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Why Tinned Anchovies Rock

Why Tinned Anchovies Rock

& the latest caesar salad trend, umami favorites, + winning soba noodles

Jess McIntosh, Ethan Chlebowski & Keith McBrayer
January 11, 2026

Good morning. Last edition we started off the weekly ingredient deep dive with gochujang. This week we’re taking a look at tinned anchovies.

INGREDIENT DEEP DIVE 🍳

Tinned anchovies

What are anchovies?

Anchovies are small, saltwater fish found in large numbers globally, making them a sustainable seafood choice. While some cuisines consume them fresh, they are typically salted, cured, and canned in oil. In canned anchovies, the heads and guts are removed. The curing process softens the bones, rendering the entire remaining fish edible.

Even if you’ve never had an anchovy by itself, you’ve likely appreciated its flavor in Worcestershire, fish sauce, tapenade, or Caesar salad dressing.

What’s their flavor?

Taste: salty & umami

Aroma: meaty & oceanic (high-quality tins should smell mild, not super fishy)

Texture: unctuous

Brush up on these terms on our Fundamentals page, which defines all elements of flavor.

Why should you buy some?

These are the ultimate umami bomb pantry product. They’re shelf-stable and cheap, so you have no excuse but to keep a few tins around. Then you’re ready to:

Toss a few into pasta sauces, chili, and ragus for a savory boost.
Use them whole as a salty bruschetta or pizza topping.
Saute vegetables with them (or the remaining oil in the tin), or blend them into a marinade for depth of flavor.

Buying tips

Avoid anchovy paste, which is often fishy and unpleasant. Whole tinned anchovies melt immediately into dishes anyway.
If you splurge for a fancy tin from a boutique producer, try to enjoy them whole with some quality bread.
If you’re looking for a less oily product, salt-packed anchovies are delicious too, and often meatier (although harder to find).

Already an anchovy aficionado? Level up and try some dried anchovies. These are used in Japanese & Korean cuisines for flavoring broths, or fried crispy as a snack.

RECIPE RECS ✅

Other umami forward recipes

Love the taste of umami? Check out our umami forward collection on Cook Well:

FOOD TRENDS 🚀

Can the Caesar salad be improved?

The classic Caesar comprised of whole romaine leaves and a light coating of dressing might be getting overthrown.

We’ve already covered why Caesar dressing is so satisfying, but Bird Pizzeria in Charlotte, NC is one of the many restaurants that are innovating on the other components of the dish. Their version swaps the large lettuce leaves for finely chopped kale, the croutons for breadcrumbs, and ramps up the parmesan with a blanket of micro-planed shavings (a trend of its own).

This is primarily an improvement in texture:

The finely chopped kale is easier to eat & share than large leaves that almost require a fork & knife (restaurants often “massage” the kale to break it down further). The kale also brings a deeper color and light bitterness, which pleasantly balances the savory elements.
Similarly, the layer of breadcrumbs brings all the toasty saltiness that croutons do, without the hazard of biting into a stale corner of bread. Plus, because they’re finer, they get distributed into each bite.
The blanket of parm is a visual showstopper, yes (although some people criticize the messier eating experience), but it also creates a lighter, fluffier texture. The salad feels fluffy and abundant — parm-forward — instead of wet or heavy.

We’re all about it. This salad is a great reminder that our eating experience is influenced not just by taste and aroma, but especially by texture too.