When CamRon Drake Torain went to pick up sardines at his neighborhood grocery store in metro Atlanta earlier this month, he was in for a shock
The shelf that usually held his go-to snack was nearly empty
“I can’t believe I’m not the only one who wants these tiny creatures,” Torain joked
He’s been eating sardines for years. But the canned fish has become surprisingly hard to find, thanks in part to a surge of social media attention that has turned sardines into the internet’s latest food obsession
An empty shelf at a metro Atlanta grocery store reflects the growing popularity of sardines, which have gone viral on TikTok. (Courtesy of Olivia LaBorde)
In recent months on TikTok, the hashtag #sardines has racked up more than 110,000 posts. Some creators have dubbed the moment “Sardine Girl Summer,” making the canned fish into an aesthetic that includes skin care. But behind the trend is a food with a nutritional profile that helps explain why sardines have attracted so much attention in the first place
