The Truth of Sardine Pizza: Taste, Toppings, and Benefits

Have you ever tried sardine pizza? Oh yes, you heard me correctly.

Now, anchovies on pizza are a pretty common and popular scenario. However, sardine on pizza is surprising. However new it may sound, sardine pizza is nothing out of the blue.

In fact, sardine pizza is an authentic Italian pizza containing fish, onions, and other toppings. This pizza is a bit meaty, oily, and salty, with a fishy flavor. Sardine pizza is highly healthy, almost similar to anchovies pizza – rich in omega-3 fatty acids, protein, vitamin B12, vitamin D, etc.

However, there’s more to sardine pizza, and to learn all, you need to stay with me till the very end.

So, keep reading.

Sardine Pizza: What Makes It Special?

Sardine pizza is an authentic Italian pizza, mainly a Sicilian delicacy. Due to the availability of fish, people used to love putting fresh sardines on pizza. The pizza is unique in taste, flavor, and aroma.

The small, silvery, elongated with a single short dorsal fin and no lateral lines or scales – sardines are amazing to eat. And when they pair with crispy dough, tomato sauce, and cheese – well – the vision is enough to make your mouth fill with water.

1. Taste

The state is what makes sardine pizza special. The pizza primarily offers salty, fishy, and strong flavors.

However, you can stay away from it if you don’t like pizza with strong fishy flavors. 

2. Texture

The texture of sardine pizza is meaty, dense, and oily. Well, in this case, this particular pizza is oily due to the fish oil; however, pizza can be oily and fatty for several reasons.

Despite the meaty oily texture, the pizza crust can be anything from thin and crispy to doughy and chewy.

3. Ingredients

Sardine pizza contains almost similar ingredients to anchovy pizza. The pizza mainly has a garlic-olive oil base. Besides, it contains onions as toppings with sardines.

However, if you want a tangy, saucier pizza, you can add tomato sauce, puree, or any other sauce you prefer.

4. Procedure

Making the perfect sardine pizza requires perfect dough. You can make your own pizza dough home or purchase it from a store.

Following that, cover the crust with tomato sauce. After that, finish the topping session by adding sardines, spices, and cheese to the pizza. You can also try sardines in tangy tomato sauce; it’s delicious.

Finally, bake it for about 10 minutes at 200 degrees Fahrenheit.

5. Where you can find

Sardine pizza originating in Italy, so if you want to experience its true flavor, you should eat it there. But you can make your sardine pizza home by following the authentic recipe.

Pizza made with sardines must be a go-to dish for anyone who enjoys food with a strong fish flavor and saltiness. However, not everyone enjoys the fishy taste of pizza. 

Sardines Vs. Anchovies On Pizza

Sardines and anchovies are commonly used on pizza, which is rich in omega fatty acids. However, sardine pizza, on the other hand, has a much milder, rounder, and less fishy flavor than anchovy pizza, which has a strong salty, flirty, and fishy flavor.

So, if you like to add intense flavor to your pizza, you should choose anchovies for toppings rather than sardines, as sardines provide intense flavor.

Let’s examine the nutritional distinction between sardine pizza and anchovy pizza separately. The nutritional facts for 1 slice of sardine pizza and 1 slice of anchovy pizza are listed below. 

How Is Sicilian Sardine Pizza different?

Sicilian sardine pizza is an authentic creation coming out of Sicily, Palermo. The city has an abundant resource of seafood – sardines – that enables the creation of this fishy delicacy.

Authentic Sicilian sardine pizza usually consists of fresh sardines instead of canned sardines. Yes, you can use canned sardines while making it at home. However, you will never get that fresh fishy aroma that makes an authentic Sicilian pizza unique.

In addition, the pizza contains toppings – olive and onion, instead of the cheese in Neapolitan pizza. Moreover, in authentic Sicilian sardine pizza, you will see the use of Caciocavallo or Provolone cheese instead of mozzarella.

Finally, most Sicilian pizza comes square rather than regular round ones. However, using the Sicilian recipe, you can choose a regular round one while making sardine pizza at home.

Can You Use Canned Sardines for Sardine Pizza?

You can definitely use canned sardines for sardine pizza. Well, fresh sardines are not available all the time. So, in that case, canned sardines are a real help.

The best part of using canned sardine is the fish is already cooked. So you don’t have to prepare it separately before topping the pizza. Instead, just put it on the pizza and bake.

Moreover, sardine pizza with canned fish is tasty with a beautiful texture and aroma.

However, try to use olive oil-based sardines instead of water-based sardines. It will substitute oil and enhance the pizza flavor incredibly.

How to Make Canned Sardine Pizza?

Well, you can make your sardine pizza by using canned sardines, which are available in grocery stores. However, you should pick sardines that are heavily infused with olive oil when buying canned sardines rather than those that are infused with other oils. 

Additionally, it would be ideal if your sardines in a can were packaged in spring water. 

Remember that canned sardines typically contain a lot of sodium; therefore, choose sardines that aren’t loaded with excessive sodium. In that case, you ought to check the cane’s salt content.

Ingredients

Steps to follow

1. Combine the dry ingredients—flour, yeast, and salt.
2. Add warm water and olive oil; thoroughly combine for 10 minutes.
3. When the dough is ready, cover it for 30 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, take the preparation of making tomato sauce.
5. Fry the garlic cloves for two minutes in the olive oil.
6. Add tomatoes and fry them for a minute.
7. Add tomato puré and cook until it is ready.
8. In a pan, place the dough.
9. Using a gentle flattening motion, stretch your pizza dough.
10. Create numerous holes in the dough using forks.
11. Apply a little olive oil to the dough.
12. Add tomato sauce. 
13. Spread mozzarella and cherry tomatoes.
14. Put canned sardines on it.
15. Bake it for 8–12 minutes at 200°.
16. Finally, ready to serve it.

Can You Freeze and Reheat Sardine Pizza?

Sardine pizza is easy to make and delicious to eat. However, the best part is you can enjoy it for many days by keeping it in the freezer.

When it is cool enough, put the slices in an air-tight freezer-safe container, placing them between parchment paper. You can keep safe in this way for a month.

Now, what to do while eating frozen sardine pizza?

Bring them from the freezer, put them in the fridge, and let them thaw overnight. Next day, warm the pizza on the baking sheet at 350F degrees in the oven. Your pizza is ready to eat.

However, if your pizza doesn’t smell good or look slimy, you better discard it.

4 Health Benefits of Sardine Pizza

Small saltwater fish, known as sardines, are generally packaged, cooked, and prepared in a particular way. They can, however, be added to your pizza to make it delicious. However, sardine pizza is known for its essential nutritional value, which may benefit your health.

Let’s look at its benefits.

1. Omega-3 fatty acids

Pizza with sardines is good for your heart, as sardines are naturally high in omega-3 fatty acids. Sardines help to reduce bad cholesterol (LDL) and increase good cholesterol (HDL), which may prevent heart disease and stroke. 

It might also act as a preventative measure against cancer as well as control conditions like eczema and rheumatoid arthritis.

2. Proteins

Sardine pizza is a good source of protein, which is necessary for constructing bones and muscles. It also plays a crucial role in tissue repair, growth, and development.  

Additionally, consuming enough protein may help you burn off more body fat and maintain your energy levels for a long time, which may result in weight loss.

3. Vitamins

Sardine pizza is rich in vitamins, including vitamin B12 and vitamin D.

Vitamin B12 aids in your blood cell production, bone health, DNA creation, and many more. On the other hand, vitamin D promotes the health of your muscles, bones, and teeth.

4. Minerals

Sardine pizza contains minerals like niacin, iron, zinc, potassium, magnesium, and phosphorus, all of which are necessary for bone, muscle, heart, and brain health.

FAQ’s:

• Is sardine pizza healthy?

The quantity you eat will determine whether or not sardine pizza is healthy. Sardine pizza is incredibly healthy because it contains omega-3 fatty acids, proteins, vitamins, and minerals. On the other hand, Sardine pizza is high in sodium and cholesterol and could be harmful to your health if you overeat.

• Is sardine pizza good for losing weight?

You may lose weight by eating sardine pizza in limited quantities. In contrast, daily consumption of sardine pizza may lead to weight gain, as sardines are rich in sodium and oil. 

• Can I regularly consume sardine pizza?

Sardines are the key ingredient in sardine pizza, packed with oil, sodium, and cholesterol. Therefore, regularly consuming sardine pizza may lead to fatal conditions for your health.

Sum Up

Sardine pizza: a great fusion of pizza that is delicious as well as easy to cook. But is sardine pizza healthy? 

Sardine pizza is the healthiest food to eat occasionally if you want to treat yourself, but not frequently. So, if you try sardine pizza, make it at home and enjoy it.

Finally, keep in mind that to benefit and maintain your health, you should consume food healthily.