And of course they’re wonderful to eat: savory and succulent, full of salt and brine, a reminder that some foods are perfect as-is.

via Small Fish, Big Bite: All About Anchovies | Serious Eats.

Unlike Craig Cavallo, the author of this article, I don’t remember when I first encountered the anchovy. I do know that I enjoy eating them: on pizzas (cooked with the pizza or added on top afterwards), on oat crackers straight from the jar or as Gentleman’s Relish, otherwise known as Patum Peperium—little dabs on toast for breakfast or a savoury snack.

I agree with their taste test that Ortiz is the best-tasting anchovy fillet. I used to buy them from the John Lewis Foodhall, but they seem to have stopped stocking them. Prompted by stumbling across the Serious Eats article I duckduckgo’d (duckduckwent?)and found Brindisa. They have restaurants and shops, but in bits of London that I don’t normally visit, so I’d never come across them before. Plus they have an online shop that sells Ortiz anchovies and lots of other nice-looking Spanish food. First delivery due next week.