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The poor, divisive anchovy. A pizza topping at least as polarizing as pineapple, if not more so. A crucial element of the Caesar salad, nevertheless often picked off of the top and left to sit sad and alone on the edge of a plate. But I’m declaring here and now: I am an unapologetic anchovy fan. And, dang it, these delicate little umami bombs deserve, at the very least, your attention.
Yes, of course there are bad anchovies out there—I can absolutely confirm this after sitting at my kitchen table with eight containers of little fish, tasting each option straight from the jar or tin. But there are also some really wonderful, complex, downright delicious anchovies too. The kind you’d use in a canapé or to make anchovy toast or to top a salad (and actually eat them). In fact, some of them were so tasty and mellow, I could see myself snacking on them straight from the jar on the regular (really). Below, find the best anchovies—the ones that should always belong in your pantry for a shelf-stable hit of savory flavor.
How I tested
The anchovies many folks are most familiar with—the ones that pop up on pizzas and salads—have been filleted, salt-cured, and packed in oil in tins or jars. You might also find whole anchovies packed in salt, but for the purposes of this article, I left those alone; they require a little more work to eat, so I focused on anchovies that could be eaten directly from their containers. The salt-packed ones are great, but often come whole, requiring you to fillet them yourself, then soak them to remove the salt. Thanks, but no thanks, little fishies.
I tasted eight popular brands blind with the help of a few open-minded friends. Here are the results.
The best anchovies: Scalia
Deciding on the winner was tougher than we expected, but Scalia narrowly beat the runner-up simply because we preferred the particular flavors of the olive oil used to pack these anchovies. Scalia is based in Sicily and uses extra-virgin olive oil in each jar. This particular oil tasted fruity and bright, playing beautifully with the meaty, briny flavor of the anchovies. The oil had just a hint of sweetness that made the overall anchovy experience the most balanced of the bunch. The anchovies themselves were meaty, but not overly firm. Some of the other brands we tried were downright chewy, which made for an unpleasant experience. Scalia’s, however, were just right—not too firm and not mushy or mealy. We all agreed that we’d be perfectly happy making these a regular snack. While you could use these in a sauce or on pizza, they’d be better served as the star of the show. The Scalia also tasted the least salty of the anchovies we tried.
The runner-up: Rustichella d’Abruzzo
These are very, very good anchovies. Again, the only reason this brand didn’t win boiled down to the collective olive oil preference of our tasters. While the Scalia olive oil was fruity and bright, Rustichella’s was nutty and grassy, which also paired really well with the natural savory and briny flavors in the anchovies. Texture-wise, these fish were nearly identical to the ones in the Scalia jar: not too firm, not too soft, with a pleasant amount of chew. Like the Scalia anchovies, we all agreed that these should be the stars of any dish they appear in. Anchovy pasta, anyone?
Also great: Ortiz
These Spanish anchovies are soaked in a grassy, peppery olive oil that was milder than the Rustichella d’Abruzzo ones, but strong enough to be noteworthy. These were also the most tender of all the anchovies we tasted, barely needing to be chewed as they melted on our tongues. Once the initial taste of the olive oil passed, the anchovies were bright and briny, like a crisp wave of ocean water crashing onto our palates. Of the three front-runners, these were the saltiest, but not overwhelmingly so. We agreed that, compared to the brands below, these stood out as being good enough to have as a snack on their own or with minimal accompaniment, but are also the best contender for blending into soups and sauces given how meltingly tender they are.
Other Anchovy Brands We Tried
In order of our scores, from most favorite to least favorite:
The Takeaway
Believe it or not, it didn’t take much convincing at all to get me to take on this taste test—I was already a fan of anchovies. In fact, Ortiz had been my go-to brand for years—you can usually find it or Rustichella d’Abruzzo at Whole Foods, if you live near one. But to think that this assignment would lead me to find not just one, but two “snacking” anchovies? Top-notch. And while I don’t expect you all to run out and start chomping on plain ol’ anchovies out of the jar, I encourage you to pick up a jar of Scalia. Best-case scenario: You find them pleasant and snackable like we did. Worst case, you’ve got a jar full of umami bombs to amp up the flavor and richness of your next batches of soups, sauces, and dressings. Click here to find a few of our best anchovy recipes.
