I've had a tin of sardines in my cupboard since at least last Pennsic. I resolved to try them after reading about sustainable fishing and suchlike things. As they come in handy, shelf-stable tins, they'd also make good camp provisions. I don't know that sardines were available in the North, but Random Small Fish certainly were.
I only just got around to trying them, because... sardines! Never had them as a kid, and only ever saw them in cartoons, generally in an unflattering light. Nobody writes glossy food magazine articles about canned sardines. What if they were really stinky and fishy and yucky?
We fired up the grill for the first time this year, so I decided to slap them on down. If they stunk, it would stay outside. I put them on a little tray of foil - I bought a can of 'boneless, skinless' sardines, trying to lower the barrier to consumption.
Verdict: Edible! Not delicious, but edible. They reminded me very strongly of the canned salmon of my youth, the stuff Mom always made into "burgers" with eggs and breadcrumbs. Kind of fishy, but not overwhelmingly so. I may grow to appreciate them in time, and I think I'll bring some to Pennsic.
One small tin (~3 fingers wide? I didn't note the weight) contained 4 sardines, which made a reasonable protein portion of a meal.
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