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The Fascinating Way Sardines Became The 'Hot Girl Dinner' Of The Year
Your Tango ^ | September 15, 2023 | Megan Quinn

Posted on 12/27/2023 12:25:55 PM PST by Red Badger

What was once considered one of the most unappetizing snacks has now become one of the most popular foods in the United States. Canned sardines are now many Americans’ go-to quick snack when they want a healthy option that will keep them satisfied from hunger throughout the day.

However, sardines provide so much more than just nutritional benefits for your body internally. Many women claim that eating the slimy fish slivers will clear acne and blemishes, and credit the food for providing them with glowing, smooth skin.

Tinned sardines have become so popular that anyone can now partake by visiting a new Times Square store in New York City — and they're in for a treat. A new store opened on August 18 called the Fantastic World of the Portuguese Sardine, and features around 30 varities of canned fish, including not just sardines, but branzino, octopus, salmon, sole, mussels, and more.

Visitors can treat themselves to skinless or boneless sardines (or stick with bone-in) packaged in olive oil, and try an assortment of flavors in colorful tins from a humongous wall with thousands of options, with tins dating all the way back to 1916 and up to present day. How's that for a slice of heaven in the Big Apple?

But if you can't make it to Portuguese Sardine's flagship store just yet, you can eat sardines at home, creating your own “hot girl dinner.”

The tinned sardine craze began with one woman sharing her unique date nights with her husband. Ali Hooke, a San Francisco chef, spread the popularity of sardines after sharing her TikTok videos documenting a typical Friday night date night she has with her husband, which she dubs "tinned-fish date night."

The at-home date set-ups consist of a board with a variety of canned fish that Hooke and her husband pick out from their pantry, along with a bowl of bread and olives to accompany the meal.

As the views on Hooke's "tinned-fish date night" increased, so did the amount of people on the platform who began incorporating canned sardines into their diet. Like Hooke, many of them documented the different types of tinned sardines that now became a part of their daily routine.

So, why were they overlooked for so long, even at one point being branded as a “low-end food” that was only eaten in poverty-stricken areas? To fully understand, we must delve into the background of these tiny fish that took over many people’s dinner plates over the last few months.

Sardines were first introduced as a canned food in Portugal in the early 19th century.

Sardines are small, oily fish that can be found in the Atlantic, Pacific, and Mediterranean Seas. They do not represent a single fish species. Instead, the term “sardines” is used to describe a variety of small, oily fish.

In the early 19th century, the Portuguese began catching and canning sardines, and they became a significant part of their culture, often being sold on the streets during St. Anthony’s Day.

Soon, canned sardines made their way over to North America, with many commercial canneries appearing on the East Coast. And the Fantastic World of the Portuguese Sardine is just one of those locations.

For those who do end up visiting Portuguese Sardine's Manhattan flagship store, you'll receive your very own history lesson on the origins of the latest "hot girl dinner" — how could you not, given the large library of tinned fish displayed on two stories of shelving!

Plus, with a history lesson comes the reality many people faced for indulging in the complex, briney flavors.

Sardines were once given a bad rep because they were cheap and many perceived them as a ‘poor man’s food.’ Sardines were a common food among American workers during the Great Depression since they were affordable, and provided a cheap and easy way for those who could not afford meats and vegetables to obtain nutrition.

In fact, cans that packaged and sold sardines were labeled as “penny cans” since they were so cheap.

Other people were skeptical of the nutritional value of sardines, not only because of their affordability but also due to the fact that they were preserved in cans and distributed in bulk in supermarkets. They believed that freshly caught sardines were for sure a better alternative to the ones sold in tins.

However, medical and nutrition experts argue that this is not all true.

Canned sardines are loaded with beneficial nutrients, including omega-3 fatty acids, vitamins, calcium, and minerals.

According to Healthline, the specific nutrients that are found in sardines can reduce the risk of blood clots, lower blood pressure, improve cholesterol, and protect against heart disease and certain types of cancers. Additionally, sardines are safe to consume daily since they contain low levels of mercury as opposed to other fish.

“Just three ounces of sardines is two grams of omega-3,” says Dr. Mandell (@motivationaldoc) in a TikTok video. “Omega-3 will help your heart, prevent clogging in the arteries, it helps the bones get strong, it helps the brain, it helps your eyes, it decreases inflammation... “Eat your sardines... you will stay as healthy as you can ever imagine.”

As more and more people on TikTok began learning about the health benefits of sardines, the popularity of tinned fish quickly surged.

Many social media users now claim they eat sardines daily and have labeled it the new ‘hot girl dinner.’ “Hot girl dinner” is a term that gained popularity on TikTok, and can best be described as a quick and easy meal one (regardless of gender) could prepare for dinner that has various nutritional benefits.

“Tinned fish is the ultimate hot girl food,” Caroline Goldfarb, the co-founder of Fishwife, a tinned fish company that sells high-quality, sustainably sourced seafood, told Nylon in June 2021.

“There is no food that will make you hotter than tinned fish. Straight up. Do you know a hot girl who doesn’t exist on protein? I don’t,” adding that a single tin of sardines has more nutrients than a glass of milk.

Ever since sardines were coined as the newest “hot girl dinner,” many women have taken to TikTok to share their experiences eating the salty fish.

Some have shared that chowing down on sardines has even been beneficial for their skincare. This is because the healthy fats that are found in sardines reduce inflammation in the skin, promoting a radiant glow. Omega-3s also helps to increase healthy oil production on the skin and minimize acne breakouts.

Still, some people may be hesitant to incorporate sardines into their diets due to their fishy taste and smell. Others may feel repulsed by their snacks looking right back at them with eyes.

Thankfully, there is no rule stating that you must eat sardines plain to benefit from them. Many people opt to add different ingredients, including tomato sauce and olive oil to their sardines.

In a world where 42% of the global population cannot afford healthy foods, per the World Bank, sardines are a breath of fresh air (ironic, since they are slimy fish packed into a tiny can) and an option that most people could rely on — not just “hot girls.”

Because no matter how you enjoy your sardines, everyone is entitled to gain from their nutritional components. And that's exactly what the Fantastic World of the Portuguese Sardine hopes to accomplish by making this fish the newest American staple.

Megan Quinn is a writer at YourTango who covers entertainment and news, self, love, and relationships.


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Food; Health/Medicine; History
KEYWORDS: food; sardines
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To: Red Badger
I hated the things when I was a kid - but I started eating them again when I read an article about how good they are for you and cut my appetite.

I like 'em now!

But I am not now, nor ever have been Hot or a Girl.

61 posted on 12/27/2023 1:15:05 PM PST by Chainmail (How do I feel about ignorance and apathy? I don't know and I don't care.)
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To: Chainmail

They are really good for your hair and nails, keeps them shiny.

I still have nails.....................


62 posted on 12/27/2023 1:18:01 PM PST by Red Badger (Homeless veterans camp in the streets while l aliens are put up in hotels.....................)
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To: Red Badger

My kids all love calamari and smoked octopus. They now prepare their own.


63 posted on 12/27/2023 1:18:58 PM PST by blackdog ((Z28.310) My dog Sam eats purple flowers.)
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To: waterhill

Yes, it is.


64 posted on 12/27/2023 1:23:35 PM PST by Liz (WRT govt: qualifications for wrecking crews are not as stringent as those for construction crews.)
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To: HartleyMBaldwin
I would never have eaten calamari had I known what it was. I was a picky eater when I was a kid.

But when I was in the Navy, we made a port call in Barcelona, and I went with a large group of guys on liberty to a restaurant called "Los Caracoles".

It was my first time in Barcelona, and these guys had all gone there before, so as soon as we got ashore, they made a beeline to it before we went to any bars! They were experienced Liberty Hounds, and knew that going bar-hopping on an empty stomach always ends badly...:)

When you approached the restaurant, they had chickens on spits next to the door (just to the left of the chickens) that were roasting, and damn, they were good. As you can see, they had someone going out to baste them occasionally. Funny...this picture below was taken decades after I went there, and the big difference is the glass doors..when I went there in the Seventies, you could have ripped off a chicken since it was wide open.

Inside, the food was great. We all sat at a big, long table. Some guys ordered, and the first thing that came out were two large platters heaped high with golden fried rings, which I assumed were onion rings. I have a severe antipathy to ALL things onion, so I shook my head vigorously in the negative while holding my hands in front of me, palm out in a protective gesture...just to be sure.

Onions actually make me gag. Literally.

But my shipmate pushed them at me saying "No...no...not onions, it is 'calimari'! You'll love it! Try one!"

So I did.

I was hooked. Every time we made a port call to Barcelona, even if I was by myself, I would get off the ship and go straight to that restaurant and order a whole platter of fried calamari rings!

From that point on, any time I went ashore in any country I would try to order it. I used to make a practice of getting off the boat, and getting as far away from Fleet Landing as I could possibly get. We pulled into Taranto, Italy one time, and I don't speak Italian, but found myself far outside the city trying to order a meal. I carried a pad of paper and a pen with me, which I used to communicate. I was in a small mom and pop eatery in some remote area, and had this extremely elderly Italian woman wearing a stained apron trying to understand me. I took out my pad and drew a picture of a squid, and her face lit up! But she served me some kind of sautéed squid, not what I wanted, but it was okay. I tried!

When I got out of the Navy and came home, tried desperately to make them myself and did a poor job of it.

Fortunately for me, that was the early Eighties, right around the time Calamari began to appear in non-Italian restaurants, and soon I was able to order it off many menus.

65 posted on 12/27/2023 1:24:25 PM PST by rlmorel ("The stigma for being wrong is gone, as long as you're wrong for the right side." (Clarice Feldman))
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To: higgmeister

I usually have to eat them in the shed or by the fire pit....yet when I make Pasta Putanesca (Pasta of the Whore) she tears it up for some reason. Maybe because she doesn’t speak Italian. I just tell her it’s catfish or perch,crawdads or gator(she’s Louisiana French). I’m pretty sure its the black olives and capers that make it good for her.


66 posted on 12/27/2023 1:31:40 PM PST by waterhill (I Believe all you need for home defense is an 870 and a Catahoula)
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To: NEMDF
I am quite picky about fish...I cannot stand fish taste or fish smell. But I ate those sardines!

And when we were kids, my mom (a mix of Italian and Armenian) would batter and fry up smelts, which I loved! (I got them recently at a restaurant, mostly out of nostalgia, and they tasted...fishy!)

Don't eat salmon, but I LOVE Halibut and Cod. And the best...

I caught this early last Fall:

Striped Bass...caught it off the rocky coast of Southern Maine, and DAMN! That was some FINE, AWESOME fish!

I don't fish much, but my buddy and I chartered a boat...THIS one I had to throw back-it was TOO big. Apparently, you can only keep them between 29 and 32 inches, and this one was 44 inches! I threw back TWO of them like this, and a couple of smaller ones, but my old Navy buddy and I did catch one smaller one we could keep, so we each got a nice thick filet out of that one!

67 posted on 12/27/2023 1:32:32 PM PST by rlmorel ("The stigma for being wrong is gone, as long as you're wrong for the right side." (Clarice Feldman))
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To: Chainmail

LOL, I just take the fish pills! But not the ones that make you taste fish all day! I just threw out a whole jar of those kind recently, because my wife would occasionally mix them in with the non-fish flavored ones!

If I had to eat the ones that make you belch fish, I don’t think I could take them every day...:)


68 posted on 12/27/2023 1:36:31 PM PST by rlmorel ("The stigma for being wrong is gone, as long as you're wrong for the right side." (Clarice Feldman))
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To: ansel12

As well as endless movies and TV shows staring women


69 posted on 12/27/2023 1:37:16 PM PST by PIF (They came for me and mine ... now its your turn)
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To: Red Badger

Some of the most delicious calamari (besides the wonderful fried rings of it) was when my wife and I went to Mallorca on our second honeymoon, and we were served charcoal grilled calamari on a bed of greens.

They must rub it with garlic and soak it in lemon (I think) but it isn’t the tubes-it was the tubular body, split and laid out flat and grilled quickly over a hot charcoal fire so it has those fantastically appetizing dark sear marks on the bone white flesh of the squid!

I think it must be cooked very quickly over a very hot grill, otherwise it would be tough.


70 posted on 12/27/2023 1:42:09 PM PST by rlmorel ("The stigma for being wrong is gone, as long as you're wrong for the right side." (Clarice Feldman))
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To: PIF; ansel12

Agree on all counts...:)


71 posted on 12/27/2023 1:42:58 PM PST by rlmorel ("The stigma for being wrong is gone, as long as you're wrong for the right side." (Clarice Feldman))
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To: rlmorel

I enjoyed several fantastic paellas at Los Caracoles in 1973. In fact, just before leaving Barcelona I checked my pack at the train station and went back for one more. I’ll never forget that place.

I think I asked you once if you remembered the Bar Texas, which is the only bar in Barcelona whose name I can remember after 50 years.


72 posted on 12/27/2023 1:47:37 PM PST by HartleyMBaldwin
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To: yefragetuwrabrumuy

I am with you!

I pay absolutely zero attention to any of these stupid things that say “The benefits of eating spiders...” or some such thing ranging from drinking scotch to eating eggs.

However, I did send my wife the article recently that promoted the possible health benefits to people who don’t get enough sleep during the week who try to catch up by sleeping late on weekends...:)

I am not averse to playing this for all it is worth if I get to sleep later on Saturday and Sunday!


73 posted on 12/27/2023 1:48:49 PM PST by rlmorel ("The stigma for being wrong is gone, as long as you're wrong for the right side." (Clarice Feldman))
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To: Red Badger

Great shtf prepper store. Lots of nutrition with a long shelf life.


74 posted on 12/27/2023 1:49:07 PM PST by Wilderness Conservative (Nature is the ultimate conservative)
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To: ansel12
All this stuff used to be in the Women’s section of the newspaper.

Did you check the source of this article before commenting?

75 posted on 12/27/2023 1:50:23 PM PST by mac_truck (aide toi et dieu t'aidera)
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To: Red Badger; Diana in Wisconsin; ransomnote; little jeremiah; Liz; grey_whiskers
"I spotted a can in the corner whose red label read SADNESS. Was there so much of it they could can it and sell it? A bolt of pain went through my intestines before I realized that it was not SADNESS but SARDINES."

Aleksandar Hemon

"Remember that a very good sardine is always preferable to a not-that-good lobster."

Ferran Adria

"The sardines had their heads on and they were like watching you."

Sarah

(From AZ Quotes)

"Fourty sardines and a loaf of bread makes a meal."

A French saying

76 posted on 12/27/2023 1:51:10 PM PST by Pete from Shawnee Mission ( )
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To: HartleyMBaldwin
Yes! We did have that conversation! This was the one I remembered, but it turned out to not be the one you went to because this one was in Palma!

Heh, damn Europeans! They hate us, but don't hesitate to "appropriate our culture" when it suits them!

77 posted on 12/27/2023 1:52:18 PM PST by rlmorel ("The stigma for being wrong is gone, as long as you're wrong for the right side." (Clarice Feldman))
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To: mac_truck

My post wasn’t about this individual article.

Read posts 4 and 37.


78 posted on 12/27/2023 1:53:38 PM PST by ansel12 ((NATO warrior under Reagan, and RA under Nixon, bemoaning the pro-Russians from Vietnam to Ukraine.))
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To: HartleyMBaldwin

I love Paella! I even tried making it once, but I learned an important lesson:

You cannot package the stuff and eat it the next day at work for lunch after re-heating it in the microwave!

People will absolutely, 100% want to slit your throat and throw you off a bridge-it makes the entire place nearly uninhabitable due to the fish smell!


79 posted on 12/27/2023 1:54:59 PM PST by rlmorel ("The stigma for being wrong is gone, as long as you're wrong for the right side." (Clarice Feldman))
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To: Pete from Shawnee Mission

“Fourty sardines and a loaf of bread makes a meal.”.....A French saying.

That’ll fill up a hungry eater.


80 posted on 12/27/2023 1:56:19 PM PST by Liz (WRT govt: qualifications for wrecking crews are not as stringent as those for construction crews.)
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