We have always been amazed by the fantastic choice of tinned fish products available in France. They are invaluable standbys, providing a delicious lunch or starter with the addition of a salad or garnish. The love the French have for these items is evident in the beautiful artwork used to decorate the tins.

Sardine canning and fishing are a traditional industry in Brittany where most French canneries remain. The area is renowned as the place where Sardine canning was invented. Douarnenez was the world's leading Sardine exporter in the nineteenth century. The sardines are fried, dried and then canned - a process known as 'prepares à l'ancienne'. In other countries they are steam cooked after canning.

Canned seafood is yet another of France's contributions to the quality and convenience of good food. At the Le Plat du Jour French food shop we have chosen carefully the best examples we can find.