One of best ways to enjoy the outdoors is on the lake fishing. Ironic is one of simplest snacks that accompanies a fisherman on a regular basis is sardines. Each tiny little 'fishie' is packed with protein, vitamins, and nutrients that can lower blood pressure and help reduce the risk of a heart attack or stroke. Pretty cool! The art of fishing is not for everyone...some just don't enjoy it (heaven forbid!) while others just don't have the opportunity (how sad!). The fishes on today's menu are those tiny ones prepacked, in fact, in a tin and not for everyone...they are very fishy!

November 24...

Meet the Moroccan Sardine

http://foodstoriesblog.com/2012/11/24/top-3-food-photos-for-november-so-far/

Sardines are one of the world's healthiest foods! They are tiny little silvery fishes, not a single type of fish but various small saltwater fish related to herring. They can be bought packed in water or oil (olive, soybean or sunflower), some even are 'swimming' in tomato sauce or 'floating' in mustard. For sure, regardless how they are packaged they have been totally cleaned, fully cooked and ready to eat.

A Bit of Sardine History...

The term sardine was first used in English during the beginning of the 15th century, possibly coming from the Mediterranean island of Sardinia where there was an abundance of sardines.

There are a multitude of ways to enjoy the sardines other than simply eating them out of the tin. Maybe this celebration will shed a totally different light on the fishy little fish, the sardine!

http://www.food.com/recipe/sardines-on-toast-444213

Sardines on Toast (Recipe)

http://www.food.com/recipe/sardine-puffs-199111

Sardine Puffs (Recipe)

http://www.food.com/recipe/jalapeno-and-sardine-tartines-418914

Jalapeno and Sardine Tartines (Recipe)

http://www.food.com/recipe/penne-con-la-sardine-baked-pasta-and-sardines-188941

Baked Pasta and Sardines (Recipe)

http://www.food.com/recipe/nickeys-sardines-223798

Nickey's Sardines (Recipe)

The world's top producer of sardines is Morocco.

On the occasion of the "National Day of the Sardine", Minister of Agriculture, Aziz Akhannouch, said that Morocco is in a noble position, vis-a-vis the sardine. However, others claim it is a shame that the everyday fish of coastal folks is a luxury elsewhere in the country.