Pacific sardines, also known as pilchards, are a very important part of the oceanic food chain and can form schools of up to10 million fish. They are found from southeastern Alaska to the Gulf of California, Mexico as well as Peru and Chile. They prefer warmer water and live in the pelagic zone of the water column in nearshore and offshore areas all along the coast.

The Pacific sardine has an elongated body that is silver in colour with dark blue on the back and shades of purple and violet along the sides. Black spots dot its back and sides, and the tail is forked. The sardine’s head is compressed and has a small mouth containing no teeth. Small, fresh sardines have a delicate sweet flavour while larger sardines have a more full oily flavour. Grilling sardines with olive oil, lemon and salt is all it takes to enjoy the rich flavor.