Kroger Flat Anchovies

It's like a sardine can except smaller. And unlike sardine cans there is no secondary packaging, so already I'm liking this.

Holy crap though, if you compare anchovies to sardines, you're way better off eating sardines. Anchovies are so loaded full of salt!


It still reminds me of the fish tins in the Tom and Jerry cartoons even though it's got a tab like a soda can instead of a winding key.


Expect oil to get flicked out when you peel the top steel off.


Fish the tiny fillets out with chop sticks, throw 'em on a cutting board, and chop 'em up for lasagna.
 

So what's the story, what's with anchovies as a food? Let's look and see what Larousse has to say.

In ancient times, anchovies were used to make a condiment (garum). There has always been a trade in anchovies, which were transported in special small casks called barrots. Today they are used mainly in the cuisine of southern France in such dishes as anchoyade, tapenade, poutine, pissalat, pissaladiere, pan-bagnat, and pizza, but are also used in such traditional seasonings as ready-cooked anchovy butter and English anchovy sauce. 'The temptation of Jansson', an extremely popular Swedish dish, is a gratin of anchovies and potatoes.  

Ok, so garum:

A condiment widely used by the ancient Greeks and Romans, obtained by soaking intestines and pieces of fish in brine with aromatic herbs. (Pissalat from Nice and the Vietnamese nuoc-mam both have a similar formula.)

And I loves me some fish sauce.

Kroger anchovies in the canned fish section of Ralph's for $1.69 a 2-oz tin.