Taste the TikTok trend: RI's tinned fish markets and restaurants you should try

Gail Ciampa, Providence Journal
Updated ·8 min read

If you want to know everything about tinned fish, you ask Michael Benevides, whose family has been running Fall River's Portugalia Marketplace for 35 years.

He’ll tell you about the fish stars of the industry, restaurants featuring it, factories to tour in Portugal, the role of TikTok and social media influencers fueling the popularity, and how this trend caught everyone by surprise.

Benevides said Portugalia has been selling the cans of tinned sardines, mackerel and tuna for decades.

"It's bizarre now to hear about tin fish date nights," he said. "It's quite the thing. Honestly we’ve been experiencing it for a few years. But over the past year, it's gone crazy."

Not only does Benevides have a sense of the why for this trend, he's got Portugalia hopping on board to ride the train. Think curated tinned fish boxes.

Aguardente, the Portuguese restaurant in Providence, serves curated tins of fish imported from Portugal. A popular trio offers sardines in olive oil, tuna in Molho Cru and mackerel in mustard sauce
Aguardente, the Portuguese restaurant in Providence, serves curated tins of fish imported from Portugal. A popular trio offers sardines in olive oil, tuna in Molho Cru and mackerel in mustard sauce

What is tinned fish and why should you give it a try?

Some call them curated tins of fish. Maybe your Mom or Grandma called it tuna or sardines.

In Portugal and Spain, they are called conservas, described as freshly-tinned fish and shellfish, preserved in a liquid. Sardines, tuna and mackerel filets are the most common, packed in olive oil. Some are sold intact and others as filets. Other seafood including octopus and squid are also canned and can be flavored with pickles or peppers.

"It's the perfect pantry staple," said Benevides. "Each can has a five-year shelf life."

There's no cooking required. Open the can and they are ready to eat.

Some of the tinned fish at the Fearless Fish Market, 721 Hope St., in Providence.
Some of the tinned fish at the Fearless Fish Market, 721 Hope St., in Providence.

In Portugal, canning tins is a 100-year-old-plus industry, he said. While there once were many canneries, now there are only a dozen or so. Pinhais Conserva is a most prestigious brand. Minerva is another popular brand. They have 400 canned tins at Portugalia.

These companies fish the Portuguese coast seasonally, then preserve the catch in the cans. When a lot is sold out for the year, it's gone.

"A little-known fact is that Portuguese tuna is fished in the cold waters of the Atlantic and most come from the Azores as well as parts of the Mediterranean," said Maria Lawton, local cookbook author and award-winning host of “Maria’s Portuguese Table,” produced by WSBE, Rhode Island’s PBS station.

"Tinned tuna is still the number one export from Portugal to the USA, but in Portugal, it's the tinned sardine that is king and best seller," she said.

Some of the tins of fish purchased by Natalia Paiva-Neves on a recent trip to Spain.
Some of the tins of fish purchased by Natalia Paiva-Neves on a recent trip to Spain.

Tinned fish are the perfect snack right out of the can, or as an addition to a meal, said second-generation Portuguese restaurateur Natalia Paiva-Neves, who works with her father Dinis Paiva at O Dinis, 579 Warren Ave., East Providence. The restaurant doesn't serve tinned fish but it is a big part of her home kitchen. Her sons have grown up on the tins.

Paiva-Neves describes the tins as "works of art." The producers of conservas have been known to hire artists to design them. Perhaps that is why they have been described most recently as "affordable luxury" in the media. Many are beautiful to look at.

When she returned home from a recent trip to Spain, her sons were pleased to see all the tins she brought home.

Natalia Paiva-Neves, who runs her family restaurant O'DInis in East Providence, talks about her family's love of tinned fish.
Natalia Paiva-Neves, who runs her family restaurant O'DInis in East Providence, talks about her family's love of tinned fish.

The tinned fish trend

At Portugalia, Benevides said his family didn't see this trend coming but the first signs of the tinned fish revolution were pre-pandemic. Then with everything shut down due to COVID-19, social media influencers took to TikTok to create videos around tinned fish. They prepared boards (like cheese or charcuterie but with fish). They launched tin fish date nights and created recipes with tinned fish.

Michael Benevides and his family have run Fall River's Portugalia Marketplace for 35 years. They've never seen a trend like the one for tinned fish.
Michael Benevides and his family have run Fall River's Portugalia Marketplace for 35 years. They've never seen a trend like the one for tinned fish.

The public ate it up, literally – hook, line and tin cans.

The signs are everywhere, Benevides said.

In Boston, the haley.henry Wine Bar opened with a full menu of fish tins at Downtown Crossing and earned a James Beard Foundation nomination for outstanding wine program in 2020.

Just this past summer, The Fantastic World of the Portuguese Sardine opened in Times Square in New York City. The specialty shop is wall-to-wall tinned fish tins, operated by the company that owns Comur, an artisanal maker in Portugal.

As for Portugalia, they are planning a collaboration with Harrison Weinfeld, known as The Sardinfluencer on Instagram. They will sell a curated tinned fish box that is already being teased on his Instagram page. It will include tins and recipes, said Benevides.

Also fueling the trend is the packaging with the lovely tins, agreed Benevides.

Tinned fish cans photographed at Fearless Fish in Providence.
Tinned fish cans photographed at Fearless Fish in Providence.

Perhaps the leading reason Benevides says tins are here to stay is that they offer healthy, sustainable species of fish. The sardines, mackerel and other fish provide a great source of omega-3 fatty acids that support heart health.

The producers of the tins use old preservation techniques without a lot of equipment, he said. "It highlights a category that didn't have a lot of love."

"It’s not entry-level fish," he said. "They have pretty intense flavor profiles."

But, the Portuguese sardines are second to none and affordable. The tuna is exceptional and sourced from day boats that are dolphin-safe. Mackerel, octopus and cod are all delicious options, he said.

Conservas Pinhais, one of the biggest and most elite names in tinned sardines in Portugal, offers tours of their plant near Porto and shows all stages of its production. That brings tinned fish into the tourism realm, said Benevides.

Where is the best place to buy tinned fish in Rhode Island?

In addition to Portugalia Marketplace, 489 Bedford St., Fall River, you'll find tinned fish specialty seafood markets in Rhode Island and nearby Massachusetts. Andrade's Catch, 186 Wood St. in Bristol and Tony's Seafood, 1365 Fall River Ave., Seekonk, are two other local sources. They are also sold at grocery stores including Dave's Fresh Marketplace.

At Providence's Fearless Fish Market, Stu Meltzer's store at 721 Hope St., you'll find a full selection of tins. He started noticing the popularity of the lineup in the past five to seven years. He called it a "European food tradition and custom that was picked up and has taken hold."

"I’m in favor of any way to get people to eat fish," he said.

Tins of fish at Fearless Fish in Providence. Owner Stu Meltzer said the European food tradition of these tins of sardines and other fish has taken hold in the U.S.
Tins of fish at Fearless Fish in Providence. Owner Stu Meltzer said the European food tradition of these tins of sardines and other fish has taken hold in the U.S.

Though he carries the Portuguese tins that he called "the heavy hitters" in the category for their history and culture, he also sells Spanish and French tins as well as Danish ones with Atlantic salmon and mussels.

"We’ve tried a lot of different tins and offer a curated selection," he said. "They are not cheap. They are a premium item." But they are the ones people are willing to pay for, he noted.

Smoked oyster tins can range from $8 to $15. Other higher-end selections include branzino (flaky white fish) and imported Portuguese bacalao, or cod. He doesn't carry it but he knows eel tins can run $70.

Meltzer noted tinned fish is even available online from Patagonia Provisions, an offshoot of the outdoor Patagonia brand.

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Rhode Island restaurants that serve tinned fish on the menu

Otra, the Providence restaurant at 303 South Main St., which specializes in the cuisine of the Iberian peninsula, has conservas on the menu. Octopus (in olive oil with Maldon salt and piementon), shrimp (with pickled shallots, carrots, charred parsley & piquillo peppers) and squid (in olive oil with orange zest and charred parsley) are the choices from chef Brian Kingsford and co-owner Jen Matta.

At Otra in Providence, owner/chef Brian Kingsford offers three choices of conserva. "We simply serve it in the tins in homage to the art," he said.
At Otra in Providence, owner/chef Brian Kingsford offers three choices of conserva. "We simply serve it in the tins in homage to the art," he said.

"It is a delicacy in Spain," said Kingsford. "Their tinned fish is of unbelievable quality and taste."

"We simply serve it in the tins in homage to the art," he said.

Aguardente, the Portuguese tapas restaurant with an outdoor patio at 12 Governor St., Providence, offers curated tins on their menu including tuna, mackerel filets or pate, sardines (in spicy peppers or olive oil), mussels and squid. All are served with bread, red vinegar pickled onions, pepper rings, salt and lemon.

Tinned fish boards at Aguardente are served with accompaniments of bread, lemon zest, salt, red pickled onions and pepperoncini.
Tinned fish boards at Aguardente are served with accompaniments of bread, lemon zest, salt, red pickled onions and pepperoncini.

The Eddy, the Providence cocktail bar at 95 Eddy St., buys tinned fish from Portugalia and Benevides for their snack menu.

Tinned fish at home

Maria Lawton, also known as the Azorean Green Bean, makes a quick meal with tuna, chick peas, hard boiled eggs, grape tomatoes and new potatoes.
Maria Lawton, also known as the Azorean Green Bean, makes a quick meal with tuna, chick peas, hard boiled eggs, grape tomatoes and new potatoes.

"Growing up and to this day, my pantry is filled with tinned fish," said Lawton, the TV host known as the Azorean Green Bean. "I have tuna, mackerel and cod, all packed in olive oil."

It's the perfect meal for when you don't have enough time to cook, she said. "Just open a can per person and serve with whatever else you have in the pantry and refrigerator."

Fearless Fish's Melter enjoys tinned fish cans for lunch. He uses them, from sardines to mackerel, to dress up a salad. He also likes to mix them in with leftovers. He'll toss some in with leftover macaroni and rabe.

"You can also mash sardines up into a red pasta sauce and it adds a lot of flavor," he said.

Tins of sardines from Portugal can look like works of art.
Tins of sardines from Portugal can look like works of art.

The other popular use it to take the cans and put them on a board with toast points. Just like a charcuterie board but with the cans of sardines, tuna, mackerel and any other fish you favor.

Looking for more recipe ideas? Benevides said to create a Google or Instagram search for "tinned fish" and you will see many suggestions from social media.

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Tinned fish in RI: Best markets and restaurants for you to try the trend