Sardina pilchardus vs Sardinella: what fish is really in your tin?

Sardina pilchardus: the European sardine

Sardina pilchardus is the only species in its genus. It is a small, oily schooling fish of the herring family (Clupeidae) found in the northeast Atlantic and the Mediterranean, from the North Sea down to the coast of northwest Africa. When a Portuguese cook says sardinha, this is the fish they mean.

Portugal's canning industry grew up around it. From the second half of the 19th century, canneries opened in Setúbal, Matosinhos, Peniche, Portimão and Olhão to process the sardine landed by local purse-seine boats. Houses such as Ramirez (1853), Minerva, NURI and Bom Petisco still pack Sardina pilchardus by hand, usually in olive oil, tomato or with a little piri-piri.

Seasonality matters. The fish is leanest after winter spawning and builds fat through late spring and summer, which is why canneries prize summer catches for their richest tins.

Sardinella: a genus, not a single fish

Sardinella is a separate genus in the same Clupeidae family, with more than twenty recognised species. Among the commercially important ones are round sardinella (Sardinella aurita), Madeiran or flat sardinella (Sardinella maderensis) and the Indian oil sardine (Sardinella longiceps).

They do not share one home. Round sardinella occurs on both sides of the Atlantic and in the Mediterranean; flat sardinella is fished heavily off West Africa; the Indian oil sardine is a staple of the Arabian Sea and India's southwest coast; other species are landed across Southeast Asia. All of them are edible, widely eaten fresh and canned, and important to coastal food security.

So “sardinella” is not a lesser grade of sardine. It is a different group of related fish, each with its own size, texture and fishing tradition.

What the Codex standard actually says

The international reference is Codex Alimentarius CXS 94-1981, the Standard for Canned Sardines and Sardine-type Products. It lists Sardina pilchardus by itself and then a list of other species, including several Sardinella, Sardinops, Clupea, Sprattus and others, that may be used for sardine-type products.

Under Codex, the plain name “sardines” is reserved for Sardina pilchardus. Products made from the other listed species are named “X sardines”, where X is a country, a geographic area, the species, or the common name of the species according to the law and custom of the country where the product is sold, in a way that does not mislead the consumer.

Codex is a reference, not a law in itself. Each country or trading bloc writes its own rules, and how strictly they follow the standard varies. That is why you should read the species line rather than rely on the front of the tin.

Taste, texture and nutrition: keep it honest

Sardina pilchardus is prized in Portugal for firm, meaty flesh and a clean, rich flavour that suits olive oil. Sardinella tins vary widely by species, size and recipe, and many are excellent. Any difference you notice usually owes as much to the catch season, handling and cannery as to the species.

Nutritionally, both are small oily fish that supply protein, omega-3 fats and, when bones are left in, calcium. Exact values depend on species, season, fat content and the packing medium, so compare the nutrition panel of the specific tin rather than assume one genus is always better.

Why Portugal's conservas are tied to one species

Portuguese canneries are part of a local chain: boats fish the Iberian sardine off the coast, the fish is brought to the cannery quickly, and skilled workers trim and pack it by hand. Producers often mention the species and the Portuguese origin on the tin because that chain is the point of the product.

That is the selection SARDINHAS focuses on: Portuguese houses canning the European sardine, with the species, ingredients and producer on the label so you can check them yourself.

Sardina pilchardus vs Sardinella at a glance