Expensive Anchovies: Worth the Hype or Overrated? (2 Brands Compared)

A few months ago, I tested whether expensive tinned sardines are worth the higher price tag that they usually have. And I could tell a difference, but I didn’t think the difference justified a 450% increase in price from the cheaper brand.

But what about expensive anchovies? Are expensive anchovies worth the price?

In the second-post of this series where I’ll be conducting blind taste tests of the same product at different price points to find out if the extra cost is worth it, I’m testing whether expensive anchovies are worth the extra cost.

The answer may (or may not) surprise you.

The setup

I purchased 2 different brands of jarred anchovies in the UK:

• Cheap anchovies: ASDA own-brand (£1.65 for 100g / £1.65 per 100g)
• Expensive anchovies: Ortiz (£9.99 for 95g / £10.52 per 100g)

The jar of Ortiz anchovies is almost 6x the price (per 100g) of the ASDA own-brand jar.

The Ortiz sardines didn’t convince me that they justified a 4.5x heftier price tag. It seemed unlikely that these anchovies could justify a 6x price increase.

But, let’s find out.

To conduct the blind taste test, I had my girlfriend blindfold me, and she arranged an anchovy from each jar into a container (big shoutout to Beth for the help).

Then, she passed me a spoon with the anchovies on it. To cleanse my palate between each bite, I used water and water crackers.

After trying each sardine, I shared my thoughts on each one and tried to guess which one I was eating.

Presentation

Before Beth blindfolded me, I inspected each jar to see what we were dealing with.

Though I don’t count the aesthetics of the packing in the ratings, you can’t deny that the Ortiz looks notably more appealing. In the branding department, the Ortiz brand wins hands down.

But what about the fish itself? When I opened each jar to see what we were dealing with, the difference between the two anchovies astounded me.

The ASDA own-brand anchovies were unappealing grey slivers that were depressing to look at. In isolation they don’t appear so bad, but when placed side-by-side with the Ortiz brand, their inferiority is quickly exposed.

The Ortiz brand have an almost meat-like colour to them. They’re large, well-formed and appealing.

If I were intending to use the anchovy as a garnish on a caesar salad or on a burrata, the choice is clear.

Taste

But does the aesthetic difference translate to the taste? With the blindfold tightened firmly around my eyes, I set out to find out.

Unbeknownst to me, the first sardine my girlfriend fed me was the Ortiz brand. “So nice,” I immediately responded. It had an excellent texture and (matching with it’s aesthetic) an almost meat-like taste. I noted that it tasted something like a thick piece of bacon, though its flavour was subtle. And despite being stored in oil (as is standard for jarred anchovies), there were little signed of “oily-ness”.

In short, it was (and still is) the best anchovy I’ve ever tasted.

But what about the ASDA own-brand?

When I put it into my mouth, the differences were readily apparent.

First, the texture almost literally shocked me. It had a spiky texture, possibly due to bones. Whatever the cause, it wasn’t pleasant on the tongue.

The taste itself left lots to be desired. It had a fish-like taste, of course, but it was mainly bitter, nowhere near as nuanced and was a lot more oily (from the oil in the jar) than the Ortiz brand.

I went back and forth between the two, and concluded definitively that the first was the Ortiz brand, and that it was my preferred option.

Conclusion: are expensive anchovies worth it?

Of course, that was the case. And if you’re asking for 6 times more money from your customer, you had better be delivering better quality. There is no doubt that Ortiz are doing that.

But is it worth the extra price tag?

That depends. Unlike with the sardine taste test, I think that the taste difference is substantial enough to justify paying extra. But not always.

Here’s my verdict:

• If you’re going to eat the anchovy raw (like in a salad, on a cheese board, or as a snack), I think it’s worth paying the extra for expensive anchovies.
• If you’re going to add it to a cooked dish (like with Kenji’s umami bomb), then go for the cheaper stuff. Expensive anchovies are a waste as the texture and subtle taste differences will be lost when it’s cooked up.

Do you disagree? Let me know in the comments why I’m wrong.