A Trend Worth Preserving: The Best Tinned Fish Brands

Scout is a female-owned seafood purveyor whose founder’s mission is to restore the tradition of preserved seafood in North America and to become the continent’s most trusted seafood brand. Chef Charlotte Langley, who was raised on Canada’s Prince Edward Island, launched her company (now offering North America’s first B Corp-certified canned seafood product) after finding a 100-year-old canning machine in her friend’s attic, which inspired her to revive the practice in a way that would reduce food waste and protect the oceans from which she sources her products. We could go on and on about how truly in sync with Mother Nature this brand is, but we’ll cut to the chase and say that the PEI Atlantic Canadian Lobster preserved in lemon-infused olive oil and Twin Falls, Idaho Rainbow Trout ($25.99) preserved in cold-pressed sunflower oil, dill, and salt are not to be missed.

I first heard about Fishwife over the pandemic and it was just the thing to make my long, monotonous days a little more special. What exactly is a Fishwife, you might ask? According to the brand’s historical research, the term dates back to the 16th century when it was used to refer to the daughters or wives of fishermen who sold their fish at the market. Over time, the word became a gendered insult hurled at women thought to be foul-mouthed or brassy. (But can you imagine living with a fisherman and not cursing all day long?) Fishwife is also a female-owned and led company and works with heritage canaries in Washington State and British Columbia to bring you the Classic Smoky Trio of rainbow trout from Idaho, smoked albacore tuna from off the Pacific coast, and smoked Atlantic salmon from Norway. This is the brand that made me realize how smoking anything can enhance its flavor by 100000%.

Right now, Fishwife is collaborating with Fly By Jing, the famously spicy brand making the first and only 100% all-natural Sichuan chili sauce in Chengdu, China. The Fly By Jing Smoked Salmon Trio ($39) is preserved in sichuan chili crisp to give it that extra kick all you spiceheads crave. If this doesn’t sound irresistible enough, every order comes with a sheet of Fishwife stickers to let the world know you’re a hot girl, too.

Yes, this is the same brand you might’ve bought a down jacket from a few years ago, but who better to produce tinned fish than the people who love and spend all their time in nature, and want to do everything to preserve it? Speaking of preserves, Patagonia Provisions has a lot of them: try the Mussels Variety Pack for a trio of smoked, savory sofrito, and lemon herb mussels or the Spanish White Anchovies Sampler ($16) for some mild and delicately flaky anchovies sourced off the coast of northern Spain. We mostly love how transparent this brand is about where and how it’s procuring all its preserves, and how Patagonia Provisions is inspiring its customers to become more conscious as well.

We love a good sister brand! Salmon Sisters was established in 2012 by siblings Emma Teal Laukitis and Claire Neaton, who grew up on a homestead in Alaska’s remote Aleutian Islands. They grew up working on commercial fishing boats for their family’s business of harvesting wild seafood and now source the fish for their preserves from all over Alaska: the Aleutian Islands, Copper River Delta, Prince William Sound, and Bristol Bay. Currently on offer are Smoked Alaska Salmon gently smoked with natural alder wood to preserve its firm texture; Smoked Herring ($11) smoked over Alder chips until slightly crispy; and a succulent Smoked Octopus ($21).

Even Trader Joe’s is getting in on the tinned fish game! Right now, TJ’s is offering Dorade filets farmed from the shores of North African in olive oil. If you’ve never had Dorade, it’s a mild-flavored white fish that is quite amenable to whatever ingredients you might want to cook it with, which is why it’s used in recipes around the world, like French Bouillabaisse. These filets are great in a salad or with your favorite spread on some crackers.