The Tinned Fish That Belongs On Your Next Burger

Viral food trends are a great way to explore new flavors, and two you might have already tried for yourself are unusual burger toppings and tinned fish. From peanut butter and jelly burgers to dreamy seacuterie boards, these two crazes have been making waves in the food and cooking sphere for several years now. But did you know that they actually taste great together?

That's right: Tinned fish and burgers were made for each other. But not just any canned seafood variety will do — anchovies, the salty fish popular in several Mediterranean cuisines, can bring burgers to the next level with their rich umami flavor and salty tang. That said, you shouldn't necessarily start draping them over the top of your burger. Try incorporating them into your next burger patty recipe in a stealthier way, by chopping them finely and mixing them into mayo to use as a condiment, or whisking them into a dipping sauce, which can then be added to your taste along with ketchup, lettuce and tomato, and more.

Even if you haven't tried anchovies on a burger (or on a pizza, which is controversial but delicious), you may already be enjoying them and their umami-rich flavor without realizing it. Anchovies are a "secret ingredient" in classic dishes and condiments alike. One of the most famous examples is Caesar salad, which traditionally includes anchovies in its dressing, giving it its distinctive flavor. Some upscale restaurants still prepare tableside Caesar salads, with anchovies added into the dressing while you watch. Pasta puttanesca, a classic Italian favorite, also uses anchovies in its tangy tomato sauce.

The other way anchovies have been quietly improving food can be found everywhere from a bloody mary (or a Canadian bloody Caesar) to steak sauce to scrambled eggs. That's because Worcestershire sauce, the beloved savory condiment, is traditionally made from anchovies. While this tangy sauce is typically used in moderation, it can add umami to any number of savory dishes. While seasoning meats is arguably the most popular use for Worcestershire sauce in the United States, in other parts of the world — especially Britain and Australia — it's often used on eggs and breakfast meats.

The unlikely deliciousness of seafood and burgers doesn't have to end with anchovies. Pescatarians and seafood lovers alike can enjoy salmon burgers, made with a thick filet of the fish in place of a beef patty, or even shrimp burgers, where minced shrimp is panko-coated, fried, and served on a bun. You can find shrimp burgers on McDonald's menus in Japan and South Korea — they are especially popular in East Asia, and often taste great when paired with a savory-sweet tartar sauce.

Even if you want a traditional beef patty on your burger, there are still ways to keep some seafood flavor involved. For a luxurious treat, surf and turf burgers include both beef and seafood, traditionally lobster, though some recipes call for shrimp. There are also burger recipes that call for fish sauce to be mixed into the ground beef used for the patty, adding an extra layer of umami to the meat.