July 2025 - Sardeenz!

Patagonia Provisions Lemon Herb Mussels

I got these Patagonia Provisions Lemon Herb Mussels on sale last month at Whole Foods, at the same time as the Spicy Mussels and some other PP selections. So far, I've been happy with all of the Patagonia cans I've tried, so I was hopeful these would not disappoint.

Initial impression upon opening the can: 4.8/5.

Lots going on in there. Bits of onion and flecks of herbs. Nice shellfish aroma. Ingredients say lemon juice, onion, garlic, spices. The banner on the carton says "bright, zesty, savory", but I found all the seasonings to be subtle and not overpowering of the intrinsic flavor of the mussels. Kind of hard to say what all of the spices are. The carton doesn't specify what the other "organic spices" consist of. The description on Amazon says thyme, but I wouldn't have known it unless you told me. Suffice it to say they taste like what one might find in a seafood stew.

I ate these right from the can. I counted 17 mussels, mostly whole, with a few ragged ones. Overall impression was that I preferred the spicy mussels over these. But as a change of pace from other seasoned mussels, these weren't bad at all.

Main Takeaways

Good shellfish aroma
Seasonings didn't interfere with mussel flavor
Might be good in a seafood stew

See it at Amazon.

Brand: Patagonia Provisions
Description: Patagonia Provisions Lemon Herb Mussels in EVOO
Species: N/S
Country of Origin: Spain
Source: FAO27, Northeast Atlantic
Skin/Bones: No/No
Net Wt: 4.2 oz.
Price Range: $7-8

Wild Planet Wild Yellowtail in EVOO

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I found this Wild Planet Wild Yellowtail in EVOO at my local supermarket, where it seemed oddly out of place among the rest of the typical grocery store tinned fish offerings. Yellowtail, not to be confused with yellowfin tuna, is commonly called amberjack. I wanted to compare this to their smoked salmon and smoked mackerel.

Initial impression upon opening the can: 4.8/5.

A pleasant fish aroma. Chunks of white meat fish. A sip of the olive oil revealed a neutral flavor lightly infused with the taste of the fish. Ingredients include salt, and it might have benefited by a little more. Described as fillets, there were a couple of nice hunks on top, but under that were more or less small pieces. Not a big deal.

The texture was a little firmer than tuna, more like mackerel. The taste leaned more toward very mild and better quality tuna-like. Recommended.

Disappointing that Whole Foods doesn't regularly stock this although they carry an otherwise full selection of Wild Planet. Being able to catch it on sale as an Amazon Prime member would be most welcome.

Main Takeaways

Nice filets on top, not so much underneath
Generous portion, though
Needs better distribution in the marketplace

Brand: Wild Planet
Description: Wild Yellowtail in EVOO
Species: Seriola quinqueradiata
Country of Origin: Viet Nam
Source: FAO61, Northwest Pacific
Skin/Bones: No/No
Net Wt: 4.4 oz.
Price Range: $5-6

J-Basket Sanma Kabayaki

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I purchased this J-Basket Sanma Kabayaki at the same time as some of their Saba Kabayaki. The terms sanma and saury are interchangeable. I had some other saury kabayaki before, and wanted to compare brands. These were under $3 at a local Asian market.

Initial impression upon opening the can: 4.5/5.

It still has that drab, beige color the kabayaki sauce imparts. I noted a mild fishy aroma, but not off-putting. The flavor is the same mildly sweet and savory found in the others. The texture is a little tougher than mackerel, but is tender enough.

The can is packed quite full. At 3.5 ounces, it is mostly fish with barely a tablespoon of liquid. I noted a few visible hair-like bones, and crunched on just a couple of small others. A little skin here and there as well.

Dumped out and spread over rice, you can see it's a generous portion packed into the small can.

I've mentioned before that I thought I would be done with the whole kabayaki thing when I ran out of what I had on hand, but it's grown on me a little. I just wish some of these Japanese canned fish came in unseasoned versions in order to get a sense of their natural flavor.

Main Takeaways

Typical kabayaki tinned fish preparation
Generous portion courtesy of minimal canning liquid
Previous dismissal of kabayaki may have been premature

Brand: J-Basket
Description: Sanma Kabayaki
Species: Pacific saury
Country of Origin: Japan
Source: FAO61, Northwest Pacific
Skin/Bones: Yes/Yes
Net Wt: 3.5 oz.
Price Range: $2-3

La Narval Mussels with Garlic & Chili

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These La Narval Mussels with Garlic & Chili were a little spendy. But, having been impressed by their Tuna Ventresca, I decided to "shell out" and get them.

Initial impression upon opening the can: 4.8/5.

Some nice looking shellfish here. Plump and swimming in olive oil (not EVOO, though) with a slight reddish tinge. The oil had the subtle aroma of garlic, and the color I attributed to the chili. Initially, I didn't find physical evidence of either in the can.

The La Narval website says to expect 12 to 16 mussels per can. I counted either 14 or 15. I didn't find the meat as inherently sweet as with some others, but they were tasty nonetheless. If, as they say, you are what you eat, then maybe the Galician Coast has some different phyto-plankton affecting the flavor of these.

If there was any heat, it was really way in the background. Maybe some Salsa Espinaler might have perked them up a bit, but I didn't have any at hand. They were enjoyable anyway.

At one point, I found what looked like a tiny kidney bean. Since I know mussels don't have kidneys or livers, I had to make a closer inspection. It turned out to be the smallest chile pepper I've ever seen.

Main Takeaways

Appetizing appearance
Sparse seasoning left us wanting something more
Quality mussels, regardless

Best price on these is a little over $7 at World Market. Luckily, I have one nearby.

Brand: Don Gastronom/La Narval
Description: Mussels with Garlic & Chili
Species: Mytilus galloprovincialis
Country of Origin: Spain
Source: FAO27, Northeast Atlantic, Galician Coast
Skin/Bones: No/No
Net Wt: 3.9 oz.
Price Range: $7-8

Mina Skinless Boneless Sardines in EVOO

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I don't see these Mina Skinless Boneless Sardines in Extra Virgin Olive Oil anywhere locally except one supermarket. There, they kind of stick out like a sore thumb among the multitude of cans of Beach Cliff and Chicken of the Sea. The store must not sell many, as I noted the best by date was only 18 months away. They were a little pricey, but I bought a can to try, anyway.

Interesting carton. The repeating graphic is four fish tail-to-tail. Gold leaf accents give an upscale touch.

Initial impression upon opening the can: 4.75/5.

There was enough headroom for maybe another fish in there. At 4.4 oz. listed weight, I expected a tightly-packed can. Clean aroma. A sip of the oil had a peppery note, which I attributed to the EVOO itself and considered a positive.

The ingredients list only the fish, EVOO and salt. Very tender fish with a nice mild flavor. Not dry. I ate them with no extras or add-ons. I found them comparable to King Oscar, except for the loose packing.

Main Takeaways

Might have been shorted a fish
Nice EVOO
King Oscar still our go-to for boneless skinless pilchards

See it at Amazon. About $3 per can in quantity there.

Brand: Mina/Casablanca Foods, Inc.
Description: Skinless & Boneless Sardines in Olive Oil
Species: Pilchards
Country of Origin: Morocco
Source: FAO34, Eastern Central Atlantic
Skin/Bones: No/No
Net Wt: 4.4 oz.
Price Range: $4-5

Season Grilled Mackerel in Olive Oil

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I have seen favorable reviews of this lately, and decided to give it my own assessment. This Season Grilled Mackerel in 100% Olive Oil is widely available, typically seen sold alongside other Season Brand tinned fish products in supermarkets and mass retailers.

Initial impression upon opening the can: 4.5/5.

Tinned mackerel usually isn't very photogenic unless it's been neatly sliced before packing. Here we have three can-filling fillets, more like bars of fish. Better than the amorphous chunks of some more recent mackerel tastings, though. The aroma is pleasantly fishy, not off-putting. The oil has a clean, neutral taste. The grill marks are hard to discern if they're genuine or applied artificially.

The taste is reminiscent of a mild tuna. But the texture is more firm, meatier. If actually grilled, the process doesn't seem to have added anything in the way of flavor that one might expect. I applied a little Salsa Espinaler to add some seasoning, but was undecided as to whether it was an improvement.

The "new look" carton is chock full of information. Species, catch area, country of origin, nutrition facts are all there.

Overall, this was good. If you'd like a canned fish that's less fishy-tasting than inexpensive tuna at a reasonable price, mackerel is a choice worth investigating. For under $3, I'd buy it again.

Main Takeaways

Nice filets
Whether the grilling is genuine or added anything is uncertain
Refreshing alternative to tuna at a bargain price

See it at Amazon.

Brand: Season Brand, LLC
Description: Grilled Mackerel in 100% Olive Oil
Species: Scomber colias
Country of Origin: Morocco
Source: FAO34, Eastern Central Atlantic
Skin/Bones: No/No
Net Wt: 4.375 oz.
Price Range: $3

Espinaler Baby Sardines in Spicy Olive Oil

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First foray into a group of more premium selections I've accumulated lately, these Espinaler Baby Sardines in Spicy Olive Oil are a real treat. The 10/12 designation on the carton means you are to expect 10 to 12 fish. At first glance, you might think so many fish would mean sprats, but these are pilchards.

Initial impression upon opening the can: 4.8/5.

Tightly packed can. Nice skin, torn only in a few spots, probably to be expected with a pack this tight. Clean sardine aroma. Some have partial tails, but no prickliness. A few scales to be seen, but not enough to complain about.

Pulling fish from the can, they are tender. Melt in your mouth tender, in fact. There are 5 more under the 5 visible. The spice is subtle, letting the delicate taste of the fish shine though. The ingredients list only "spicy aroma" with no further elaboration. It appears to be bay laurel at least, with perhaps the slightest hint of clove. No real heat apparent. There is no smokiness, and none is indicated on the label.

The quality is what you should expect from a premium label like Espinaler. These in the blue box are from their "classic" line. The ones in a linen toned carton are their "premium" selections. Those are more costly, and don't necessarily have corresponding versions in the classic line.

Main Takeaways

Pilchards, not sprats
Subtle spiciness
Super tender

Recommended. I'd have no problem ordering these again.

Brand: Espinaler
Description: Baby Sardines in Spicy Olive Oil
Species: Sardina pilchardus
Country of Origin: Spain
Source: FAO27, Northeast Atlantic
Skin/Bones: Yes/Yes
Net Wt: 4 oz.
Price Range: $6-7