Like a Good Wine

Many European coastal regions have their own tradition of tinned sardines. Sardines have been tinned for almost two hundred years. In the nineteenth century, the fish were considered to be a real delicacy by the upper classes. They’re caught in all shapes and sizes, and their distinctive taste makes them a good match for the various sauces and other flavorings that are added in different cultures. On the south coast of Brittany, the French stubbornly claim that the small, oily fish was first canned in their part of the world. This stretch of coastline still boasts many factories where sardines au beurre—sardines with butter—roll off the production line.