The unlikely story of how tinned fish became 'Hot Girl Food'.

Tinned fish was once the height of an antisocial snack. 

Frankly, the smell is enough to put anyone off within a 10-metre radius (especially in a communal office kitchen) and the leftover oil in the tin inevitably spills everywhere. 

But like many cultural and culinary phenomenons, what is daggy becomes desirable again with the ebb and flow of the trend cycle. 

Who would have guessed it, but the humble can of tinned fish is now cool.

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But it's not only 'cool' - it's 'hot girl food'. 

Predicting food trends is no longer just the domain of elite chefs, food critics, futurists and gourmands. Somehow it's fallen into the hands of the youth of TikTok.

You see, they determine what's 'hot girl food' and what's not. 

And while you may think it's as simple as labelling an ingredient as hot or not with a hashtag - the use of the term 'hot girl' has a traceable history. 

You may be happy to just embrace and lean into the trend without thinking too much about it, but if you're interested in over-analysing internet trends like me, then read on.

Let's go on this journey together of finding out exactly what it means to be a so-called 'hot girl', what 'hot girl food' is and why - oh why - it has to be tinned fish.

What is 'hot girl food'?

To understand 'hot girl food' we must first understand what 'hot girl' means. The term 'hot girl' originated from American rapper Megan Thee Stallion. It started as a derivation of her self-coined nickname 'Hot Girl Meg'. Megan then featured the term "hot girl sh*t" on one of her songs and then cemented the term in her song Hot Girl Summer featuring Nicki Minaj. 

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In an interview with The Root, Megan said of the term, “It’s just basically about women - and men - just being unapologetically them, just having a good-ass time, hyping up your friends, doing you, not giving a damn about what nobody got to say about it."

Her fans then took this phrase and ran with it, dubbing anything 'hot girl' from their outfits to their moods.

So unlike the traditional meaning of the word hot, being a 'hot girl' is more about a mentality, a state of mind. A feeling of confidence and self-love. It's meant to be inclusive. 

So how did hip-hop fandom turn into the viral trend we know today? 

Like many co-opted cultural trends, what once originated with black women has ended up being used by the masses. Anything can be 'hot girl' now, from hot girl decor to hot girl walks, to hot girl food. It's all about the lifestyle. 

So why tinned fish?

Is this 'hot girl food' harmless?

Essentially yes. I think in terms of all things that could become viral, this is fine. 

It's better than other trends like the one where people were eating those multi-coloured detergent pods that looked like lollies or that drink-sculling challenge.

At least now we're eating Omega-3-rich proteins. It could be worse.

It's also a relatively cheap and accessible trend. You won't be forking out loads of cash to get involved. 

Just make sure you choose sustainably caught seafood (you can check the sustainability of your fish here.)

In terms of whether it's harmful to be posting about a trend just because it's cool - let's not be too worried about that either. We're only human. 

Tinned fish in everyday life.

Now that we've covered the theory behind the hot girl/tinned fish relationship, let's look at how the trend is playing out in everyday life. 

Tinned fish is literally everywhere. The category is booming. According to Bloomberg, the global market for canned fish is expected to reach $36.7 billion USD this year, up from $29.75 billion in 2016. It's also set to grow by $23.7 billion over the next five years. 

So you'll continue to see it pop up on restaurant menus. Chefs have always loved tinned fish and you'll often hear them say that it's a 'pantry staple' for them. I once read that Ottolenghi's guilty pleasure food is smoked, tinned oysters. 

Tinned fish in restaurants will often be served as an entrée alongside some kind of starchy vehicle to facilitate fish to mouth.

Tip: If you're a real hot girl you'll put the fish straight from fork to mouth. Such a palette flex. 

The tinned fish trend has also trickled out of restaurants and into supermarkets. (Well, they've always been there, but many have overlooked that section.)

As a tinned fish enthusiast myself, I believe there is a pecking order of tinned fish. I may be adding to the snobbery around the whole trend but I can't help but add my two cents. 

My favourites are:

• Brunswick Brisling in olive oil (these have the least fishy taste if you're a newbie)
• GoodFish Mackerel in olive oil
• Ortiz Sardines in olive oil
• Capriccio Anchovies
• Sirena tuna in chilli oil

In terms of recipes, you can't go wrong with some tinned fish and salad for lunch, or get fancy and try something like a Caesar salad with sardines or pasta with anchovies.

Will you jump on the tinned fish bandwagon? Are you already on it? Let me know in the comments below!

Feature image: Instagram/ Fishwife