Latvia Erects Monument to Sprats: A Great Day For Canned Fish

Monuments are made to commemorate just about everything these days, or at least so it seems. Read on and learn about Latvia’s giant effort to commemorate its status as the world’s largest sprats producer.

Sprats are little more than smoked sardines packed in a lightly- aromatic oil, but apparently that oil makes all the difference in the world. Lovers of sardines are usually over the top when it comes to an appreciation of sprats. The crème de la crème of sprats according to connoisseurs are Smoked Baltic Sprats, which are imported from Poland. According to news sources, the western Latvian city of Liepaja has erected a giant sculpture of a huge silver-colored can inscribed with the message: “Sprats. Made in 1892-Expiration Date Unlimited.” Igor Krupnik, organizer of the historic event, had this to say about that:

"We decided to immortalize sprats in their historic motherland."

Although odd and seemingly unique, Latvia’s monument is not the world’s first homage to sprats. That honor goes to Russia’s Baltic enclave of Kalingrad in the former Soviet Union. The world waits in hushed anticipation. Will there, could there…ever be a third! Go figure.