Disappearing fish
I have been immensely frustrated of late, about the disappearance of two of my very favourite fish from the supermarket shelves. At first I just thought it was a temporary shortage but it's now been at least two, possibly more months since their disappearance. So today I tried to find out what happened. With mixed success.
First the above - Sole Mare sardines in extra virgin olive oil. They are my favourite available - well not now - sardines after a bit of a taste test of what was available. Ignoring the hugely expensive gourmet varieties that is. I haven't actually tried them, as I'm not sure I believe that tinned, processed sardines can be that much better. As long as they are in olive oil is the real thin g I think. The Sole Mare ones taste of the sea somehow.
A day or so ago I sort of gave up and went to buy a tin of Aldi's Portview sardines in oil - my second choice - from Thailand I think or maybe Vietnam - and not extra virgin olive oil, but OK. Some of the others I tasted were really not as good - even some of the more well-known brands. And yes the Sole Mare ones are more expensive - $3 something if they aren't on a special, but I will pay that. Fortunately I can. And I get at least two lunches of sardines on toast out of them.
I wrote about sardines on toast years ago I think - such a simple, tasty and healthy thing, even if you do nothing to them than squash them on to a piece of buttered toast with the oil poured over the top. There is of course so much more that you can do with a tin of sardines, and I've probably written about that too - so not today.
So today I found that there is indeed a major shortage of sardines on supermarket shelves. And this is due to very poor harvests - everywhere it seems - due to el niño in the Asian area - causing warm waters and disrupting the monsoon. I'm not quite sure what the problem is over in Europe - possibly a mix of the same too warm waters, and overfishing.
Another factor has apparently been a huge increase in demand for tinned sardines, which everyone seemed to put down to economy and an interest in the very healthy qualities of them. Not to mention tasty I would guess. The demand is continuing in spite of the increasing cost
My second disappearing fish is Goulburn Valley smoked trout. And nobody seems to have an answer for this. Goulburn Valley smoked trout is still being made, and there don't seem to be any problems with the business, even if it is a family business. The Woolworths website seems to imply that that are expecting to restock it this month. Coles does not have it on their website. I wonder what went wrong. Were there difficulties with supply? Or price? I once was told that Robinsons mincemeat had been withdrawn from Coles because of the uncertainty of supply. So maybe that's the problem. Here's hoping that Woolworths get it back. Aldi have never stocked it.
I truly miss this. There are not the ethical and environmental problems of smoked salmon and it is absolutely delicious and so very versatile - quiche and risotto are my main go tos with this particular ingredient, but there is so much more that you can do with smoked trout.
And whatever happened to smoked mackerel as well?
I should find out where I can complain to the supermarkets about the smoked trout, as there really doesn't seem to be a problem. Yes it's a higher end product, but I would have thought that my own suburb was one which fitted into the sector that would buy it. After all they sometimes disappeared until a new shipment arrived before. Which surely must mean they were popular.
Enough - I must go and make dinner from leftovers - another frugal but fishy meal - tinned salmon and mashed potato fishcakes - another frugal meal from my youth. And I gather tinned salmon is disappearing too. For all the reasons associated with sardines.
Why won't any politicians anywhere in the world do anything serious about climate change?
A POSTSCRIPT
I received this photograph via text from an unknown number and no name. It is of seriously tasty Korean scrambled eggs and tomatoes from Sydney. And it appeared a day or so after I had written about Ottolenghi's Menemen recipe - scrambled eggs and tomato - so perhaps it came from a reader. If that reader was you - thank you so much. We would all love to know more.
YEARS GONE BY
Apologies for the over week long break. I have been busy with all sorts of trivia.
September 18
2025 - Defeated by a first recipe
2024 - Nothing
2023 - Australian/Asian
2022 - Nothing
2021 - Missing
2020 - Missing
2016 - Lay off the cheesecake
Mysteries of the market, world supplies (of sardines) and readers (now solved)! 🤪
The mysterious Korean eggs and tomato photo was from Wendy