Why are sardines a popular Jewish food?
According to Rav Soloveitchik, canned sardines are not considered to be bishul akum (food that is not permissible because it was cooked by a non-Jew) since it is not “oleh al shulchan melachim,” it would not be served at the king’s table or at a fancy dinner. Therefore, in places where it was difficult to find kosher food, observant people ate canned sardines if it was known that no other fish or ingredients were added.
It seems that Eastern European Jews ate canned sardines out of necessity and certainly not as a delicacy.
In Mediterranean cuisine, eating fresh sardines is an indulgence. The Portuguese grill them with peppers and serve them with olive oil and vinegar. The Greeks pickle the sardines with wine, vinegar and olive oil and serve them with tart yogurt. In Sicily the sardines are stuffed or shredded over pasta with olive oil and garlic. In Southwestern Italy, sardines and anchovies are made into a paste and spread on a hot bruschetta.
Moroccans make Mejujin (which literally means married). It is a pair of sardines that are stuffed, breaded and fried. Mejujin is served with Harissa spread (chili paste) and Moroccan bread.
These mouthwatering fancy fresh sardine recipes would be considered “oleh al shulchan melachim,” and are a far cry from the canned sardines that many of us are familiar with. If you have the opportunity to try one of these dishes, you will never think of sardines in the same way again.
