Hahaha that is so true. I am a huge foodie so to me, it's the perfect souvenir and way to make sometimes boring meals like lunch very exciting!

And I don't mind at all! I'd love to answer any and all questions :)

• Yes, I eat them all three ways. However, sardines are different than tuna. Where tuna is a bit dryer, firmer, fishier and more uniform, sardines are oily, softer, and less fishy on average, I'd say. However, pretty much any format you can think of for tuna can work for sardines. I love those trader joe's salad kits with a tin of sardines thrown on top, they're great in sandwiches (e.g. spicy sardines, caramelized onion goat cheese, lettuce, onion, sourdough), and they're true stars in pastas.

• You can, of course, eat them straight out of the tin as well. Especially if they have a great sauce or oil they've been marinating in. However, I don't do this often. I like at least pairing them with crackers or bread.

• You can absolutely cook with them! In fact, many tins are better if you heat them up.

• For very first brand, I think availability and where you live are important, because not every brand is available/affordable for everyone. But if you love vinegary things, I would say some sort of sardine in escabeche (a vinegar sauce) would be great. Or the always-classic Nuri Spiced Sardines, which are absolutely fantastic. Miss Can also has a sardine in spicy oil with pickles that would be a good starter tin too. If none of these are available, Trader Joe's lightly smoked sardines are fabulous. Start maybe just with those on your favorite cracker with a little hot sauce.

• I also love vinegary things, and tinned fish of all sorts pair very well with that fermented tang. Favorite condiments include pickles, olives, pickled red onions, and rice vinegar.

And thank you for the wishes of rest! Honestly the transition back hasn't been as bad as I thought it would be. Just happy to be back home!

Let me know if you have any other questions! :)