Fishwife has become one of my favorite tin fish brands; cute packaging and delicious flavors — sign me up. (Photo from Fishwife)

Many readers know — as I’m sure I have written about it before —  I am a proud Japanese-American. What this means is that, when I was growing up, holidays, birthdays and other celebrations were adorned with a unique protein: fish. 

Fish is a huge part of Japanese cuisine; I mean, sushi is a prime example. Sushi and sashimi are such a classic staple of Japanese food — there’s literally a conveyor belt restaurant dedicated to them. 

This past year, my family and I expanded our conception of what fish could be. That expansion has entailed venturing into the realm of tinned or canned fish. 

Tinned or canned fish is exactly what it sounds like: it’s fish or other seafood that is packed in a tin or can and preserved through either water or olive oil. Due to this process, the packed seafood has a long shelf life and retains its freshness. 

Now, there’s plenty of negative preconceptions of tinned fish — and, let it be known, I have also had similar preconceptions. Vicious visions of soggy tuna on bread and tasteless sardines wafting in the kitchen used to enter my mind’s eye.  

Those preconceptions changed when I received a phone call last fall from my parents. They had just gathered their Costco haul and came back with Fishwife’s Smoked Rainbow Trout. Reviews were in, and they were raving. 

Founded in 2020, Fishwife is a tinned fish brand owned by Becca Millstein. The brand is focused on ethically sourcing high-quality fish from skilled canneries. Millstein was inspired to create the brand from living abroad and seeing the culture of tinned or canned fish in Spain. 

My parents became obsessed with the rainbow trout, and naturally, I had to hop on the train. I vividly remember going home one weekend, trying some trout on toast with a little bit of avocado. Woah. Woah. Life-changing. 

I was hooked on not just the Fishwife train, but also tin fish in general. 

Fish are known for being a heart-healthy, high-quality protein. Packed full of Vitamin D and Omega-3s, there are all sorts of positive benefits to aquatic consumption. Tin fish adds that extra layer of accessibility with a long shelf life and minimal prep time. 

One of my go-to meals last semester, when I had a spare tin or two of fish, was a rice bowl. Besides the necessary tin fish (the type of fish didn’t matter; fish is fish) and rice, the other important ingredient was kimchi — a Korean staple of fermented vegetables and spicy flavors. 

Another great tin fish meal I have enjoyed was a tuna melt. My friend and I, after winter break, got together and made tuna melts with Fishwife’s Albacore Tuna in Spicy Olive Oil. I kid you not, one of the best tuna melts I have ever had in my life. 

Although there are plenty of tin fish brands out there that are just as delicious, what draws me to Fishwife is their branding. I am but a simple person — I love creative packaging and curated aesthetics; Fishwife has that on lock.  

Colorful with this floral motif on all their packaging, Fishwife makes buying a box of theirs a spiritually aesthetic experience. And, for me personally, I get double the reward when eating Fishwife: I get to eat delicious fish, and I get some cool new additions for my junk journal. 

My favorite out of the Fishwife bunch has to be either their smoked salmon or mackerel. They are both quite delicious. 

I encourage all you readers to go out and try something new, maybe tin fish. You never know how much you might actually like it. 

Hirata can be reached at [email protected].