Podcast Summary: The Wirecutter Show

Episode: Tinned Fish is Finally Having the Moment It Deserves

Hosts: Christine Cyr Clisset, Kyra Blackwell
Guest: Marguerite Preston, Editorial Director, Wirecutter
Date: April 1, 2026

Overview

In this insightful episode, hosts Christine Cyr Clisset and Kyra Blackwell are joined by Marguerite Preston—Wirecutter’s editorial director for kitchen coverage—to explore the recent surge in popularity of tinned fish in the United States. Highlighting why these once-overlooked pantry staples are now delicacies, the conversation covers how to shop for, serve, and enjoy tinned fish, focusing on both beginner-friendly and advanced picks from Wirecutter’s exhaustive guide. The episode includes practical serving advice, recommendations for all budgets, and a fun lightning round.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Tinned Fish: From Mundane to Must-Have

[01:21–02:11]

• Christine reflects on missing the tinned fish trend, sharing her background from a commercial fishing family:
  "I feel that I should have jumped on the tinned fish bandwagon a few years ago. It’s become so popular. You’re seeing tinned fish at specialty shops and places like Whole Foods ... And I come from a commercial fishing family. I grew up here canning tuna at home." (Christine Cyr Clisset, 01:30)
• Marguerite points out this is new for America, but not for other cultures:
  "The popularity has exploded in America. ... To go to a bar in Spain or Portugal and just get tinned fish with your drink and that's it. But in America, I can only theorize ... It sort of started picking up steam in the pandemic." (Marguerite Preston, 06:02)

Memorable moment: The pandemic and social media (particularly TikTok) are identified as critical drivers for tinned fish’s new status as a luxury snack.
“A lot of these fancy tinned fish just look really beautiful. ... TikTok honestly, probably did a lot for kind of popularizing tinned fish at a time when we were at home and kind of, like, looking for entertainment." (Marguerite Preston, 06:45)

2. Testing and Categorizing Tinned Fish

[05:24–10:10]

• Marguerite and the kitchen team tested over 100 cans, aiming to capture both "variety and delight" rather than just the basics; focus was also on aesthetics for gifting and entertaining.
• Three main categories in their guide:
  • Sardines & Mackerel
  • Tuna, Salmon & Trout
  • Mollusks & Bivalves (oysters, clams, squid, etc.)
• Marguerite on broadening horizons and gift-worthiness: "I almost thought of and approached this guide as kind of like one of our gift guides ... looking for variety and delight and something that you would want to bring as a host gift or open up and serve as a pretty spread." (Marguerite Preston, 09:36)

3. Beginner-Friendly vs. Adventurous Choices

[10:10–12:19]

• Marguerite recommends trout, tuna, and salmon as entry points, describing trout as especially mild and accessible:
  "Trout is maybe one of the best. It's like a really nice, mild, light fish ... If you're fish wary, that's where I would start." (Marguerite Preston, 11:00)
• For more adventurous eaters, mackerel and sardines (oilier, fishier), or mollusks and cephalopods, can be more of a challenge in flavor and texture.
• On texture:
  “Some might even describe [cooked mollusks/clams] as worse [than fresh] … it is like this, you know, creature with this one really does have all its organs inside of it. Like, it’s a funny bite.” (Marguerite Preston, 11:57)

4. Why Is Fancy Tinned Fish So Expensive?

[12:19–13:44]

• Marguerite explains higher prices come from ingredient quality, hand-packing, small production runs, and artisanal methods:
  "It's these little really old-school canneries where there are people individually cutting the fish and carefully placing them into the can ... All of that manual labor adds to the cost." (Marguerite Preston, 12:38)
• The guide prioritizes "special, gifty occasions" over everyday lunch-box staples.

5. How to Serve Tinned Fish for Maximum Appeal

[14:10–19:47]

• Marguerite suggests using tinned fish as part of appetizer boards, paired with flavors for contrast:
  • Acid (lemon, pickled peppers)
  • Cream (mayonnaise, crème fraîche)
  • Fresh herbs for color and brightness
  • Crackers or sliced bread
• "The fish, because they're canned, even if it's like a mackerel with lemon ... the lemon flavor is gonna be more of the floral, rindy lemon flavor than that kind of bright, acidic thing. So like a nice little squeeze of fresh lemon or some kind of acid ... chopped up fine herbs ... Also for some ... you might want to add a little kind of creaminess." (Marguerite Preston, 15:57)
• On presentation: Serve from the can if it's beautiful, but decant unattractive ones (notably cod liver).

Notable Exchange

On Cod Liver

• "It actually sounds like a punishment. But ... it’s supposed to be like the foie gras of the sea, right?" (Christine, 18:13)
• Marguerite: "It looks God awful when you open the can. But ... I would describe the flavor as like anchovies and butter. Like, it's this salty, very savory, fishy flavor ... Highly recommend it. But if you put a little on toast, you do a little squeeze of lemon, you chop some herbs ... would be a really beautiful appetizer." (Marguerite, 18:18)

6. The Top Tinned Fish Picks

[22:05–27:30] Marguerite's four favorites from the guide:

1. ABC Trout in Curry Sauce (Portugal) – “The trout is really nice ... but then the curry sauce is like this thick, creamy sauce ... all the spices taste really fresh and bright. It is so good.” ($18–20/can, Marguerite Preston, 22:32–23:19)
2. Fishwife Smoked Mackerel with Chili Flakes – “Heavily smoked ... this beautiful kind of dark, burnished brown color. The smoke flavor is really nice. It's balanced and woody ... with a bit of spice ... really rounds out the flavor.” (24:10)
3. Minnow Cod Liver (sourced from Iceland, $10) – “It’s different and it’s really special ... anchovies and butter, which is, like, a thing that I love.” (25:24)
4. Wild Fish Cannery Smoked Salmon – "It is just so incredibly beautiful and good ... the flavor and the texture is just really buttery and meaty ... dense and buttery and meaty in a really amazing way." (26:08)

7. How to Shop for Tinned Fish

[27:33–29:49]

• Country of Origin: Not a clear indicator of quality; great tinned fish comes from worldwide traditions.

• Sustainability Certifications: MSC (wild) and ASC (farmed) are ethical signals but don’t guarantee better flavor.

• Packed in Oil vs. Water: Oil preferred for flavor and texture.
  “For all of the reasons that, like, toast is better with butter, ... fish is better with oil.” (Marguerite, 29:34)

• Online Sources:

  • Rainbow Tomatoes Garden – "widest selection of tinned fish of any retailer in the world" (30:15)
  • Caputo’s – excellent range and descriptions
  • Latte – a smaller, curated subscription service

8. Lightning Round: Marguerite's Hot Takes

[31:57–34:17]

• Best beginner tin: "Fishwife smoked mackerel, but also Minnow makes a smoked trout that is really lovely... it actually kind of tastes like bacon." (32:20)
• One fancy tin to try: “Ramon Pena is a Spanish brand. Everything we have tried ... is really incredible and delicious.” (32:35)
• Most underrated: "Cod liver." (32:50)
• Most overrated: "Tuna ... I want more oily fish." (32:55)
• Past expiration date? "Yes." (33:08)
  • “Vintage sardines ... There is a school of thought that sardines, I think it's especially sardines and tuna canned in oil, get better with age, huh?”* (33:26)

Memorable Quotes

• On price and value:
  "It's a special occasion thing. It's not like you're buying this for your lunch every day." (Marguerite, 13:40)

• On oil vs. water:
  "Fat is generally better than not fat." (Marguerite, 29:21)

• On pairing:
  "For some of these ... you might want to add a little kind of creaminess to it. I really like just mayonnaise ... hot sauce ... chopped herbs." (Marguerite, 15:57–16:51)

Final Thoughts from the Hosts

[35:27–36:33]

• Kyra: “I like tinned fish, but I'm not really gonna go out and buy it specifically. ... The Fishwife mackerel does look good. Looks affordable for my price range and most importantly for me, it looks accessible because I've definitely seen it at my local grocery store." (35:32)
• Christine: "I am feeling pretty pumped and inspired to do some kind of appetizer fish at my next gathering. ... I'll probably focus on some of the more approachable options that Marguerite talked about ..." (35:53)

Useful Timestamps

• Tinned fish trend origins: 06:02–07:19
• Testing and guide categories: 08:06–10:10
• Entry-level recommendations: 11:00–11:18
• Serving suggestions: 15:57–19:47
• Top product picks: 22:26–27:30
• Shopping advice: 27:33–30:15
• Lightning round: 31:57–34:17

Conclusion

This episode provides a lively and practical overview of the tinned fish renaissance, with expert advice from Marguerite Preston on what to buy, how to serve it, and why you should give it (or gift it!) a try. Beginners and aficionados alike will find actionable insights, product picks, and delicious serving ideas—plus validation for keeping that mayo-hater in your tasting group.

For more details and links to Wirecutter's tinned fish guide, check the show notes.