Canned, Tinned, and Jarred Fish

In America, canned fish has traditionally been thought of as food for the poor. Though prized in Europe, especially around the Mediterranean, when folks there immigrated to America, inexpensive tinned fish was a remembrance of their earlier life. These days, food lovers and home cooks have learned that fish in a tin (or jar) deserves a place on restaurant menus as well as in their pantry. If you have ever been to Portugal or Spain, you’ll remember stores completely devoted to the sale of tinned and jarred fish (called conservas). There you will find a wide variety of fishes including sardines, mackerel, crab, octopus, squid, and more.