Cans gone classy: tinned fish trend taking off

Seafood in a can or rather tinned fish, as it has long been known in Europe, has evolved from tuna in water into endless possibilities, becoming one of the bigger foody trends to come out of the coronavirus pandemic when people stuck at home looked to be creative with their cupboard staples and started posting recipes. Since then, the industry has only expanded, fueled by social media influencers touting the benefits of high-powered protein food in beautiful, brightly colored metal containers. It's now a regular offering on wine bar menus. There are tinned fish clubs, like wine clubs, where members receive monthly shipments of various seafood packed in countless combinations of spices, oils, and sauces. Videos on tinned fish, from tastings to how-to tips on cleaning the fishy smell from cans, have generated more than 30 million views on TikTok. Globally, the canned fish industry is expected to reach $11 billion in less than five years partly because of its popularity among young people, especially in the United States, according to IndustryARC, a market analysis firm. Dubbed the “hot girl food,” many who buy it are working women seeking healthy food on the go, according to analysts. Becca Millstein was among those who opened a tinned fish business after eating more of it during the coronavirus lockdowns. Millstein had lived in Spain in college and spent time in Portugal, both countries where tinned fish has long been a part of people's diets, and knew there were better options to be had. So she opened Los Angeles-based Fishwife in 2020 with the goal to offer high-quality, sustainably sourced seafood that “emphasized the culinary aspect of the product and also sort of harkened back to the tradition” of the centuries-old way of preserving fish. Millstein said she first sought out canneries in Spain and Portugal and contacted fishers along the West Coast who connected her to canneries in Oregon and Washington. Three years later, her products are sourced globally, she said. This article was provided by The Associated Press.