Be Brave and Try the Tinned Fish
And when you actually think about being brave in these small moments, you’ll realize they weren’t actually all that small.
I don’t know about you, but in 2023, my TikTok for you page gave me a lot of tinned fish content. The food trend took over my algorithm, and it was daring me to try the tinned delicacy. Adding cute little sardine tins to a charcuterie board seemed right up my ally, but the problem was that it was sardines. The actual concept of tinned fish did not seem appetizing to me, despite how appealing these TikTok foodies made it look. We’ll come back to this.
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As a child, I had a strange palate. I loved raw oysters. I begged my parents to try one when they ordered a dozen at a seafood restaurant. There was something that seemed so sophisticated about eating food out of a seashell served on a giant plate of ice. Then you squirted fresh lemon juice just before eating. It felt like the peak of fine dining to me as a child. I didn’t care that the oysters actually looked like giant boogers. My stunned parents allowed me to try one, and it was divine. For the next several years, any time there were raw oysters on the menu, I asked if we could order them. It didn’t matter if we were at a Red Lobster and the closest body of water was a man-make lake. I couldn’t tell the difference in quality as a child. There was also a stretch of time when Long John Silver was my favorite restaurant…there’s no explaining that one. I have no idea. But I did request my birthday dinner to be there more than once as a child.
By my teen years, I was deep into a picky phase. There wasn’t much I didn’t like as a kid, but by high school, I refused to eat so many foods: red meat, donuts, bacon (probably because early 00s diet culture was in full swing). So naturally, raw oysters were on the “I don’t like it” list. Luckily, my picky phase started to dissolve over the course of college and into early adulthood, and I am pleased to say I’m no longer picky. There are only a few foods I still don’t like, but other than ketchup, I’ve never liked them (here’s looking at you olives and raisins). However, I still haven’t had oysters since I was a little weird kid.
Back to 2023 and the onslaught of tinned fish content I consumed. I discovered Day with Mei who is still one of my favorite creators to this day. She creates educational food content with a historical lens on Chinese food and culture, and her soft voice is so calming to listen to. Her series “tinned fish talk” gave me confidence that maybe tinned sardines wouldn’t be as scary as I was making them out to be in my head.
In September of that year, my sister and I went to Central Market’s “Taste of Portugal” event. The menu featured traditional Portuguese dishes, and you could wander through the aisles to sample products from Portugal. I rounded a corner only to practically run into a tasting station for what? You guessed it, tinned fish. The particular tin in question was Berthe Sardines in Tomato Sauce with Basil and Olive Oil. I took this as a clear sign that it was finally time to try tinned fish. While a crowded grocery store may not have been the best environment to try a food I was nervous about, I at least would not be out any money if I didn’t like it.
To my surprise it was delicious. Somehow, there was so much flavor packed into one little tin of fish. The sardines were tender, flaky, and paired beautifully with the oily tomato sauce. Immediately, I purchased a few tins to take home along with a wedge of Portuguese cheese, a Peruvian Pepper Jam and a couple of bottles of wines from Portugal. Later that day, we had a little cheese and tinned fish night with a glass of the white wine — a Loureiro. Little did I know, I’d soon become a big tinned fish spread aficionado, attempting to create the perfect spread (more on this later).
A few months before that fateful day of sardines, I also conquered my lifelong disdain for pickles. As I previously mentioned, there were few foods I didn’t like as a kid, but pickles were one of them. However, in addition to the tinned fish content I viewed on TikTok, I also was served a deluge of pickle content. Sure, I could have swiped away and taught the algorithm that I, in fact, was not a pickle girlie, but they always looked good.
One of my dearest friends is a big-time pickle girlie. Anyone in her circle associates pickles with her. Between the pickle content and Cailyn’s pickle joy, I found myself at a little seafood restaurant on a solo trip to Cape Cod taking a careful bite of the pickle spear served on the side of my lobster roll. And I didn’t hate it? I also didn’t love it, and I knew I wouldn’t be able to eat another bite by itself. However, I added a small bite of pickle with my next bite of lobster roll, and I was surprised that I wasn't hating the combination. By the end of my lunch, I had eaten half of the pickle spear, and I had become a brand new person.
While I still can’t eat a pickle spear by itself, I have consistently kept a jar of pickle slices in my fridge ever since that trip, adding them to sandwiches, burgers, and of course tinned fish boards (Best Maid is the best kind, don’t fight me on this). I even made my own pickles for Eating Gilmore for episode 7.05 The Great Stink a few weeks after I returned home from Cape Cod.
If you tell me there’s a food you don’t like, I will ask you when was the last time you tried it. If it’s been over a year, I’ll encourage you to try it again. Our tastes change. Sure, there’s a chance you still won’t like that food, but there’s also a chance you’ll be surprised and actually like it! And I’ve been thinking lately, what if I brought this mindset to other areas of my life? What if I was brave and metaphorically tried the tinned fish?
Near the end of last year, I made the decision to quit a job I had for eight years. I loved it for a long time, but slowly I became extremely unhappy. I didn’t realize until I was out that it was emotionally abusive. So many discourage staying in a miserable job, but in a society in which our jobs are unfortunately intertwined in our identity, it was difficult to leave, despite how miserable I was. In the moment, I didn’t feel very brave, but as I’ve slowly begun to heal, I can start to acknowledge the bravery I demonstrated.
Being brave doesn’t have to equate to a grandiose gesture. It doesn’t have to be bungee jumping or deep sea diving. It doesn’t even have to be quitting your job. There is bravery in small moments. You can be brave and try a fear food. You can be brave and attempt to talk to a family member who has problematic views. You can be brave and do something you love but have been too afraid of being perceived as cringe. You can be brave and hit publish. And when you actually think about being brave in these small moments, you’ll realize they weren’t actually all that small. Any amount of bravery is in reality a big moment.
I want to start recognizing moments of bravery in my life both big and small. I have a few foods I want to try this year, and yes, raw oysters are one of them. I added a platter of oysters onto my 2025 vision board in the hopes of manifesting I’ll love them again. I don’t know if it will be this summer (we do have our eyes on a New England road trip this fall which feels like the perfect place to try them), but I would classify this as a moment for American Girl Magazine Summer and an experience for little Larisa. I also have “try caviar” on my list of 25 things to do in 2025 because if 2023 : tinned fish then 2024 & 2025 : caviar.
I have to add here that my American Girl Magazine Summer is already starting to work its magic. I’ve been drafting this post for the last few days, and my order of 20 AG magazines arrived yesterday. I began pouring over the first one, the May/June issue from 2001 last night before bed. When I turned the page to the Heart-to-Heart section, my own heart almost gave out. If you don’t recall, Heart-to-Heart was the section of the magazine when girls could write in to answer a more challenging question to answer — a more heartfelt one if you will. The Heart-to-Heart from the Ma/June issue from 2001 was titled “Being Brave” and the question girls wrote in their responses was, “Have you ever been afraid to do something, but did it anyway? How did you find the courage?” I don’t know if you believe in fate or signs or all that, but I do, and I took this as a sign that AGM Summer is going to be healing, and I can be brave.
So I hope this serves as a reminder to embrace moments of bravery in your life (and you should definitely try the tinned fish). Speaking of which, I promised to share my perfect spread of tinned fish! You don’t have to do every step below, but this is my recipe for the best spread in my book:
Step 1: The fish
I like incorporating a variety of tins with each spread. Usually about 1 tin per person enjoying the board is good, but you can always scale back if you don’t want to go heavy on the fish. If you’re starting out and want to play it safe, I recommend sardines in tomato sauce. Some of my other favorites are sardines in lemon juice and smoked mussels. Fishwife is a very popular brand (and it’s tasty), but it’s on the pricier end. If you’re looking for quality tins on a budget, I recommend La Barca or Porthos.
Step 2: The vessel
You’ll want something to serve as the base for your bite of tinned fish. I recommend toasted bread, crackers, or potato chips (Ruffles are the best kind for this because they are a sturdier chip). If you’re going all out, a combination is fun because you’ll get more flavor pairing options.
Step 3: The cream
A creamy element of some kind always goes well with the fish. It helps to cut through some of the saltiness of the preserved fish and the acid (more on that in a moment). My recommendations here are crème fraiche, sour cream, or avocado.
Step 4: The cheese
You have to include cheese in a spread. Tinned fish boards are essentially an off-chute of charcuterie boards in my mind. Again, a variety is great here, but any creamy or nutty cheese would be a great component.
Step 5: The sauce
To me, this is where you really get to have fun. I love including lots of options for sauces and spreads because again, you get more flavor pairing options. I like to have at least one jam on the board and balsamic glaze. You could also include a nice whole grain mustard, hot sauce, honey, pesto, tomato sauce, really the options are endless.
Step 6: Acid
The mark of any great dish is some sort of acid, and a tinned fish spread is no exception to this. You’ll want to include some acidic element to really balance the flavors. I recommend pickle slices and lemon wedges, but I used pickled onions in my most recent spread.
Step 7: Accoutrements
As I said above, I treat tinned fish spreads like charcuterie boards, so I like adding extra elements like nuts or fruit as little palate cleansers in between bites of fish. Again, this is where you can really have fun. If you’re still a little nervous about tinned fish, you could also add other protein to your spread to even it out. Prosciutto or salami are always good options for a board.
Step 8: The beverage
You by no means have to drink alcohol with your tinned fish spread, but if you do, a nice glass of wine makes for a great pairing. One time I made cantaloupe martinis, and they were divine! Whatever you decide to drink with your spread, elevate it slightly. Drink your water from a fancy glass! Add a garnish to your cocktail! This is about the experience so make sure your beverage is included in that!
Step 9: The setup
You don’t have to get super fancy here unless you’re like me in which case you do. I love playing around with the presentation of my tinned fish boards. Again, it makes for a fun experience! The key thing with the setup is making sure everyone can access all the elements. It also doesn’t hurt to throw on some nice music for ambiance and maybe light some candles.
Step 10: Enjoy!
(I had to have a nice even number of steps)
I hope you find moments of bravery.
More cheers, less fears,
Larisa
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