The Invisible Druid Eats Fish: part 2
Originally published at invisible druid. You can comment here or there.
So before I get into the second part of my experiment, I want to talk a bit about how I feel today. Yesterday I had parts 1 and 2 of the experiment (that is 2 helpings of fishy goodness). Aside from one very terrible moment of gassiness (which my wife may never forgive me for) it was smooth sailing. Also, I feel good this morning. That might be because I got good sleep or because of my workout yesterday, but today I got out of bed early, made bacon and eggs and got a shower and was awake. Could be a coincidence.
Anyway, part 2 of this vast experiment was another type of fishy snack that is actually a lot more common than sardines if you're in the UK. Kippered herring.
Like this, only delicious.
A herring is, obviously, a type of fish. To kipper it means to split it from head to tail (though in this case I got neither heads nor tails). It is gutted, salted or pickled, and then cold smoked.
Well, I love things that are cold smoked and also both salted and pickled, so I figured I was all in for this treat.
What I've learned from the website is that my fishies contained herring, salt, and smoke flavor. that means to me that they probably were not classically smoked and are probably not the best kippered herring out there. The other thing that tells me this is that they are made by Bumble Bee, a company that makes tuna so bland it was featured in a Mephiskapheles song. They were, however, the only kippered herring in the store.
Kind of looks like there's be Lorna Doone's in there, doesn't it?
The packaging is not inspiring, but I am noticing a trend of salted fish coming in a red package. What is that about, I wonder? Are the fish going to be red?
Like this, only delicious.
So far, no red. This tin is just as uninspiring as the last one, so I took this "action shot" in the hopes that it would excite you. I know most of you are toggling back and forth between this and porn, so it probably takes a bit more to inspire or excite you, but what if I offered to peel back the skimpy outer layer ans show you the creamy white flesh underneath, eh?
Holy mother of space mutations! It's like a scene from Starship Troopers in there!
Okay ... now here's the thing. That doesn't look very appetizing. It honestly looks like the afterbirth from the Antichrist. But whatever, maybe it'll be delicious. It does make me feel a little strange that this portion of fish meat actually looks less appetizing to me than the sardines which were basically whole fish sand heads. Let's go through the rigmarole.
First Smell: This tin actually smells not nearly as nice as the sardines did. It's much fishier. I got complaints from my office for hours after it was in the trash, too. It still isn't overwhelming, but it's pervasive. Also be aware that I work with whiny bitches.
First Taste: I went straight for the fork here. No dainty tails to grab and no cultural precedent aside from a cracker which I do not eat. My first bite was ... considerably fishier than the sardines. A brine flavor that mimicked sea water, but not in a really bad way. I could tell it was artificial, though. This isn't the saltiness you get from a fresh oyster, but rather a parody of it. Also the bits of skin found on these was a bit like a gel. It wasn't slimy per se, but it was like a thin chicken skin would be. Not crispy like the best chicken skin, but a little soft and pliable like the stuff from the bottom. Okay, but not my favorite.
Not a speck of light is showing, so the danger must be growing...
In the end I did manage to finish this can and I even gave you the proctologist-angle-camera as proof. Was it enjoyable? it was okay. Not as nice as the sardines, but not as bad as I'd feared. The texture was just like any other fish and the smell was the worst part. the flavor was a moderate amount of fishiness and brine, but not overwhelming.
These are much lower in calories than the sardines I had (by about half). They have slightly less Omega 3, more sodium and overall are a less brilliant package. If I were to make a recommendation (so far) to the paleo world (or the world in general) it would be to eat the sardines. They're cheaper, tastier, and have better stuff inside.
But wait! There's more! At least there will be. I've still got anchovies and another type of sardine to try, so come back later for that fun!