November 2025 - Sardeenz!

Ati Manel Garfish in Spiced Olive Oil

This Ati Manel Garfish in Spiced Olive Oil was also from an order from Caputo's about three months ago. I'd seen it reviewed, largely knew what to expect, so it wasn't like I was putting off opening the can. But, when I finally did so, it was with a modicum of apprehension, the horse mackerel experience being still fresh in my mind.

Initial impression upon opening the can: 4.8/5.

Very interesting appearance. Slender, tubular fish. Shiny skin with no apparent scales. The oil is tinged red, I assume from the pepper. The aroma is of a fresh fish, but not like that of sardines or tuna, or even mackerel. Different, but not bad.

A sip of the oil is only mildly seasoned. Other than the fish, olive oil and salt, the only other listed ingredient is "chilli". But it's not hot at all. Nothing hitting the back of the throat.

The fish are firm, and pull from the can completely intact. A sample taste is both unfamiliar and familiar at the same time. The meat is tender, not dry at all. It's sort of like sardines meets mackerel.

Let's Proceed

I put them out over rice, and found something vegetal underneath. Initially, it looked like a sliver of carrot, but I knew it shouldn't be. Apparently, the pepper was laid open, ostensibly to release its flavor.

It wasn't hot, though, having more of a pickled taste. If anything, the predominant seasoning was the salt, and, at 400 mg, I thought its level was just right.

Cautiously, I poured only about half the oil left in the can over it all.

Pierced with a fork, the fish reluctantly separated into bite-size pieces. As I went, I still wasn't getting any heat, but the mild seasoning was pleasant enough. I dumped the remaining oil over the rest.

Overall, I'm glad I tried this. I don't know if it made me want to run out and buy more garfish, but the experience was worthwhile.

Main Takeways

Fresh fish flavor with a meaty texture
Not really all that spicy

Brand: 100 Misterios / Ati Manel
Description: Garfish in Spiced Olive Oil
Species: Belone belone
Country of Origin: Portugal
Source: FAO27, Northeast Atlantic
Skin/Bones: Yes/Yes
Net Wt: 4.2 oz.
Price Range: $8

Wildfish Cannery Smoked Coho Salmon

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I've been sitting on this can of Wildfish Cannery Smoked Coho Salmon for almost three months now. I like to mix things up, and it seemed like time to revisit salmon. It came with my second order from Caputo's, who stocks a nice selection of Wildfish Cannery at good prices. Let's try it.

Initial impression upon opening the can: 4.8/5.

C'mon, now. There's room for a little more salmon in there. It's a typical premium smoked salmon packing style. Filets are cut cross-wise into 1" wide strips, smoked, and then coiled up in a small round can.

The aroma is quite smoky, courtesy of natural alderwood smoke. A sip of the can liquid is similarly smoky. There's also a sweet molasses smell to it.

Seasonings include brown sugar, garlic, black pepper and salt. Quite a bit of salt. It's listed as 220 mg. per serving, and the can is two servings. I'd say it tastes like quite a bit more than 440 mg. A very salt-forward profile seems to be common with smoked salmon. And hey, get your own can.

Bland rice has a way of tempering the saltiness, so I was in luck. I poured everything including the can juices out over it.

The texture is firm, but the meat flakes without much effort. The skin, which usually adds a fatty element to the mouth feel wasn't doing all that much here.

Briefly, I had thoughts of what I might embellish this with, but decided to leave well enough alone. I found myself thinking maybe this is too smoky or too salty, but neither stopped me finishing the whole thing

If I were to add something, it would have to bring a sweeter element to help offset the overt smoke and salt. Maybe Fly By Jing Sweet + Spicy.

Main Takeaways

Good natural alderwood smoke
Tastes saltier than advertised
Good price point for premium smoked salmon

Brand: Wildfish Cannery
Description: Smoked Coho Salmon
Species: Alaskan Coho salmon
Country of Origin: USA
Source: FAO67, Northeast Pacific
Skin/Bones: Yes/No
Net Wt: 3.5 oz.
Price Range: $9

Starkist Yellowfin Tuna with Roasted Garlic in EVOO

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Yep, you read that right, Starkist. This upgraded tuna packed in EVOO from them has been around a few years. But it only recently came up on my radar. Actually, the fact that the can reads Solid Yellowfin Tuna with Roasted Garlic in EVOO is what got my attention. I wanted to try the plain version, but it was only available in a 4-pack. That would still have been under $8. Instead, I went with this roasted garlic version, just $2.14 per can at Walmart. There was also a lemon dill flavor, but my interest was more in the tuna itself. Let's see if I'll be going back for more.

Initial impression upon opening the can: 4.8/5.

Not bad looking tuna. Some intact muscle peeking through there. No overt aroma of tuna or garlic to speak of. A sip of the oil is neutral, and still doesn't reveal anything of the seasoning. Another thing I noticed is there's not much oil. The net weight is 4.5 oz. The listed dry weight is only slightly less at 4 oz. That's noteworthy.

I poked around a bit before de-canning. That in the upper part of the photo, what looks like tuna debris, is actually confined to just the top. Underneath a very thin layer of it is rock-solid tuna.

I used the debris as an initial tasting sample. It has a soft, moist texture. The tuna flavor is mild, but I'm not really getting much in the way of garlic. It says roasted, so the expectation would be of something more mellow than fresh garlic. Instead, my impression is, if anything, of lemon. Unless that's included in "natural flavors", I can't say why I perceive that. Perhaps it's what happens when "dehydrated garlic, roasted garlic" meets a nice, mild tuna with only a hint of that inherent tuna "tang". Regardless, I liked it.

Let's See What We've Got Here

I just realized there's a setting on my camera that lets tuna, when dumped out over rice, look more like it does in reality.

You can see the solid chunks, which are as thick as the can is deep. Whatever garlic is in there isn't perceptible to the naked eye.

I worked my way through half of it as-is, until I was satisfied with my opinion, which was a definite positive.

If you've been following along for any amount of time, you know what I did next.

Yes, and this time it's Momoya Chili Oil with Fried Garlic (Taberu Layu ). It supplies the requisite amount of crunchy garlic, but with a hint of sweetness and a decidedly peanut-y character. The label is entirely in Japanese, but from what I can gather, it does not contain peanuts. Of the dozen or so jars of chili crisp I have, it's a favorite. It's not too salty, so it really complemented the flavor of this tuna.

One thing I noticed that has me puzzled. There's no country of origin listed on the label. Starkist produces flavored tuna in pouches that state it next to the best by date. Also absent is the expected California Prop 65 warning.

Attractively priced in quantity at Amazon.

Main Takeaways

Quality, mild tuna flavor and solid chunks of it
Not sure what to say about the garlic, or the lack of it
Priced right, high QPR

Brand: Starkist
Description: Solid Yellowfin Tuna with Roasted Garlic in Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Species: Thunnus albacares
Country of Origin: NS
Source: FAO NS
Skin/Bones: No/No
Net Wt: 4.5 oz.
Price Range: $2

Ortiz White Tuna in Olive Oil

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This Ortiz White Tuna in Olive Oil was on sale at Whole Foods. I had the one in the smaller round can before, and this one in the oval can appears to be the same thing. It looks like Ortiz is phasing out, or at least minimizing the use of the term "Bonito del Norte" on US packaging of their tuna. This oval can used to say it, and the UPC is unchanged. The Whole Foods receipt stills says "Ortiz Bonito Oil Can". I've never seen any oil of any kind in a can shaped like this. Other than most people's unfamiliarity with the term, I'm not sure of the reasons behind removing it.

Initial impression upon opening the can: 5/5.

As with the smaller round can, this is nice looking tuna. This one is 20 gm. more in net weight, not even an ounce, and I'm not sure why they sell both. The oval is a more traditional shape for European tuna, though.

A sip of the oil is very neutral. The label doesn't tout it as anything special. The aroma is that of a mild tuna. A small bite reinforces that, with just a bit of tuna "tang", but overall a very mild flavor.

The texture is very soft. Between it and the flavor, I could probably just eat the entire can as-is. But I won't.

Let's Eat

I was able to dump the contents out over rice largely intact. You can see the thickness is pretty much the depth of the can. No laying a pretty tuna steak on top. No pieces parts hiding underneath.

On the other hand, this isn't $3 or $4 a can tuna. Regular price is closer to $8. The sale price put it just above $6, and I think that's a bargain considering it's a pole & line-caught tuna.

Let's Crunch It Up

Always looking for ways to up the tuna game without mayonnaise, I added a couple of toppers.

On the upper half is some garlic furikake, a veritable kitchen sink of flavors including sesame, nori seaweed, crispy rice, barley granola, black pepper, licorice. The ingredient list is mind-boggling. It even has some bonito flakes. If it wasn't quite so salty, I'd snack on it by itself.

On the lower half is Fly By Jing Xtra Crunchy Chili Crisp. It's more nutty and sweet, but with a moderate kick of Sichuan pepper.

I enjoyed what each brought to the party.

Main Takeaways

High quality tuna
Mild flavor
Melt in your mouth texture

Brand: Conservas Ortiz
Description: White (Albacore) Tuna in Olive Oil
Species: Thunnus alalunga
Country of Origin: Spain
Source: FAO27, Northeast Atlantic
Skin/Bones: No/No
Net Wt: 3.95 oz.
Price Range: $7-8

Eagle Coin Fried Dace with Salted Black Beans

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Uncharted territory, here, folks. I got this Eagle Coin Fried Dace with Salted Black Beans at a recent trip to an Asian market. I had seen some online reviews, and was intrigued. Apparently, I had either not watched those reviews closely enough, or I had forgotten what I had seen. Here's my cautionary tale.

Initial impression upon opening the can: OMG, what have I gotten myself into?

Click and enlarge that image of the open can if you dare. Wow, I did not remember this "presentation" at all. It all looks kind of over-fried and dried out. There are some fins, and a tail. Also a few black beans. There's an aroma of whatever the beans are seasoned with, I suppose. It's fragrant in a way I can't really describe, which is concerning.

Here We Go

Uneasily, I peeled back the top layer of fish to reveal this. And I'm not kidding, I was just reading a social media post about the Emerson, Lake and Palmer album cover with the HR Giger artwork. You know, the guy who designed the creature in the movie "Alien".

Initially, I had big ambitions of serving this over sticky rice with perhaps some gohan desuyo or taberu layu. Maybe that seems like some Asian culinary mis-fusion, but I had to be ready for the worst.

I pulled all the fish parts out into a bowl. There were a lot of black beans underneath. I tried them, and to my taste, it was salt and umami overkill.

I continued by separating out all the fish parts that I had decided I definitely was not going to eat into a pile. Fins, tail, spines. What remained were some filets(?) with a few soft pin bones left in them.

It Gets Worse

I can only describe what I did eat as a grease-soaked fish jerky. So tough it was, I had to tear it apart with my fingers. Admittedly, I knew going in that dace is another word for a carp. A trash fish, unless it's a colorful koi, an ornamental pond fish which you don't eat.

I continued in fits and starts until, after about three tries, I just gave up. Blame my unsophisticated Western sensibilities if you will, but I just couldn't go on. Then, I tried some more of the black beans alone, but it was too late. I threw in the proverbial towel. I need to go wash this smell off my fingers now.

So, the rest of lunch consisted of my bowl of sticky rice, augmented with some gohan desuyo, the kind with shiitake mushroom, and a bit of taberu layu chili crisp. I'll reward myself later with a snack of something I know I'll like.

Main Takeaways

Visually "arresting"
Chewy and greasy
I should have paid closer attention to reviews already seen

Brand: Eagle Coin
Description: Fried Dace with Salted Black Beans
Species: Cirrhinus sp.
Country of Origin: China
Source: FAO NS
Skin/Bones: Yes/Yes
Net Wt: 6.5 oz.
Price Range: $3-4

Minerva Limited Edition Tuna Filets A Poveira

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This Minerva Limited Edition Tuna Filets A Poveira is from a recent International Loft order. As with other limited edition Minerva offerings, the can is encased in a dark, shiny gun metal blue wrapper, inserted into a sleeve printed in metallic red and gold graphics. When I ordered it, I mistakenly thought it was "a poveira", and meant "with pepper". While that sounded intriguing, it was completely wrong. But it turned out well.

Initial impression upon opening the can: 4.9/5.

Those are some nice chunks of tuna. Two big filets that reach all the way to the bottom of the can. No pieces parts hiding underneath here. There's an earthy, vegetal aroma. A sip of the oil is similar. There's no heat, but it is seasoned. There's some parsley on top. The meat is a dark pink, and it's hard to tell if the reddish tinge of the olive oil is skewing it darker than it actually is.

Reading the label reveals they are immersed in a concoction of olive oil, onion, vinegar, paprika, spices (unnamed) and salt. A bite of the meat has a strong tuna flavor. Some quick research shows it's skipjack, a species often caught in the environs of Portugal. This fact was obscured by the importer's label covering the original carton labeling. Even with the marinade, it has a slightly dry mouthfeel, but it's not off-putting.

Let's Dive In

I was able to extract both filets from the can fairly intact. Dumping them over rice, they were followed by some slivers of onion. I also emptied the rest of the marinade content over everything.

I busied myself flaking the filets apart. The meat is firm, yet the layers parted easily.

As I ate, I could detect the subtle note of the vinegar through the flavor of the fish and onion. The salt level is a low 140mg.

I briefly considered digging out some condiment to see how it went with this, but ultimately decided against it. I wouldn't be averse, however, to making this tuna the star of some type of tuna-centric dish.

What's "A Poveira"?

Well, it momentarily escaped me that Minerva is a brand produced by Conservas A Poveira. It also appears that the word "Poveira" is an adjective referring to the city of Póvoa de Varzim, Portugal. So, it's kind of like this tuna is by A Poveira, in the Poveira style. Or something like that.

This was a little spendy at $8, but I don't feel it was overpriced. If I find another comparable to it for less, I'll let you know.

Main Takeaways

Nice solid chunks of tuna filet
Stronger skipjack tuna flavor
The seasoning is subtle, but complements the tuna well

Brand: A Poveira/MInerva
Description: Limited Edition Tuna Filet A Poveira
Species: Katsuwonus pelamis (Skipjack)
Country of Origin: Portugal
Source: FAO27, Northeast Atlantic
Skin/Bones: No/No
Net Wt: 4.25 oz.
Price Range: $8

Porthos Sardines in Hot Tomato Sauce

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These Porthos Sardines in Hot Tomato Sauce are from a recent run to World Market. My previous satisfaction with a similar selection from Nuri had me curious. Those were the same price, albeit from a different vendor. Let's see how it went.

Initial impression upon opening the can: 4.9/5.

Nice looking fish, even partially obscured by the tomato sauce. There look to be five fish. They maybe could have fit one more in there. The label actually says "Fish - min. 65%", a notation I don't recall seeing before.

The aroma is fragrant and tomato-y. A sip of the oil (sunflower)/sauce mixture echoes the tomato aroma. The flavor is mild, with a slight sweetness of ripe tomatoes. But I'm getting no heat.

The first fish out breaks apart somewhat easily. A bite of it reveals the meat is tender and moist, with a good sardine flavor. Porthos is consistent in that respect. The salt level is about right, just enough to not be missed. Still no heat, though.

The tomato sauce/oil combo is thick enough that it sticks to bites of fish dredged through it. It has the taste of a tomato sauce that has been seasoned, but not necessarily by hot pepper.

Clearing out more of the can, I find no pepper underneath the fish. Looking at the label, it just says "natural chilli flavoring". Hmmm... Well, that's kind of disappointing.

Main Takeaways

Flavorful tomato sauce, even if absent the promised heat
Good quality Portugese pilchards, nonetheless

If this can's lack of heat isn't an anomaly, I think I'll stick with the Nuri for spiced sardines in tomato sauce. I still like the Porthos Spiced Sardines, though.

Brand: Conservas Portugal Norte / Porthos
Description: Sardines in hot tomato sauce
Species: Sardina pilchardus
Country of Origin: Portugal
Source: FAO27, Northeast Atlantic
Skin/Bones: Yes/Yes
Net Wt: 4.4 oz.
Price Range: $6