Day 25

Riga Sprats Pate: After my less-than-tasty experience with potted meat a couple days ago, I figured today was a good day to redeem myself with a similar product. I've had this can of fish pate sitting in my kitchen for a couple months now, and I finally cracked it open tonight. Sprats are a type of small fish, much like sardines, and I've eaten them before in fillet form from the same canning company that made the pate. I usually buy them at the Buford Highway Farmers Market, and they're way better than canned sardines - much smokier and richer.

Given how much I love the sprats in whole form, I assumed that the pate would be just as good. It was indeed good - smoky, oily, a little fishy, and really flavorful. The ingredients were just the sprats, oil, pearl barley, onion, salt, and something called "species." I laughed about this for awhile, and I really have no idea what it means. If anyone knows, please feel free to fill me in! Maybe it's something that got lost in translation from the European manufacturer. Anyway, I spread the pate on a cracker, and it was definitely as good as the whole sprats. If you like sardines/anchovies/smoked fish at all, pick up a can of these.