Baltic Gold

The large print on the jar says “Sardines,” but the small print says “Sprats, Sprattus sprattus.” Baltic Gold whatever-they-ares are incredibly delicious: tiny, tender, lightly smoked fish from Latvia. The only catch, as it were: once opened, the jar goes in the refrigerator and the remaining fish are to be consumed within twenty-four hours. The label says so. So an 8.82 oz. jar requires some dedicated interest in smoked fish, and maybe more than a single eater. Add bread or crackers, a little olive oil (to supplement the jar’s rapeseed oil), and a few flakes of red pepper. The 8.82 oz. will disappear.

I found Baltic Gold in an international foods store and called Gold Star USA in Brooklyn after finding nothing about Baltic Gold on the company’s website. But no, this product has not been discontinued. It’s in their downloadable catalog. “They’re great!” I said to the person on the phone. “Very high quality,” she said. “Enjoy.” Yes.

Related reading
All OCA sardine posts (Pinboard)

[“Sprats are not sardines, but they are closely related”: Trevor Day, Sardine (London: Reaktion, 2018).]