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Sardines

The best are the small sardines caught on the coast of Provence in France. From a thousand to twelve hundred fishing smacks are annually engaged in catching these fish off the coast of Brittany from June to the middle of October. The French often cure sardines in red brine, and when thus prepared designate them anchoisees or anchovied sardines. These are packed in vessels previously used for holding wine, and exported to the Levant. When quite fresh sardines are considered excellent: they entirely lose their flavour, and become quite insipid if kept for any length of time. On the Mediterranean coasts of Italy and France sardine fishing takes place in the summer months. The fish are cured by washing in salt water, sprinkling with salt, removing the head, gills, etc., washing again, drying in the sun and wind, steeping in boiling olive-oil, draining, and packing in small square tin boxes; the boxes are filled up with oil, the lid is soldered on, and the box is exposed for a short time to the action of steam or hot water. These cured sardines are largely exported to various countries, where they are considered a delicacy. The real sardine resembles a small pilchard; but many of the fish cured as sardines are not genuine: they are either sprats, pilchards, or small herrings.