March 2026 - Sardeenz!

Patagonia Provisions Smoked Jack Mackerel

This Patagonia Provisions Smoked Jack Mackerel is a new item for the company. They already had a smoked mackerel, but this one comes with a story. You may have read recently (early 2026) about the ongoing issue in North Atlantic waters regarding the potential overfishing of mackerel. Global warming has driven stocks of the fish northward to cooler waters, leaving fishermen off the EU and the UK with difficulty making quotas. As a result, Patagonia has moved to sourcing their mackerel from Chile, where the species of mackerel there has managed to rebound from overfishing in the 1990s. Let's try this new offering.

Initial impression upon opening the can: 5/5.

Some beautiful fillets. The initial aroma is tuna-like, but dissipates quickly. The oil, organic EVOO, is a light golden color. A sip of the oil initially tastes like there might be some spice involved, but the ingredients list none. On the finish, it reveals the subtle undertone of the wood smoke.

Time To Eat

It takes a bit of effort to pry the fish from the tin, it's packed in tightly. It looks like three substantial fillets. There's a couple of tablespoons of oil left in the tin, and I'm not letting it go to waste.

An initial bite is somewhat reminiscent of tuna, but with a more satisfying, meatier chew. The package says "use like tuna", but I'm thinking "use like chicken, too". And that's probably because the smoke and texture are giving me charcoal-grilled chicken vibes. I'm impressed by the level of restraint on the smoke, it's just as much as it needs to be, and not one bit more.

The meat is quite rich, and I could agree with the carton calling it two servings. But, of course, I ate the whole thing myself. The good news is that, compared to the old smoked mackerel, for the same serving size, this one has 50 fewer calories (170 vs. 220) and 7 gm. less total fat. So, other than a higher price, this one's a win, nutritionally speaking.

I got this tin from Whole Foods. My usual online sources don't seem to have it stocked yet. Once this one gets fully established in the marketplace, I'm hoping we'll see it on sale from time to time. I'll be going back for more.

Main Takeaways

Rich, meaty fish
Subtle level of smoke
Generous portion

Brand: Patagonia Provisions
Description: Smoked jack mackerel
Species: N/S (Trachurus sp?)
Country of Origin: Chile (processed in Spain)
Source: FAO87, Southeast Pacific
Skin/Bones: No/No
Net Wt: 4.2 oz.
Price Range: $8-9

Sunlee Sardines in Tomato Sauce

DeenLeave a comment

These Sunlee Sardines in Tomato Sauce came from one of a handful of Asian markets I've been patronizing recently, in search of both tinned fish and chili crisps. They appear to be among a trio of brands commonly sold in Asian markets, at least the ones around here, that includes Sumaco and Marock. These Sunlee differ in that they are sourced from Thailand, and are a Western Pacific variety of sardine, Sardinops sagax. Of the three, these were the cheapest at $1.39.

Initial impression upon opening the can: 4.6/5.

It looks like there's some room for another fish in there. I see no scales nor tails, but that's common with these Western Pacific sardines. There's not much in the way of aroma. The sauce has a pallid caste to it, and a very homogenous texture. No oil has separated. A sip of it is unsurprisingly bland.

Here We Go

Digging them out, they are tender enough to start to break when lifted with a fork. I'm surprised to find there are actually five fish in there. This type is more slender than a pilchard, so they're apparently easier to fit in this deeper tin. I still think one more could have squeezed in.

There was quite a bit of sauce left in the tin, and I poured about half over the fish and rice. It's thin and watery.

The meat yields easily to the fork, and is moist and tender. I can't say if the strange flavor note I'm getting is from the fish or the sauce. Probably the latter. The salt level is a moderate 340mg. sodium, and isn't adding anything to the mix.

A look at the ingredients reveals no oil used in the packing sauce. "Thickening agents" including modified tapioca starch and sodium carboxymethylcellulose are responsible for any body it might have. Tomato paste, sugar, salt and paprika as a coloring agent provide the main flavor and appearance. All in all, just kind of blah.

I finished three fish before hauling out some Mishima Chef Troy's Recipe Crunchy Garlic Chili Sauce. It, like this fish, is also from Thailand, so I hoped for some type of synergy. At the least, it perked up some otherwise blandly seasoned sardines.

Main Takeaways

No scales or tails
Tender, moist fish
Uninspired tomato sauce

I tend to think these inexpensive sardines in tomato sauce could easily up their game and their sales numbers by simply packing in a spicy tomato sauce instead, as other more premium brands have done successfully. If it added another ten cents to the cost, I don't think anyone would care.

Brand: Thai Lee Foods / Sunlee
Description: Sardines in tomato sauce
Species: Sardinops sagax
Country of Origin: Thailand
Source: FAO71, Western Central Pacific
Skin/Bones: Yes/Yes
Net Wt: 4.4 oz.
Price Range: <$2

Marock Sardines in Tomato Sauce

DeenLeave a comment

These Marock Sardines in Tomato Sauce were purchased at the same time and place as the Sumaco that I found quite disappointing. These were ten cents cheaper, but I'm holding out hope that these will be better. Let's see if they are.

The package color scheme and graphics are eerily similar to the Sumaco. Despite that, there is no outward indication of commonality of sourcing.

Initial impression upon opening the can: 4.8/5.

There is only a little tomato aroma. A taste of the sauce is expectedly bland. The ingredients list only fish, tomato sauce, salt. What oil the sauce is based upon is not specified.

The initial appearance is also similar to the Sumaco. Probing with a fork, I don't find anything near to the Sumaco in the way of scales, even though it looks like it. The can's best by date is 12.31.28, just 22 months away, so I'm thinking that what I'm seeing is skin breaking down in a can that's probably been lingering in a warehouse or stock room for quite some time. Maybe the tomato sauce has exacerbated that.

Diving In

Pulling them from the tin, the fish are tender enough to want to break apart somewhat. There are five fish total.

The sauce remaining in the can has bits of grey floating around in it, which I've already identified as skin, not scales. Still, I use a spoon to avoid pouring that part over the fish and rice. The color of it is kind of deep, like it might have additional seasoning in it, but it does not.

From the initial bite, I get a perception of an earthiness I can't explain. It waned as I continued. The fish are moist enough, with a tender texture I attribute to the extra time spent in the tin.

They're not that salty, but I didn't find myself wishing they were any saltier. Sodium is listed at 400mg.

All in all, these beat the Sumaco, maybe not hands-down, but enough to warrant a second can.

Main Takeaways

Most, tender fish
Vintage quality, if only by happenstance
Disintegrating skin, but at least no scales

Brand: AH USA Group / An Hing / Marock
Description: Sardines in tomato sauce
Species: Sardina pilchardus
Country of Origin: Morocco
Source: FAO34, Eastern Central Atlantic
Skin/Bones: Yes/Yes
Net Wt: 4.37 oz.
Price Range: <$2

Sumaco Sardines in Tomato Sauce

DeenLeave a comment

I got these Sumaco Sardines in Tomato Sauce on a trip to a large Asian market across town. I was actually looking for some different chili crisps to try, but found some unfamiliar sardines instead. The back of the tin calls these "Sumaco Super Sardines in Tomato Sauce". They're Moroccan, so I figured, even at only $1.79, they couldn't be all that bad.

Initial impression upon opening the can: 4.8/5.

There's a hint of tomato aroma. The sauce appears thick and the oil hasn't separated. I see some scales and maybe some fins, but can't say for sure, as the sauce obscures a lot.

A taste of the sauce is bland, a little sweet, but apparently only from the tomato paste in the sauce. There are no other seasonings listed besides salt. The sauce is made with soybean oil.

Let's See What We've Got Here

Pulling them from the can, the fish are tender enough to want to break in two. I'm seeing more scales than I'd like. There are four fish total, one a little larger than the others.

There was about two tablespoons of sauce left in the tin, and I poured most of it over everything, trying to leave the scales floating in it behind.

The meat is tender enough, giving easily to the fork. They could have used a little more salt, even though the tin listed a reasonably moderate 480mg. of sodium.

The scales, however, are a persistent problem, numerous enough to peel off in swatches of multiple scales. Patches of them were sticking to the roof of my mouth. By the time I finished, I had a line of scales perched along the rim of the bowl. I had expected better from them simply by being Moroccan sardines, but I guess not at a $1.79 price point. I'm now regretting having bought a second can only because of how cheap they were.

At least I found a new chili oil to try.

Main Takeaways

Tender enough, but the amount of scales is a deal breaker
Bland tomato sauce
Needed some salt or other seasoning to liven things up

Further Investigation

I thought it was odd that there was an add-on label with nutritional information on a can already printed entirely in English. That's usually only seen in cases where the package is in some other language. I couldn't find a best by date, not even under the label, but verbiage on the can says, "To be consumed preferably before the date on the tin." As you can see, all that was under the label was a logo for "L.A. Lucky Brand", but nothing about them. The only real info was about the Moroccan source, "Packed by Conserval UE 3147".

Edit: I did manage to figure out that some numbers separated by colons weren't a timestamp, but rather the best by date, "31:12:28".

Brand: Sumaco / L.A. Lucky / Conserval UE
Description: Sardines in tomato sauce
Species: Sardina pilchardus
Country of Origin: Morocco
Source: FAO34, Eastern Central Atlantic
Skin/Bones: Yes/Yes
Net Wt: 4.37 oz.
Price Range: <$2