They're oily. They're bony. They have a strong fishy smell, salty taste and soft texture that doesn't appeal to many. Yet, canned sardines appear to be having a moment.

'Sardinemaxxing' has emptied supermarket shelves — but the real risk might not be the one you think.

Sardines, as in, the tinned fish, are having a cultural moment, reframed as a highly aesthetic symbol of affordable luxury and health.

Sardines, as in, the tinned fish, are having a cultural moment, reframed as a highly aesthetic symbol of affordable luxury and health.

Another wellness trend has hooked social media, and this time it comes straight from a tin. “SardineMaxxing,” the rapidly spreading craze centered on eating

Once a cheap store-cupboard staple, sardines are fast becoming a luxury food item. Last year, #SardineGirlSummer saw influencers promoting the health benefits of sardinemaxxing, while sardinecore…

“Sardinemaxxing” has fuelled such strong demand in Australia that supermarkets are struggling to keep the tinned fish on their shelves.

The Future of Healthy Eating: Viral Foods Are Becoming Everyday NutritionSocial media has a remarkable ability to transform ordinary products into global conversations, and the latest example is "sard...

Do they smell great? No. Are they visually pleasing? Not exactly. But this hasn’t stopped sardines from becoming the breakout food star of 2026.

Once a cheap store-cupboard staple, sardines are fast becoming a luxury food item. Last year, #SardineGirlSummer saw influencers promoting the health benefits of sardinemaxxing, while sardinecore became the must-have fashion trend. Now, demand is accelerating just as Morocco’s sardine stock has collapsed, causing shortages on supermarket shelves. The Guardian travels to Matosinhos in Portugal, the cultural home of the sardine industry, to investigate who is profiting from the boom, how it has affected local fishermen, and what sustainability looks like in an era of global heating

'Sardinemaxxing' has emptied supermarket shelves — but the real risk might not be the one you think.

Sardines, as in, the tinned fish, are having a cultural moment, reframed as a highly aesthetic symbol of affordable luxury and health.

Sardines, as in, the tinned fish, are having a cultural moment, reframed as a highly aesthetic symbol of affordable luxury and health.

Sardines, as in, the tinned fish, are having a cultural moment, reframed as a highly aesthetic symbol of affordable luxury and health.

Sardines, as in, the tinned fish, are having a cultural moment, reframed as a highly aesthetic symbol of affordable luxury and health.