Anchovies are divisive little fish.
If you like anchovies, you probably can’t eat enough of them. If you detest them that’s fine: you can leave your fellow anchovy-lover to devour their fish-topped pizza alone.
These tiny saltwater sea creatures have a reputation for tasting quite strong. While their flavour might put some people off, anchovies are actually celebrated for their powerful health benefits and culinary distinctiveness. They are a popular ingredient in many dishes across Asia and the Mediterranean region.
Federica Negro, a Sydney-based clinical nutritionist who was born in Torino (Turin), explains how common anchovies are throughout Italy. “Anchovies are used in dishes all over Italy, including in the regional cuisine where I am from in the north,” Negro, from , tells SBS. “I love the taste. They are a flavour bomb.”
What a lot of people don’t know is that the flavour of anchovies varies greatly according to how they are processed. Negro says in Italian cuisine, anchovy fillets are usually either bought fresh and then cooked (pan-fried, grilled or barbecued). Or, they are cured in salt and preserved in a jar of olive oil.
“If you buy fresh anchovies that you then cook yourself, they will not be that strong in flavour. But the ones you buy in olive oil are strong in flavour because they are cured and contain a lot of salt.
“I use anchovies in pasta sauces. I put a few anchovies in a pan with olive oil and they just melt away. If you use anchovies in this way, you don’t need to add any salt.”
So much health power in one small fish
The health benefits of anchovies are also noteworthy. Negro says anchovies contain more omega-3s compared to salmon and feature a lot of other nutrients as well.
“Everyone thinks that salmon has the highest levels of omega-3s but actually small fish like anchovies or even sardines, have much higher amounts. Omega-3s are healthy fats, which are great for your cardiovascular system and brain, and help to reduce inflammation.”
Anchovies are high in iron so they are good for people with low iron levels and selenium, which benefits thyroid health.
“They are rich in calcium, especially if you eat the whole fish including the tiny bones. The fish contains zinc, vitamin D3 and B vitamins. Given that they are small fish, they are very low in mercury and safe for pregnant women to eat.”
Cured anchovies have one downside: their high salt content. “If you're trying to reduce your salt consumption, I recommend rinsing cured anchovies under water first, before using them. That way, you'll get rid of a lot of residual salt.”
I love the taste. They are a flavour bomb.
Give me different ways to eat anchovies
There are many international ways to include more anchovies in your diet.
Vietnamese fish sauce often contains fermented anchovies. In many Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore, anchovies are used to make the dried anchovy snack, ikan bilis. In Japan, dried anchovies called ‘iriko’ or ‘niboshi’ are key ingredients featured in soup stock or snacks.
To sample a Spanish-style preparation of anchovies, you can deep-fry the fish (boquerones fritos), serve them marinated in vinegar or use a cured fillet to top a piece of bread, and spread with tomato puree.
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“The Italians like to eat anchovies on top of a slice of sourdough bread with butter,” says Negro. “It’s a really popular appetiser. Anchovies are also an essential ingredient when making salsa verde.”
Another popular dish, hailing from Piedmont in Italy, is bagna càuda. It’s a dip made with anchovies, garlic and olive oil. “You dunk bread, a celery stick or a slice of capsicum into the dip. It’s delicious.
“There are so many ways to eat anchovies. They really are one of the healthiest foods people can eat.”
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Cucumber and anchovy tartine
