What are Cornish Sardines?

Cornish Sardines are part of the main family of pelagic fish known as clupidae and are the sub species known scientifically as sardina pilchardus. Sardines and pilchards are not herrings or sprats; they are an individual sub species of their own.

Pelagic fish are fish that spend most of their life swimming in the water as opposed to resting on the bottom. They include tuna, mackerel, herrings, sprats, pilchards and sardines.

The fish Sardina pilchardus can be found from the Mediterranean up to the coast of Cornwall. The smaller of the species are often known as sardines and in Cornwall the more mature fish, which are fatter and longer, are between 10 and 14 pieces per kilo. The Cornish season lasts from July until the following February.