I’m craving something satisfying, a quick nutritional boost. I open my pantry. Canned beans? Too much work. Potato chips? Not exactly nutritious. My eyes land on a rectangular can. Sardines. I grab the tin, hook my finger under the tab, and carefully peel back the lid.A satisfying pop, a hiss of air. Glistening swimmers, neatly trimmed and arranged in shimmering oil. I grab a fork and dig in, savoring each salty, meaty bite. Snacking solved, oh so tastily.I liked sardines way before they were cool. Now I’m just one of many who adore the little oily fish, which ascended in recent years from unassuming to superstar.It may have started with the resurgence of shelf-stable foods during the pandemic, or record-breaking tourism numbers for sardine-centric countries like Portugal and Spain, or perhaps a renewed appreciation for sardines’ health benefits.Whatever the reason, social media is now crowded with sea-cuterie boards and sardine reviews, while sardinecore handbags, dresses, jewelry, dishes, and home decor came to define last year’s sardine girl summer. Now that being a tinned fish sommelier is an actual job, I believe we’ve reached peak sardine.To cut through the hype, we sampled 59 different tins of oil-packed, mostly unflavored sardines to find the very best. Our picks range from plump and pleasantly pungent to lean and luxurious, with budget and splurge options. They will all make your pantry a tastier place.