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Social media's hottest "trendy" food has actually been around for hundreds of years. Tinned fish — a method of seafood preservation that entails catching the fish at its peak and canning it with oils and spices — is making the rounds on Instagram and TikTok.

The salty seafood snack, often paired with butter, cheese and bread, has been declared a "hot girl food", embraced by fancy restaurants and heralded by foodies like Alison Roman. There's no doubt that it's part of the cultural zeitgeist.

It was first used in the late 1700s as a shelf-stable protein for French soldiers. Later, Spain and Portugal emerged as industry leaders, and the food evolved into an artisanal delicacy, Fishwife co-founder Becca Millstein told Coveteur. But, tinned fish culture is not restricted to Southern Europe. Japan, Latvia, Morocco, Peru — nearly all countries include tinned fish in the national diet. Only recently did it pick up steam stateside.

I kept seeing tinned fish in my social feeds, but I was particularly charmed by a "tinned fish date night" TikTok series, where the creator and her husband rate new varieties each week. After that, I knew I had to give it a try.

At Walmart, I found smoked oysters, mackerel, sardines in hot sauce, and herring for no more than a few dollars each. My husband and I ate it with baguette, mustard, cheese, pickles, fruit and vegetables. We called it "sea-cuterie."

The tinned fish were fantastic! The mackerel and herring were lovely, especially paired with creamy, mild mascarpone on bread. None of it was nearly as salty nor oily as I expected. We liked it so much that we already have four more tins on deck to try next week.

I haven't seen it on menus around Fayetteville yet, but I wouldn't be surprised if I do sometime soon. Have you (or will you) give the tinned fish craze a try? Let me know at tshook@gannett.com.

Taylor Shook covers food, dining and business forThe Fayetteville Observer. Clickhere for her most recent articles or reach her attshook@gannett.com.