Sardines in the Mediterranean – Humble, plentiful, glorious and cheap – It’s no wonder the Med celebrates them
Whenever you go to restaurants in the likes of the Cote d’Azur, the Costa Brava and the Etruscan Coast, one thing that is nearly always on the menu is sardines.
The humble sardine is said to have taken its name from the island of Sardinia because they are so plentiful there. The truth is that sardines are abundant just about everywhere, from Spain and Portugal to Morocco and India to the USA and Cornwall.
Sardines are a worldwide species that are billions-strong, highly nutritious and so revered as a sustainable food source that people all over the globe have festivals to celebrate this common fish. Without needing much of an excuse to throw a flamboyant party, the Mediterranean countries of Spain, Portugal, Greece, Italy and Croatia all host festivals to honour the sardine.
The sardine festivals of the Med are typically held throughout the summer and into the autumn, when barbecuing the fish in the fresh air is the common feature.
Typically sardines are one of the least expensive items on a restaurant menu. Served simply with salad, crusty bread and laced with olive oil, washed down with a crisp chilled local white wine has to be one of the best simple pleasures of a Mediterranean holiday.
These Sardines in the Mediterranean are nothing like what you buy in a tin. They are plump , fresh, meaty and tasty, especially when grilled over a real fire or BBQ. Usually the chef grills them by skewering six or so at a time on a stick and placing them around the fire in an upright fashion. There may be up to ten of these Sardine sticks around the fire at any one time.
Of course there are many diverse recipes for Sardines but for many, the simple grilling over a fire and served with salad is all that is necessary to bring out the wonderful flavour of one of the world’s most abundant fish.
The best things in life do not have to be fancy and extravagant and nothing on earth proves that statement more truthful than the humble sardine.