Sardines

Sardine (Sprat) Flavor Profile

Sardine Flavor Scale

Flavor
Oil
Texture

When fresh, small sardines have a delicate taste, while larger fish have a fuller, oilier flavor, similar to Anchovies but milder. In the US, most sardines are canned in oil or a sauce, smoked, pickled or salted.

Typical Cooking Methods

Alternate Names

Herring, Pacific Sardine, Atlantic Sardine, Rainbow Sardine, White Sardine, European Pilchard, Sprat or Brisling in Scotland, Sardinella in Spain, Sild in Norway, iwashi is the sushi name for sardines.

Typical Wholesale Products

Fresh: Whole, Fillets
Frozen: Whole, Fillets
Processed: Canned, Salted, Smoked, Pickled

Sardine Description (Sardina pilchardus, Sardinops sagax, others)

Atlantic Sardine – image source

The name Sardine came from the canning of small fish in Sardinia. In the culinary world “Sardine” does not refer to a specific species but rather to a number of species of the Herring family. In general, small Herring are called Sardines. According to the FAO/WHO Codex of standards for canned Sardines there are 22 species which can be called Sardine. FishBase lists over 30 species worldwide which are called Sardine. In the US there are two primary species: the Atlantic Sardine Sardina pilchardus(European Pilchard) and the Pacific Sardine Sardinops sagax.

Sardines can grow to about 1.3 feet long, but typical sizes are less than 9 inches. Anchovies are similar to sardines but are usually smaller and have an upper jaw which protrudes farther than the lower jaw, while on sardines the lower jaw protrudes.

Fresh Sardine Availability

Fresh seafood availability chart: green areas show peak availability, light green show limited availability, gray indicates not available fresh. Frozen available all year long.

Sardine (Sprat, Pilchard) Butchering Yield Percentage and Recovery

Range & Habitat Sardines are found in shallow coastal temperate and subtropical oceans world wide. They are a small pelagic schooling fish with a life span of up to 14 years, but the majority of sardines are less than 6 years old.	Pacific Sardine AquaMaps sources: GBIF
Pilchard Sardine Range AquaMaps sources: GBIF	Atlantic Sardine Range AquaMaps sources: GBIF

Sardine Sustainability Info

Name	Alternate Names	Catch Method	Catch Region	Seafood Watch	Ocean Wise	Sea Choice	Mercury Concerns
Pacific Sardines, Sardinops sagax	Iwashi, Pilchard, Sardine	Wild – Purse Seine	US, Canada				Low
Japanese Sardine,Sardinella zunasi		Wild – Seine Net	Northeast Pacific	n/a		n/a
Orangespot Sardine,Sardinella brasiliensis			Atlantic Ocean	n/a		n/a
Spanish Sardine, Sardinella aurita			Atlantic Ocean	n/a		n/a
Atlantic Sardines, Sardina pilchardus	European Pilchard, Iwashi, Pilchard, Sardine	Wild – Bottom Trawl, Midwater Trawl, Purse Seine	Mediterranean Sea
Disclaimer: The sustainability info above is accurate to the best of our knowledge. However, each program randomly updates their information without our knowledge. We therefore recommend that you verify the current accuracy of this information.
= Best Choice/Recommended      = Good Alternative       = Avoid/Not Recommended							Updated August 2013

For additional info on sustainable seafood and options for purchasing sustainable seafood visit FishChoice.

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