Sardines are baby pilchards – an oil-rich fish. Sardines are sold whole, fresh, canned or frozen while pilchards are mainly processed and canned. The true sardine is a Mediterranean fish and family to the herring, anchovy and pilchard. Norwegian sardines are small (and young) herrings that are canned in Norway while Portuguese sardines are larger and packed in olive oil. In South Africa large sardines are called pilchards.
Use: Ideal fish for grilling and barbecuing when whole. Salted sardines in olive oil can be used in salads, on sandwiches in cocktail savouries and it’s particularly good when served with tomatoes. They can also be grilled, deep fried, baked or barbecued.