I’ve been told that they are higher quality. In spite of the fact that I always buy sardines to bring home, they are for gifts and not something I eat myself!

This is the Conserveira



This is the Mundo Fantastico

 

[Camino Chrissy]

In spite of the fact that I always buy sardines to bring home, they are for gifts and not something I eat myself!

All of this talk about the superior quality of sardines in Spain has me wondering what is wrong with some of the sardines available in the US?
I personally only purchase these small size sardines(photo) and I think they are wonderful. The label says they are the finest Norwegian Brisling sardines so are not inexpensive at about $2.70 for a 3.75 oz. can.
I particularly like this Mediterranean olive oil style, but there are other sauces available or plain.

Anyone know how they compare to Spain's sardines? I normally choose tuna when in Spain.

 

[peregrina2000]

Anyone know how they compare to Spain's sardines? I normally choose tuna when in Spain.

I have absolutely no idea. I’m sure you can get good quality sardines and other tinned fish in the US, but for me it’s about buying small gifts for people that can’t be easily found in the US. And I’ve never seen Spanish or Portuguese sardines in the US. And it’s a bonus when the cans have beautiful labels on them — silly, I know, but it’s getting harder and harder to find things that Amazon or other big companies have.

You could do a taste test, Chrissy! One of my friends compared the sardines I bought in the factory in Matosinhos with ones in the Conserveira from our last Portugal trip and declared that the ones from Matosinhos were slightly better - less salty and better texture (whatever that means). I would love to go back to the factory in Matosinhos to buy them more, but I’m not sure when that will ever happen!

 

[Flog]

the ones from Matosinhos were slightly better - less salty and better texture (whatever that means). I would love to go back to the factory in Matosinhos to buy them more

They produce a really good sardine in the Pinhais Cannery in Matasinhos. The whole hands-on production process is amazing and they use the best of everything! Not cheap but great quality!

 

[peregrina2000]

They produce a really good sardine in the Pinhais Cannery in Matasinhos.

Oh, I tried to resist going off on another tangent on this thread, and I know I’ve said this many times, but the visit to the Pinhais Conserveira is really great. I described the tour I took a few years ago in this thread. HIGHLY recommended if you are walking from Porto and have some extra time when you hit Matosinhos.

 

[Flog]

Oh, I tried to resist going off on another tangent on this thread, and I know I’ve said this many times, but the visit to the Pinhais Conserveira is really great. I described the tour I took a few years ago in this thread. HIGHLY recommended if you are walking from Porto and have some extra time when you hit Matosinhos.

Inevitable that this place would eventually come up in any thread about tinned fish! Yes, the tour is fantastic and really informative, even if you're not a sardine fan.. though that is a sin in itself! Anyone with an afternoon to spare in Porto should consider it..

 

[Peterexpatkiwi]

So fish experts I'm curious. Back home in NZ it's easy to buy tuna with various other components - basically tuna in mayonnaise, lemon pepper, herb and garlic, sweet & spicy, etc. Brilliant for sandwiches, salads etc. (There's a couple of options here in Germany too, although sadly not as many as at home)

Whenever tuna comes up in relation to backpacking meals in the USA it's available in similar varieties, but in pouches. Whilst from a recycling point of view I much prefer a tin, a pouch is significantly lighter, and it's a lot easier to carry an empty pouch with me (to the next bin) than a tin.

I enjoy tuna in oil, but is it also available in other options in Spain?
France too if anyone knows .

And is it only in tins, or also in pouches?

 

[David Bedlow]

'I always bought a tin of sardines in olive oil as a backup meal, mashed over fresh bread . . .'

Mashing sardines is cruelty. It is almost as bad as mashing potatoes.

Even if you have no teeth left you should be able to eat sardines (and potatoes) using your gums only!

 

[alhartman]

I am not a brand or fish type expert, but tinned fish has saved many a caminos since 2005. The high carb tostadas or even a jamon bocadilla lunch cause my body to crash and burn about 4pm. The solution, almost daily, is a second breakfast and/or even lunch of tinned fish and fresh bread. High protein that time of day keeps my energy until the pilgrim menu. First discovered this solution on LePuy 2007 where decent lunches were far and few between and I got tired of GORP. I always eat trailside since so many people seem offended by the fishy smell in the albergues.

 

[David61]

Mercury, that is all

 

[Camino Chrissy]

Mercury, that is all

Tuna is high in mercury, and sardines have a much lower mercury content.

 

[Cristinabina]

Oh, I tried to resist going off on another tangent on this thread, and I know I’ve said this many times, but the visit to the Pinhais Conserveira is really great. I described the tour I took a few years ago in this thread. HIGHLY recommended if you are walking from Porto and have some extra time when you hit Matosinhos.

We are staying a night there! I will look into the tour!

 

[David61]

Tuna is high in mercury, and sardines have a much lower mercury content.
View attachment 174569

High, lower, lowest? Just how much mercury do you want to ingest? Is there a "safe" level? I think you will find "the science" says a very firm no

 

[Jeff Crawley]

'I always bought a tin of sardines in olive oil as a backup meal, mashed over fresh bread . . .'

Mashing sardines is cruelty. It is almost as bad as mashing potatoes.

Even if you have no teeth left you should be able to eat sardines (and potatoes) using your gums only!

I do still have most of my teeth - except a couple broken by crusty French bread - my cruel behaviour stems from first eating sardines quayside in San Sebastian as a callow youth. I simply followed the example of the sardine fishermen having breakfast: freshly grilled sardines mashed up on fresh bread with a glass of rough, red wine . . . cuando en españa

As for potatoes, I was thinking of having sausages today, colcannon or champ do you think?

 

[Flog]

Tinned is good, but fresh is divine!

 

[Jeff Crawley]

Tinned is good, but fresh is divine!
View attachment 174584

So true!

 

[Jeff Crawley]

Veering away from tinned to jars of fish, it was Iberian week at Lidl (UK) last week and I spotted a jar of anchovies. Not having had anchovies on fried eggs for a while I scooped up a jar . . .



It was a struggle to open it this morning but look what it was like inside:



as a Civil Engineer I have long been in awe of my Mechanical Engineering cousins but what kind of evil genius invents a machine that can line a small jar with tiny fish and yet leave the centre empty?

 

[Camino Chrissy]

Not having had anchovies on fried eggs for a while I scooped up a jar . . .

Jeff, you have just given me an idea to try sardines on fried eggs, or cut up pieces in an egg scramble.

Tinned is good, but fresh is divine!

I have had lovely looking fish like yours in Santillana del Mar, but I struggled with the bones, so haven't ordered it since. I'm sure at a Michelin star restaurant the bones are removed like in the US. I think there is a knack for removal,but I don't know how to do it.

 

[Camino Chrissy]

High, lower, lowest? Just how much mercury do you want to ingest? Is there a "safe" level? I think you will find "the science" says a very firm no

I was simply showing that sardines are the "lesser of two evils" in case someone is interested.

 

[Jeff Crawley]

Jeff, you have just given me an idea to try sardines on fried eggs, or cut up pieces in an egg scramble.


I have had lovely looking fish like yours in Santanilla, but I struggled with the bones, so haven't ordered it since. I'm sure at a Michelin star restaurant the bones are removed like in the US. I think there is a knack for removal,but I don't know how to do it.

You've just reinvented the Victorian dish of "Scotch Woodcock" (thought to be a joke name along the lines of Welsh Rabbit/Rarebit - aka grilled cheese on toast)

Gently heat some anchovies in butter* and they'll kind of dissolve. Set aside for a bit while you're mixing the egg. Bring the pan back to the heat, throw in the egg and scramble. Serve on buttered toast. Cholesterol heavy but devine!

EDIT: *unsalted butter cos the anchovies have enough salt to send your BP off the chart!

 

[Flog]

I have had lovely looking fish like yours in Santanilla, but I struggled with the bones, so haven't ordered it since. I'm sure at a Michelin star restaurant the bones are removed like in the US. I think there is a knack for removal,but I don't know how to do it.

I wouldn't know what the inside of a Michelin star restaurant looks like, but I don't know if they'd present them any differently. Fish cooked and served on the bone, including the head, generally adds to the overall flavour and is very common both in Spain and in Portugal. As for sardines, I quite understand it can be a bit daunting for one brought up on processed or filleted fish, but stripping out the bones is an easy knack to aquire and anyone serving you will happily show you next time. Don't be afraid!!

 

[peregrina2000]

We are staying a night there! I will look into the tour!

You can book ahead, though there were only four of us when we went. They will take you if you walk in at the last minute, assuming there’s space, but the one issue may be that they won’t have an English-speaking (or Spanish, German, French, or Dutch) guide there for you.

admira

Admira POS

factorytour.conservaspinhais.com

 

[William Garza]

They do particular things to pre packaged sardines here and in a general area of the south.

Mustard
Tomato sauce
Louisiana hot sauce...
FIre isnt a flavor...so last is absolute starvation fare
Size matters and some tins i found hold four or so each..so two cans are in order
while some seem to hold a whole flock of tiny ones.

you ever had a tuna sandwich with bacon?

 

[Camino Chrissy]

Size matters and some tins i found hold four or so each..so two cans are in order
while some seem to hold a whole flock of tiny ones.

I much prefer the tiny ones as I don't notice the unappetizing "insides" as much, although tiny are more expensive.
Same with anchovies. I like the tiny ones in a wheel I've had from Costco before.

you ever had a tuna sandwich with bacon?

No, have you?

 

[William Garza]

Camino Chrissy
Yes..its ahhh diffferent!
I decided that if i HAD to choose just one protein forevermore..it would be fish
Bye bye bacon
Red meats and fowl
Any style would do

 

[David61]

I was simply showing that sardines are the "lesser of two evils" in case someone is interested.

I know, am not arguing. There is a very simple, obvious (when I read it that is) why sardines have less mercury, they do not live as long. Simple as that, big fish live longer and therefore have more exposure to mercury.

 

[Flog]

Louisiana hot sauce...
FIre isnt a flavor...so last is absolute starvation fare

I would think so.. I'd happily starve myself for a month before subjecting myself to that combination!!

 

[Tortilla]

I am a tinned mackerel convert - cheaper and more nutritious than tuna. Always in olive oil.

But agree, your choice in a Spanish supermarket is going to be much bigger than at home.

For mackerel lovers , it can be difficult to locate it on the shelves of Spanish supermarkets.
The name in Spanish is not "la mackerella" or anything like that.

It is CABALLA (literally: female horse) del SUR.
Southern Mare, so to speak.