May 14, 2026 · omega 3 rich
The Anchovy Issue
Six dishes that prove the cheapest fish in the ocean is also the most useful
Anchovies are the small-oily-fish that the Sicilians, Spanish, Greek, and Vietnamese all built their entire pantries around — for one reason: they're a complete protein, a 2,000 mg omega-3 dose per ounce, and they umami-bomb anything you cook them into.
Forget the pizza topping. These six dishes use anchovy the way the longevity coasts actually do: as a backbone flavoring, dissolved into olive oil, fish sauce, or pasta water.
In this issue
29g proteinBún Cá Chép (Vietnamese Herb-Broth Tradition)
A clear, aromatic Central Vietnamese fish soup featuring wild-caught protein, turmeric-infused broth, and fresh herbs. This farm-fresh adaptation strips out refined sugar and seed oils while amplifying polyphenols through turmeric, lemongrass, and fermented fish sauce.
Blueprint-Aligned Baechu-Kimchi (Napa Cabbage Ferment)
The quintessential spicy, tangy fermented cabbage of the Korean table. This version honors tradition by using wild-caught anchovy fish sauce and ripe pear for sweetness, stripping out refined sugar and seed oils to prioritize gut health and longevity.
43g proteinGaeng Tai Pla: Northern Thai Fish Curry with Turmeric and Mint
A vibrant, fiery yellow-green curry from Northern Thailand that swaps heavy coconut milk for a broth built on fermented fish paste, fresh turmeric, and aromatic herbs. This dish delivers a complex, umami-rich punch with bright notes of mint, dill, and bird's eye chilies, all anchored by wild-caught fish and healthy fats.
43g proteinGrilled Grass-Fed Pork & Herb Bún Chả
This farm-fresh take on the Hanoi classic features charred patties of pasture-raised pork shoulder served over rice vermicelli with a mountain of fresh herbs and a fermented fish sauce dressing. The dish balances savory, umami-rich grilled meat with the bright, cooling crunch of dill, mint, and banana blossom, all tied together by a broth that is sweetened solely with whole dates and free of seed oils.
Crispy Turmeric Rice Pancakes with Pastured Pork and Wild Shrimp
Golden, lacy rice crepes infused with fresh turmeric and coconut milk, filled with tender pastured pork and wild-caught shrimp. This farm-fresh version honors the Vietnamese tradition of wrapping fresh herbs in crispy pancakes, serving them with a fermented, polyphenol-rich dipping sauce instead of sugary syrups.
111g proteinBun Bo Hue: Lemongrass & Star Anise Beef Broth
A vibrant, spicy Central Vietnamese broth featuring grass-fed beef shank and pork hocks simmered with lemongrass, star anise, and fermented shrimp paste. This farm-fresh version replaces refined sugar and seed oils with date syrup and extra-virgin olive oil, delivering a deep, umami-rich bowl packed with collagen and polyphenols.
A tin of good Spanish or Sicilian anchovies (Ortiz, Don Bocarte, Agostino Recca) is the single best $8 you can spend on your pantry. Lasts months.