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VERY OT: Anchovies are Nasty!
By JLP | April 3, 2006
For those of you who have always wondered, “OT” means “off topic.”
I’m 36.5 years old and had never tried anchovies until about ten minutes ago. N-A-S-T-Y! I really find it hard to believe that ANYONE besides cats would like anchovies. They taste like salt with bones! Which brings me to a question: do you like anchovies? Come on, fess up!
Topics: Miscellaneous | 12 Comments »
April 3rd, 2006 at 12:25 pm
Mmmm… Anchovies… See, I like salt. And the bones make them a little crunchy. IMO.
April 3rd, 2006 at 1:01 pm
sounds like you had some nasty canned anchovies. Scalia makes some awesome filets especially the chili flavored ones). Also try some cold pickled Boquerones. Yum, now I’m craving anchovies.
April 3rd, 2006 at 1:03 pm
I’m with LA, I love anchovies. Marinated and salted things, yum. If you mash it up and put it sparingly into pasta sauces, I bet you might like it and not even notice. I’d eat them straight or on an Italian sandwich. Not the best date food though!
April 3rd, 2006 at 1:33 pm
So, what possessed you, after 36.5 years, to finally try those horrid things? Was it a dare?
April 3rd, 2006 at 3:03 pm
I don’t much care for anchovies. Your characterization is pretty accurate. For things like anchovies, and innards, and most forms of marine invertabrates, I like to say “That’s why they created catfood, to use that stuff up.”
April 3rd, 2006 at 4:21 pm
Ewww! No, no, and no!! Only thing worse (IMO) are olives! Ugh!
April 3rd, 2006 at 6:35 pm
I secretly love anchovies.
My wife loves them and I eat them with her, but I still tell her I don’t like them.
Like many other learned tastes:
1) It requires quality (the run of the mill doesn’t taste good)
2) It requires you to find the intricacies… and it takes time.
April 3rd, 2006 at 6:53 pm
You’d never notice them in, say, Pasta Puttanesca. I add a whole can to the sauce (which dissolves), and add another can so I can actually see them and taste them.
Whole Foods sells expensive anchovies that are wonderful in caesar salad. (They’re something like $65/pound.)
Do you not like caviar either?
April 3rd, 2006 at 7:36 pm
alright I have never tried anchovies, but after this post.. I’m going to keep it that way. I don’t care how many above loves it.
April 3rd, 2006 at 8:02 pm
Mmmmm, anchovies on pizza w/ extra sauce.
April 3rd, 2006 at 9:22 pm
JLP,
I have to say that anchovies alone can be a bit trying on the pallate, salty, concentrated taste and all.
However, anchovies mixed in with other foods can be quite wonderful. It’s really an issue of complements.
Try Viener Schnitzel von Holstein (forgive my spelling mistakes). Viener Schnitzel (breaded veal), delicately breaded and fried then cooled lightly. A fried egg on top. Topped off with a anchovie. It’s actually quite good.
In central europe it’s not uncommon to have anchovies blended in with white cheeses, such as cottage cheese. Again quite good as long as the ratio works out well.
Besides CFO has a point, a caesar salad without anchovies just doesn’t taste right!
Well, it’s all in the palate of the taster, but I really recommend trying some of the above recipes. They mitigate the extreme flavour.
Have a wonderful Tuesday,
Making our Way
April 8th, 2006 at 12:16 pm
I’ve never been a big fan of anchovies either, but I once went to a part of France where they were a local specialty and that changed my mind, at least about those particular anchovies, which were not overly salty. We bought jars of them and had them for dinner half the time– with some French bread and fresh tomatoes and some nice wine and cheese, yum.