Aldi Anchovies in olive oil.

peter021072

I've been trying to eat healthily by eating oily fish, so I trued these Aldi Anchovies in olive oil. I mixed them with plenty of rice, but even diluted I only just resisted vomiting due to the amount of concentrated cured salt in it, just managing to spit it out before too much damage.

After investigating further I think these are supposed to be used as an additive rather than a food to be ate directly, but I think there should be a warning, or better still allow the cook to add salt to taste. Are all tins of anchovies like this or just the Aldi ones?

I noticed a similar product was recalled in Australia and someone else made the same mistake.

It's a similar story with all foods, they should be largely free of salt and sugar because these can be easily added.

Cornucopia

Anchovies are salty. (See also Feta Cheese).

If you want a milder tinned fish that you can eat as it comes, I'd suggest the Mackerel in oil.

Woodstok2000

I love anchovies, Aldi ones are ok but not the best. They are definitely a strong flavour/acquired taste. A few on a pizza, a couple in a caesar salad maybe, theyre good stuffed into a lamb leg,but you don't need many!

gwynlas

Achovies are known to be an aquired taste for the reasons that you have found and the size of anchovy in tins limit the amount of protein for the price.

Oily fish include sardines, pilchards mackerel and herring so you are better off using these eithr in oil or with a sauce usually tomato

peter021072

Yeah I looked for the herring/ pilchards/ spring water version (don't like tomato) but they had run out. This had olive oil, but cured in salt. I suppose I'm worried about the health issues of concentrated salt as much as the taste. The Guardian ran an article in which they mentioned anchovies

'Some of the figures will make you gasp. A tin of supermarket anchovies contains 15g of salt per 100g.'

It also states, the current target in Britain is to reduce intake to 6g per person per day. You only need 3g.

Excessive salt is a major cause of strokes and heart attacks, the two major causes of death in this country. 'We could prevent 35,000 premature deaths a year,' claims MacGregor, 'if we reduced salt intake.' 

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2006/aug/20/foodanddrink.features5

Jemma01

Very brave, I just about manage salmon 😀

fatbelly

I don't add salt to anything and usually cook from fresh. I wonder if I even get 3 grams

Cornucopia

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82029347#Comment_82029347

Anchovies really aren't intended as a staple food - not in the UK diet, anyway. Most of the other tinned fish comes with tomato sauce (sometimes spicy) or oil. The only fish I've seen in water is tuna. Tinned salmon is a whole other thing.

I doubt that anchovies present a major health risk because most people never eat them, and those who do, eat them in moderation as an accompaniment to something else.

I had some anchovies on a restaurant dish a few weeks ago, but I think they must have been quite posh as they had a very subtle flavour.

LindsayT

Like others have said, anchovies are not meant to be eaten like that, they are known to be extremely salty.

peter021072

As expected, there's nothing inherently salty about anchovies. The salting/curing is all about extending shelf life. Shame because they would otherwise be a healthy food. Alas it's the same with many foods nowadays and it's believed that many preservatives have a negative effect of long term health.

The Real Reason Anchovies Are So Salty | Food Unwrapped

strawb_shortcake

Tesco do tinned mackerel in Katsu and Mustard sauce if those flavours are more to your liking - no idea on salt content though