Sardine Queen was born out of a long time love of sardines and a lifelong love of Jewish appetizing. Even before I could make my own lunch, my mom was sending me to school with tuna and matzah. While this didn’t make me the most popular kid to sit next to, it did instill a love for all the fishy foods near and dear to my NYC Jewish roots. 

With my fish palate expanding beyond Bumble Bee tuna tucked in my lunchbox, I eventually found my queen in a tin of sardines.

It’s no secret that tinned fish are having a moment. Yet unlike most of their fellow ocean dwellers, sardines were near impossible to find outside the confines of their aluminum home. And so Sardine Queen was born as a way to highlight the versatility of this delectable fish.

Sardines deserve to come out of their tin, to rival the popular kids, lox and nova. So on their turf, I created ‘dine dip, forging the way for sardines’ rise to “appetizing royalty” as the true heir,
her majesty, the Sardine Queen.