Sardines originally got their name from the Mediterranean Island of Sardinia. The English got this term from Grecian history, where the word was used to describe the red color of the fish and the region of the sea where they were popularized. A large number of nutrients found in this fish, combined with the efficacy with which they could be packaged and shipped turned them into an important trade item in the region for centuries.
The Frenchman Nicolas Appert heralded the golden era of sardines with the invention of canning. This nifty innovation, which would forever transform the food industry, was introduced in 1810 by Nicolas Appert in his cookbook, “The Art of Preserving All Kinds of Animal and Vegetable Substances for Several Years.” Joseph-Pierre Colin, an Englishman, combined this innovation with Breton’s popular sardine storage technique and created canned sardines.