Clearwater Republican. [volume] (Orofino, Idaho) 1912-1922, 1914-04-03
Facts About Sardines.

Facts About Sardines.
Sir Walter Scott failed to mention
the French sardine when he wrote his
history of France. He did not tell US
whether the line of Louises and Ma
poleons that followed some centuries
later, ate this important item of food
or not, but it is safe bet II they did,
that they were helping to establish an
item of food that is of distinct French
origin, says David H. Lane in the Re-
tailers Journal.
For many centuries. these fish have
been very numerous along the French
coast and during the early ages as
we'll as in scientific circles now, they
have been known not as sardines, but
as pilchards.
The industry of packing the imma-
ture pilchards in tins was started IN
France in 1922, and the fish so packed
and imported into this country are
universally known as sardines.
The word sardine has now become
anglicized.
The meaning Of the term being the
immature pilchard prepared and pack
ed in oil and in tins.
In the beginning Of this industry,
the growth was very slow.
The goods of course meeting with
more or less favor in France and by
degrees they were introduced to the
other various countries of the civil
lied world, and thirty years after the
beginning of this industry. they were
, recognized as q luxury on the tables
of the better classes in all countries.
About thirty-five years ago. thrifty
Norwegians decided to enter the mar
ket and begin packing in tins for COM
mercial consumption, these little fsh
found along their coast in such i'm
! mense quantities.
They had been used as an article OF
food for centuries past, but not In the
tins nor in oil.
The favorite way of curing these,
: being in salt or in pickle, spices and
I vinegar.
t The growth of this industry in Nor
e way has been much more rapid than
|. in France, and while twenty-five years
n ago the Norwegian smoked sardines
!, were practically unknown on the
American market, at the present time
we find them side by side on the
shelves with the best goods offered by
the best dealers in all of the large cit
:. les of our country.
q In a great many places they have
!. already taken the place of the French
. sardine and a great many dealers now
- only handle the one kind.
:. However, everybody does not like
the Norwegian way of packing sar'
dimes and still hang to the original
10 French and the olive oil without the
"a smoked flavor; but 1t Is a matter Of
n record, that during the last ten years
a. these goods have been on the increase
le until today, we are really using more
Ii of the Norwegian goods In the United
Q. States than we do Of the French
s goods.
4. Portugal and Spain have also come
sd into prominence as packers OF cheaI
:. sardines which are commonly known
- as sprats.
~ Scientifically, they are called plupe'
- sprattus. These are also known o.
=. bristling.
~ England also packs quite larg'
'r- quantity of sardines, but the Englisl
- sardine Is not so we'll known In till
country.
ut In the larger cities of Norway toda!
o. are to be found the largest cannin,
Id factories in the world for the packing
m of sardines.
-. There are a god many Of these a
"a Bergen, but it seems that Stavangel
- a little city of 10000 people, holds tn
reputation as being the greatest prt
Queer as we'll as distributor of hig
grade Norwegian sardines In Norway
It has been said that more than 8
8. 600 people living in Stavanger, ar
connected in the catching, curtnl
packing and shipping Of this commot
tn ity.
nm On account of such immense quaint
~, ties of these fish being found 80 nea
- the city of Stavanger, they can b
oe procured and packed at the minimum
w. of expense. The eating quality of Ii
ne Norwegian sardine, as of all sardine
by is governed by the physical conditio
ed. of the fish.
Mt There are some seasons when the
he are in much better condition than OF
IN ers.
I'll The fat fish are Of course the mo-
nm. desirable. but sardines are now packt
-, several months In the year.
Some of the factories Of 0tavang
y. are the most complete of any in tt
VI world.
Dps have one concern in mind that b
six factories In Stavanger and bran
DO; factories at seven other points in NJ
un- way.
Ind Last season this particular M
'os- packed more than eighteen ana OF
half million tins Of sardines, but q
,ro. a tin too many to satisfy the great
OK mand for their goods.
~ A great many of these produce
'.e have chosen the names of some of t
in notehias ~ Norway m designate tn
o. different brands.
Among them were old King Haak'
ties King Oscar and hansen.
ops Some of these concerns have tn
per own printing establishments with
full force of photographers, draugh
- men and designers.