Ortiz anchovies are tastiest, but also priciest

While these tiny, briny fish come in a variety of forms - anchovy paste, packed in salt, rolled with capers - we stuck to the ones packed in olive oil in either tins or jars.

In addition to serving our panelists whole fillets, we mixed small, equal amounts of each anchovy brand with mayonnaise, as for a sandwich spread or salad dressing base, to provide a better sense of how they'd perform in a more practical application.

First place went to Spanish brand Ortiz ($11.49 for 3.3 ounces, 1.9 ounces drained weight, at Whole Foods), which scored enough points to land a spot in our Hall of Fame.

(Panelists also tasted the brand's fillets packed in glass jars for comparison, though those fared less favorably.) While tasters felt the fillets had a "creamy texture," which might be "OK for mincing," others found them "mealy."

Panelists were Linda Anusasananan, food writer, San Mateo; John Carroll, cookbook author, San Francisco; Lynne Char Bennett, Chronicle staff writer; Marc Halperin, culinary director, Center for Culinary Development, San Francisco; Rosemary Mark, recipe developer, Walnut Creek.