Sardines or pilchards are a group of several types of small oily fish related to herrings, family Clupeidae. The terms are not precise, and the usual meanings vary by region; for instance, to many people a "sardine" is a young European pilchard. FishBase, a comprehensive database of information about fish, lists at least six species called just "pilchard," over a dozen called just "sardine," and many more with the two basic names qualified by various adjectives.
Canned "sardines" seen in supermarkets may actually be sprats or round herrings.
Classification
- Genus Dussumeria
- Genus Escualosa
- Genus Sardina
- Genus Sardinella
- Genus Sardinops
Etymology
According to
best available research, the word "Sardine" comes from the Greek word
sardine or
sardinos and refers to the island of
Sardinia, near which sardines appear to have been prevalent since ancient times. Sardinia, in turn, is named after either the
Shardana people or the town of
Sardis.
Sardine in popular culture
Portugal
Sardines play an important role in
Portuguese culture. Having been a people who depended heavily on the sea for food and commerce, the Portuguese have a predilection for fish in their popular festivities. The most important is Saint Anthony's day, 13th June, when the biggest popular festival takes place in
Lisbon, taking the people to the streets where grilled sardines are the snack of choice. Almost every place in Portugal, from
Figueira da Foz to
Portalegre, or from
Póvoa de Varzim to
Olhão has the summertime popular tradition of eating grilled sardines (
sardinhas assadas).
Clupeidae
Parrocha | Сардина | Sardine | Sardina pilchardus | Sardina | Sardine | Sardino | סרדין | Sardinn | Sardine | イワシ | Sardin | Sardinha | Sardine | Sardin | Sardalya | 沙丁魚