O Mundo Fantástico da Conservas Portuguesa

It’s time to talk about one of the most delicious delicacies of Portuguese cuisine – fish in a can.

Now, some of you will be thinking, “What, like tuna? Weird sardines or anchovies? Eww …”

The fact is, canned fish – collectively known as conservas – are an important Portuguese heritage. There is an incredible variety in terms of types of seafood and preparations. Not only that, but there are restaurants who make a big deal out of serving canned fish, although typically they don’t just dump the can out on a plate and sling it at you – instead, you’ll get some extra preparation and slick presentation, treatment that these taste treats deserve.

I remember when I was a kid, my Grandpa Lou used to eat canned sardines. I actually liked the taste of “tomato herrings” (really just sardines in tomato sauce), and all my life I’ve always made a point of having at least one can of sardines in the pantry at all time, “Just in case.”

I also really like the taste of kippers, although I never have them anywhere outside the UK. And, I’ve always eaten a lot of tuna – it’s quick, it’s easy, it’s not hard to digest, and it’s cheap.

For many people, the first inkling they get of the Portuguese canned obsession is the shop, O Mundo Fantástico da Sardinhas Portuguesa. You’ll pass your first one in the airport, and they’re truly looney.

The company has been in business since the 1940s, and they’ve made the proselytizing and distribution of conservas into an almost holy mission. Their shops are a bizarre combination of seafood, circuses, and Las Vegas, and not to be missed.

In the normal world on the streets, every grocery has canned fish. Some of the small mercearia markets specialize in gourmet varieties from specific producers, or only certain types of fish (yes, there are eel shops).

The larger supermercados have a mind-boggling selection to chose from. We’ve been experimenting with different brands, and we don’t have a clear favorite as of yet.

And we haven’t just stuck with “safe” choices like tuna and sardines, either. There are mussels, and octopus, and mackerel, and cod, and the list goes on. Admittedly, we don’t like it all –Kristie won’t eat some of the stronger flavors, and I’m not big on shellfish from a can.

However, a selection we can agree on and enjoy can be found at one of our favorite restaurants here in Porto, Tábua Rasa.

Since we’ve been back in town, we’ve been semi-regulars at the restaurant. Carol has become a real friend – her generosity of spirit and the sense of welcome we get to the restaurant, city, and country is a prime example of the best Portugal has to offer.

But let’s talk food … the centerpieces of the menu at Tábua Rasa are their tasting boards. You can get a selection of meat – delicious sausages and smoked pork – or assorted cheeses – or combinations. They also have special menus degustações (tasting menus) for two, three or four people which come in two flavors – earth and sea.

The earth menu is delicious – great stuff, comes with a chouriço or alheiras sausage and plenty of other goodies. The sea menu, however, is a real treat.

You get to pick five different choices from their long list of tinned fishes. Chefs Vicinius or Francisco (Carol’s partner) then prep them with additional ingredients and assemble the gorgeous boards, which are brought to you by the ever smiling and charming Henri.

To date, my least favorite item (which I still liked and ate every morsel of) was the codfish with chickpeas. Some of the tunas, especially the Azores tuna with pimentos or the curry tuna, are taste explosions.

My absolute favorite so far are picas – tiny little garfish in olive oil. Having never even heard of these in the US, it was an adventure trying them, but I now look for picas whenever we’re in a shop with a good selection of conservas, and I’ve tried a few different varieties.

And by the way, the sardinhas no molho tomate? Tasting them was, for me, like Proust eating a Madeleine – I was suddenly back in my childhood home, listening to my grandfather complain while munching down tomato herrings. It’s moments like that which truly make me appreciate the wonder of this experience!