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White Anchovies

Is there any difference between white anchovies and the regular canned variety?

Anchovies of any type come from the same variety of small fish related to herring. The only difference is in how they’re cured. Tinned anchovies are normally filleted and packed in salt for up to 10 months before being canned, usually in oil. During the lengthy salting, the white flesh turns brown. White anchovies are only briefly salted before being packed in a pickling solution of vinegar and oil. To evaluate flavor differences, we tasted each variety alone and in Caesar salad. Aficionados preferred the fuller, more intense flavor of canned anchovies, while those less enthusiastic about these small, oily fish preferred white anchovies for their milder, less fishy taste. If you buy the white variety, make sure to keep them refrigerated. Use the same amount to substitute them for the canned.

WHITE FISH White anchovies taste milder than tinned.

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