Fishwife has done the impossible: The woman-owned company has made canned seafood fashionable. The girlies are posting photos of sardines. I never thought I’d see the day. Yes, in part it comes down to the design. The boxes of Fishwife tinned fish are cute as hell. They look great.
Perhaps if Bumble Bee and King Oscar had thought to hire a young graphic designer, we might have all been eating seacuterie boards earlier. But Fishwife isn’t just about looks. The tinned seafood is also known for its quality. All the fish is sourced from “healthy fisheries” as well as sustainable aquaculture farms. And most of it tastes restaurant-quality. But it’s not cheap. A single can starts at around $11—if not more.
So, which Fishwife tinned fish is worth the cash? My colleague Jordan Myrick and I sat down and tasted everything from Fishwife sardines to Fishwife anchovies to Fishwife smoked salmon in search of the best Fishwife tinned fish around. We considered flavor, texture, and “specialness.” Because if you’re spending over $10 on a can of fish, it should be special. Here’s nine types of Fishwife canned fish, ranked from skip to snag.
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- Fishwife Mackerel with Pepper
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First, a disclaimer: I wouldn’t turn any of these cans down. If you gifted me with a can of Fishwife mackerel, I’d be delighted. That said, I won’t be spending my own money on this one. It’s a bit tough and chewy—like it was smoked for too long. But the flavor is nice and it is impressively meaty. There’s a very mild heat that helps cut that heavily smoked flavor. I think it’d be a particularly good canned mackerel to use in a dip—but it’s a bit too pricey to justify such a use.
Credit: Merc / Sproutes
- Fishwife Albacore Tuna in Olive Oil
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The tuna isn’t too fishy. The oil tastes great—fresh and a little fruity. It all feels very clean and well-made. But it’s not very interesting and the tuna is a bit on the dry end. There’s better canned tuna out there. In fact, there’s better Fishwife canned tuna.
Credit: Merc / Fishwife
- Fishwife Smoked Rainbow Trout
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We ranked this can of Fishwife tinned fish pretty high up on our best smoked trout ranking. And I stand by that placement. In the world of canned smoked trout, it’s quite good! You get chunks of heavily smoked, almost BBQ-esque trout that is perfect for crumbling onto a salad. It tastes rustic and homemade. But Fishwife makes such great tinned fish, that it fails to crack the top five best Fishwife tinned fish products. Don’t think of it as a judgment on the trout, think of it instead as proof of just how good the rest of this stuff is.
Credit: Merc / World Market
- Fishwife Albacore Tuna in Spicy Olive Oil
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Silkier than the previous tuna, this mildly spiced canned tuna is a go-to for Jordan, who enjoys it over white rice. The heat hits you in the back of the throat and then builds as you continue to eat. But it never becomes overwhelming or even so spicy that you need to take a sip of water. My critique? I wish the peppers added flavor rather than just heat.
Credit: Merc / Fishwife
- Fishwife Sardines with Hot Pepper
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These Fishwife sardines are tender and mild in their fishiness (but they still definitely taste like sardines and they have all the crunchy bones, so they’re not for beginners). The pepper lends a touch of fruitiness and a vegetal flavor that pairs really well with the oily fish. But even though the label says “hot,” this isn’t spicy. We even tried one of the peppers on its own without detecting any serious spice.
Credit: Merc / Sprouts
- Fishwife Anchovies
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These Fishwife anchovies are incredible. They’re so silky. They’re not bony. And they’re firm, so you can pull them out of the can and eat them on bread or place them on a caesar salad without worrying that they’ll disintegrate immediately. That said, if you do choose to cook with them, they’ll lend the most intense umami flavor to whatever you’re making. It’s not just a salty flavor. It’s meaty, briny, iron-rich deliciousness. These anchovies are definitely well worth the extra cash.
Credit: Merc / Sprouts
- Fishwife Smoked Salmon
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Fishwife smoked salmon falls somewhere between lox and hot smoked salmon. It’s not as dry as hot smoked salmon but it’s not practically raw, either. It has a lightly smoked flavor with a woodsy tang. And it has the most beautiful sheen to it. It is salty, though, so I would pair it with something mild like cream cheese. I’d also put it on a baked potato instead of bacon.
Credit: Merc / Fishwife
- Fishwife Sardines with Preserved Lemon
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Even sardine skeptic Jordan enjoyed these Fishwife sardines. The fish is tender and not super fishy at all, thanks in part to the lemon flavor. It’s a fresh, not fake citrusy quality that helps cut through any overtly maritime flavor. These Fishwife sardines are a great entry point for wannabe sardine eaters—though you’ll still have to deal with the bones. As a sardine lover, I could easily eat the whole can by myself. As someone who also loves preserved lemon, I wish there was a touch more of that preserved lemon funk and tang, but overall it’s still an incredible can of fish.
Credit: Merc / Sprouts
- Fishwife x Fly By Jing Smoked Salmon in Chili Crisp
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We deemed this Fishwife smoked salmon to be the best option for a board in our best canned salmon ranking. But it’s also great on rice, with eggs, in a salad, on a sandwich—there are so many ways to use this spicy salmon. Made in collaboration with Fly By Jing, maker of some of the best chili crisp, this Fishwife tinned fish is totally unique. And that’s really what pushes it into the number one spot. Plus, of course, it tastes great. The sweet smoke pairs amazingly with the chili oil, which isn’t distractingly spicy but the heat is definitely present. The salmon is silky and firm and yummy. Do we wish there was more actual chili crisp? We do! But we still think this is the best Fishwife tinned fish that’s worthy of a splurge.
Credit: Merc / Fishwife
Mackerel with Pepper
Tuna in Olive Oil
Smoked Rainbow Trout
Tuna in Spicy Olive Oil
Sardines with Hot Pepper
Anchovies
Smoked Salmon
Sardines with Lemon
Chili Crisp Smoked Salmon
Thoughts? Questions? Complete disagreement? Leave a comment!