Yes, we are sardine lovers! Sardine lovers are people who love sardine cans – whether filled or empty as collectibles. Although I must say, I prefer them filled.
One of our favorite sardine brands comes from Portugal, more precisely from Matosinhos, located about ten kilometers northwest of Porto on the Atlantic coast. This is because the Fábrica de Conservas Pinhais, the Pinhais cannery, is located in this port city, which we were able to visit on our last trip to Porto.
And after this visit, I can say: It is actually more of a fish manufactory than a factory – but see for yourself!
“We recently received a delivery of sardines that is currently being processed. Come, I will show you how we do it here at Pinhais,” says Nuno Rocha, the sales manager, and takes us into the cannery.
Beautiful large, plump sardines lie in marble basins. The skin is shiny and intact, shimmering silver on the belly. It doesn’t smell like fish, just a little like the sea.
A dozen women of all ages stand at the marble basins and remove the heads and entrails with a single hand movement.
The gutted sardines end up in plastic trays and are carried by hand to the next marble basin, where the sardines are placed on wire racks, on which they are then later cooked. These wire racks are dipped individually! by hand! by the workers into a circular basin with fresh water before they are placed on metal trolleys, which are then rolled into the cooking rooms. I immediately think of a beehive: the individual movements and processes seem as harmonious and orchestrated as a ballet, there is a busy and lively hustle and bustle, and as a visitor, you had better pay attention not to disrupt this workflow and not to get in the way of one of the ladies!
Unlike Breton sardines, Portuguese sardines are not fried beforehand, but are instead steamed for 10–12 minutes at around 100°C, to about 95%. The remaining 5% are cooked during the final sterilization in the can, but more on that later.
In my opinion, the spicy canned sardines at Pinhais taste particularly good, both those in oil and those in tomato. Because they are not just spicy, but so much more… And that is thanks to the other ingredients that go into the can along with the fish and the chili pepper: cloves, pepper, bay leaf, caper, and carrot. All these ingredients are also cut by hand and placed individually in the can.
During our visit, we met Madame Laurinda (seen on the right in the photo), who would retire two days after our visit. She had worked at Pinhais since 1969, i.e., an incredible 49 years, and was still working with enthusiasm after all those years.
Mise en place is important. This is what a prepared work table looks like. The metal racks with the cooked sardines will later be placed here. The workers cut the sardines to the perfect size and place them in the cans. 
What really stands out at Pinhais: the almost complete absence of machines and conveyor belts. Only the oil is filled into the cans mechanically, and sealing the can with the lid is also done by a machine. By the way, unlike Breton sardines, the oil is not cold-pressed olive oil of the finest quality, but a good, rather neutral olive oil. When asked about this, Nuno said that this is how it is done in Portugal so as not to distort the taste of the sardine in the can with oil that is too strong and dominant. It is practically a different philosophy from the French. So if you feel like having some good oil for dipping with a Portuguese sardine, just do it like the Portuguese: Pour the oil out of the can, and simply add a generous splash of the best olive oil of your choice to the sardine…
After the cans are sealed, they are briefly cleaned in a water bath and then sterilized in autoclaves, huge pressure vessels, at 110°C for 60 minutes. Through sterilization, the sardines are fully cooked, and the cans are also made shelf-stable and possible germs are destroyed. 
Finally, the finished cans, which at Pinhais are usually not printed, are wrapped in paper by hand. Done!
We were really impressed by how much care and love is put into the work here. That it really is handmade. And how clean it was in the cannery. The Maître said he would eat off the floor here without hesitation. But we prefer to eat our sardines out of the can! ;-)
To finish, here are a few more impressions:
The Portuguese bay leaf dries in the attic and is then cut into small pieces. Of course by hand.
The Maître and Nuno:
And above it all, Maria watches from the wall. This is very important, especially for the older workers. The bell that rings in the lunch break and at the end of the day is also not entirely unimportant…
And now all I can say is: Ready, set, go! Drink a nice crisp Portuguese white wine with it, and you will immediately feel transported to the beach of Matosinhos…
