December 2025 - Sardeenz!

Espinaler Variegated Scallops in Galician Sauce

Hard to believe, but a first foray into tinned scallops. I've been sitting on this can of Espinaler Variegated Scallops in Galician Sauce for quite some time, not really knowing why I was waiting for an excuse to open it. Let's see what we've got here.

Initial impression upon opening the can: Uncertain.

There seem to be some shellfish hiding in a cloudy murk. They're variegated scallops, but some packaging calls them zamburiñas. The aroma is subtle, not really of seafood, but rather of cooked tomato with an overtone of wine. And along with oil, salt and spices, that's exactly what they're bathed in.

I fished around and pulled a few up out of the liquid to see what I had here. Looks like there are nine of them in total.

They didn't look at all like what I'm used to seeing in the way of scallops. Apparently, those pristine white pucks of scallop adductor muscle are what's left after they've been vigorously cleaned to remove any unsightly parts. The filet, if you will.

These have most of their mantle intact, or at least still attached, and as a result are a bit more rustic in appearance. Savoring the first one, I found the texture somewhere between smoked oyster and mussel. They are flavored by the sauce just enough to complement the taste of the meat. The sodium listed is a little on the high side at 543mg, but I didn't find them too salty.

Hitting The Sauce

As I plucked each from the can, I found it difficult to get any of the sauce to stick. It seemed like a layer of the oil (sunflower) was floating over the top of a nebulous, shifting mass of red. The scallops still tasted of the sauce, but I was wishing I could get more of it on them.

After finishing the scallops, I continued to examine the liquid in the can. Attempting to get a sip of the sauce, I was only getting the oil floating atop it. Stirring it, the oil and cloud of red beneath wouldn't mix. It looked for all the world like a broken emulsion.

Eureka! I used my chopsticks to whisk the oil and sauce below it into a cohesive combo, right there in the can. Then, I could easily take a taste of it in its full flavor. In fact-- and I recommend this-- for the next can, I will remove and set the the scallops aside while I do exactly this. And then I'll return them to the can for a thorough coating before consuming.

Main Takeaways

Rustic in appearance, but tasty
The sauce works well and has good balance
Another of those hard to open cans

Unfortunately, these have increased in price since I bought them about six months ago. Now they're $8, up from $6.50. Although another place I don't order from wants $11, so I guess you can just blame inflation.

Brand: Espinaler
Description: Variegated scallops in Galician sauce
Species: Aequipecten opercularis
Country of Origin: Spain
Source: FAO?
Skin/Bones: no/No
Net Wt: 4 oz.
Price Range: $8

Tonnino Ventresca Yellowfin Tuna in Olive Oil

DeenLeave a comment

I bought this Tonnino Ventresca Yellowfin Tuna in Olive Oil on a whim. I know Tonnino sells quality tuna, it's mostly all they do. It was on sale for under $9. As ventresca goes, that's very inexpensive. Some brands are easily twice that. But that's because its the best part of the best tuna. A similar offering from La Narval was pretty good. Let's see how this one stacks up.

Initial impression upon opening the can: 4.9/5.

Mostly nice looking slices of tuna belly. I really didn't mind that bit of grey at the bottom, it's just where skin met flesh. The aroma is very subtle, with only the slightest smell of the fish.

A sip of the oil is neutral, with a hint of salt. A taste of just the fish is very mild, melt-in-your-mouth level tuna. I think the fact that ventresca filets (slices?) are cut with the grain of the meat as opposed to across it gives it a different mouth feel from regular tuna. I knew if I kept picking at it, I'd eat it all straight from the can.

Let's Check It Out

The slices stuck together as I lifted them all from the can in mostly one scoop. I started with just the tuna and plain rice. I noted how the salt level was just right. It was noticeable, but very subtle, letting the tuna flavor be the star. If any lower, I thought, it would be salt-free.

Imagine my surprise when I read 600mg. sodium on the carton. It has to be a typo. I looked online, and other packages only list 270mg. for the 4 oz. can. Oddly, the 6.7 oz. jars also say 600mg. Not really sure what's going on there.

After enjoying about half the can plain, I decided to try a little furikake. Chili crisp would have obliterated any taste of the tuna. It just needed something delicate, and not too salty.

Overall, I thought it worked out well. Good tuna plain, with rice, and with a little mild umami embellishment.

I see the price on Amazon has bounced back up a dollar to right around $10. Still worth it, I think. I'll continue to watch it for a random price drop, practically inevitable on Amazon. (In fact, as I'm writing this, it dropped again.)

Main Takeaways

Inexpensive for ventresca
Great mild flavor yellowfin is known for
Great melt-in-your-mouth texture for which ventresca is known

Brand: Tonnino
Description: Yellowfin Tuna Ventresca in Olive Oil
Species: Thunnus albacares
Country of Origin: Costa Rica
Source: FAO?
Skin/Bones: No/No
Net Wt: 4 oz.
Price Range: $10

Sultan Moroccan Sardines with Tomato Sauce & Hot Peppers

DeenLeave a comment

These Sultan Moroccan Sardines with Tomato Sauce & Hot Peppers sounded appetizing. I'd had mixed results with similar ones before. This brand came to my attention as a "recommended" product on Amazon. I assume the algorithm has noticed by now that I search for tinned fish on there frequently. They were on sale for $5, so I gave them a shot.

Initial impression upon opening the can: 4.8/5.

I was slightly concerned they might be old stock, but the can indicates they were packed in the last six months, and with an expiration date of 2029.

Some sizeable fish, packed in there tightly. Looks like three, but this is one of those deep cans, so there's more than meets the eye. No apparent scales, and the skin is reasonably intact.

No aroma to speak of, neither fish nor sauce. A sip of the sauce is brightly tomato-y, but no heat at all. The ingredients don't list anything seasoning the sauce other than the alleged chili pepper.

Let's Dig In

I was able to extract them all fairly intact. There were six in total, a generous portion. I poured the rest of the sauce from the can over everything. There was no physical pepper in the bottom.

Trying just a bite of fish with a glop of the tomato sauce, but still getting no heat. I found the meat tender and with a good sardine flavor. The salt level is good, an average 310mg. I've had good experiences with Moroccan sardines before, and this one added another one.

Half a can in, I still couldn't help thinking the tomato sauce was far more bland than promised. A few dashes of Valentina did the trick. It had just enough heat to kick up the tomato sauce with a subtle amount of heat, while at the same time not masking the flavor of the fish.

Main Takeaways

Nice meaty, tender fish
Generous portion
Bland sauce, but nothing a little hot sauce couldn't fix

Brand: Sultan
Description: Sardines in tomato sauce & hot pepper
Species: Pilchards
Country of Origin: Morocco
Source: FAO34, Eastern Central Atlantic
Skin/Bones: Yes/Yes
Net Wt: 4.4 oz.
Price Range: $5

Olasagasti Yellowfin Tuna in Olive Oil

DeenLeave a comment

I got this Olasagasti Yellowfin Tuna in Olive Oil from Amazon, although it can be had directly from International Loft for the same price. A little spendy at $10 a can, but since tuna is the brand's main focus, I hoped it would be worth it. Let's see if it was.

Initial impression upon opening the can: 5/5.

Another of those stiff cans that's hard to open without a splat of oil. Very nice looking tuna, though. There's a nice, mild aroma. But it doesn't translate to the oil, which is quite neutral in taste and completely transparent. The olive oil isn't listed as anything special, but one has to assume it's Spanish.

It's mostly a solid chunk of tuna, with very little in the way of loose bits. A nibble or two reveals it has a tender texture and a mild flavor, with only a hint of tuna "tang". Sodium is listed at 470 mg, but it doesn't taste that salty. Regardless, the level is enough to be complementary to the tuna, but subtle enough to not be distracting.

Let's See What We've Got

The can was packed really tightly. Extracting the meat whole from the can was difficult, so it was necessary to pry it out in chunks. Everything was solid, though, no loose bits hiding underneath.

I poured the oil over everything and proceeded to dig in. The meat flaked nicely, and I continued to note how mild and tender it was throughout.

But, not being one to leave well enough alone, I had to make an excuse to try a new chili crisp I had just received.

This one, by Fusion Select, was actually quite a nice enhancement. It wasn't so hot as to overpower the delicate taste of the tuna. It's not as salty as some others, with a relatively modest 280mg. per 2 tablespoon serving. I didn't use that much, and found its added sweetness balanced out the heat and salt, making the entire combination quite delicious.

Main Takeaways

Mild, flavorful tuna
Solid yellowfin
Salt level just right
A little pricey, but premium quality all around

I found it a little odd that the can notes catch area FAO 51, which is Western Indian Ocean. Closer examination of the carton reveals it is only processed in Spain. No matter, still really good tuna.

Brand: Olasagasti
Description: Yellowfin Tuna in Olive Oil
Species: Thunnus albacares
Country of Origin: Spain (processed)
Source: FAO51, Western Indian Ocean
Skin/Bones: No/No
Net Wt: 3.95 oz.
Price Range: $10