Sardines are healthy and Omega-3 rich
They’ve been abused as a metaphor for crowded subways and shopping malls at Christmas time. But sardines are more than just a skinny, salt-jammed, can-packed fish.
Rich in Omega-3 fatty acids, these silvery creatures are small and, unlike tuna and salmon, they don’t consume too many mercury-laden fish before they become part of the human food chain.
The only problem is that they’re difficult to find fresh in the winter, says Kristin Donovan, co-owner of Hooked, a local-minded fish purveyor with locations on Queen St. E. and in Kensington Market.
“We don’t have any fresh ones yet,” she says. “Soon maybe.”
But, they are always available fro- zen. While they swim in both Atlantic and Pacific waters, Donovan sources Hooked’s sardines from small, local purse seiners around Vancouver Island. And they only show up in west coast waters during the summer.
After spawning near the Mexican border in late winter and early spring, they join the California sardine and anchovy stock. Then, as waters warm, they travel to Canada, says Tony Pitcher, professor of Fisheries at University of British Columbia.
By the time these silvery fish arrive at Vancouver Island they are adults, weighing in at about 8 ounces (225g) each — that’s about 5 ounces of gutted flesh.
Typically, sardines aren’t destined for dinner plates — often they’re used as pet food. So there isn’t a dedicated B.C. fishery that focuses on this white-fleshed fish, Pitcher says. They’re often reeled in by small vessels and sold, along with herring, as bait for recreational salmon fishers. It’s a shame, says Donovan, because they’re healthy, tasty and easy to prepare. Indeed. Salt, pepper, a 3-minute broil on each side and a squirt of fresh lemon, gets the job done and makes for a light, delicate lunch. At Hooked, sardines retail for about $20 per kilo ($9 per pound). Sourced is a new column that uncovers the stories behind traditional and trending food.