Sardines don’t always make it to the top of the culinary list for many people, which I really find amazing. Frankly, they are enormously satisfying as they come in the single serving case! I think it was the ancient Greek traveler and historian Herodotus who observed that people are shaped by the land where they live . So, although we may move and transport ourselves hither and yon, there is something innate — especially of our food — that clearly speaks of home. As strange as this sounds, there is something in the preparation and enjoyment of sardines that speaks to my history.
The King Oscar site is truly a marvel in the consumer products world. I have visited many sites and this is quite complete and entertaining. They include videos of the history, the products and teach even the proper technique for opening a can of sardines. BTW, Laura has already warned me that when we visit Norway and Scandinavia, it will not be a vacation filled with sardine fishing boats and canneries. Oh, I guess we can fit a few other things in. 😉 The picture above is a few frames from a couple of movies on the site , the two pictures on the left show the ‘double layer’ of sardines being processed and the second are pictures from the recipe section of a Lefsa wrap. ( Lefsa is a wonderful soft and tender Norwegian flat bread made with flour and potatoes, eggs, butter and sometimes a little cream.
I have yet to intrigue my daughters with the joy of sardines in olive oil. Allow me to share one attempt. When my eldest was serving in the invasion of Iraq, I thought this might be the best time to get her hooked and I sent her cases! She didn’t eat any, but she did make good use of them! I heard that these ‘gifts’ became ‘the coin of the realm’ to getting things done as there were a lot of men, mostly from Samoa, who also felt this dish ‘spoke to them’ of home as well.
So, what foods call to you?
Roger Freberg
PS. I buy my ‘double layer’ of ‘2 layer’ sardines (the BEST!) via Amazon.com
0r try this direct link to King Oscar Sardines at Amazon.com