Scouted/The Daily Beast/Fishwife/Tiny Fish Co./Wild Planet.
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Until two years ago, my experience with tinned fish was limited to canned tuna and sardines; the kind used for foot-long fast food subs and cartoon turtle’s pizza toppings. I certainly would never have never considered canned seafood a charcuterie board staple, nor would I ever pop open a can of fish to serve on a date. But in 2022, my thoughts on tinned fish turned the tide. One of my cats got sick, and, to help her regain a few pounds, I opened a press sample of canned salmon in olive oil and spices from the then-emerging brand, Fishwife. After giving a bit of the cured salmon to my cat, I noticed that aside from the chic packaging, this fish didn’t look or smell like your average tinned seafood, so I decided to try some myself. It was so rich and flavorful that I honestly regretted not saving the entire can for myself (sorry, Tygr!).
Because I just had to have more of this fish for myself, I checked online offerings and quickly realized that I wasn’t the only one newly addicted to tinned fish—TikTok was (and still very much is) filled with viral hashtags like #seacuterieboards and #tinfishdatenight, and #tinfishtok. On Instagram, I found thousands of curated flat lay posts featuring varieties of canned fish accompanied by traditionally photogenic treats like natural orange wine and caviar, proving that this once low-brow snack was now anything but. And it’s not just classic salmon and tuna that the Internet has been lusting over—canned mussels, trout, and even sardines now seem to be regarded as the new caviar.