March 2026 - Sardeenz!

Porthos Portuguese Sardines in Tomato Sauce

These Porthos Portuguese Sardines in Tomato Sauce came from International Loft. I've tried a few Porthos selections before, but wanted to see how these in plain tomato sauce were. The ones in hot tomato sauce weren't that hot (the sauce not the fish), so I'm hopeful these don't underdeliver.

Initial impression upon opening the can: 4.9/5.

Nice appearance, silvery belly-side up. Carefully packed, no torn-up skin. Only a few noticeable scales. The tomato sauce looks viscous enough, but has separated from the oil somewhat.

The aroma is of tomato and sardine, both fresh. A sip of the sauce/oil has a tomato-y brightness to it. No overcooked tomato flavor here.

Let's Eat

There are five fish total, and of a welcome size for my preference. They are firm and lift out of the tin virtually intact. There is a tablespoon or so of liquid left in the tin, and I whisked the oil and tomato back together before pouring most of it over the fish.

The fish are firm and meaty, resisting the pierce of the fork somewhat. They have a fresh sardine flavor, and are moist enough.

The tomato sauce has a fresh flavor, and I'm surprised to see it's nothing more than tomato, sunflower oil and salt.

The salt level is low, 230mg. sodium, but it didn't feel deficient.

Main Takeaways

Firm, meaty sardines
Nice 5 count size
Fresh tasting, minimal tomato sauce

At $6, I'd have no problem recommending these.

Brand: Conservas Portugal Norte / Porthos
Description: Sardines in 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

bettergoods Smoked Tuna with Rosemary

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This new bettergoods Smoked Tuna with Rosemary was purchased at Walmart at the same time as the new smoked rainbow trout. That one was very good, and I hoped this one would be as well. Same $4.97 price point and 4.41oz. portion.

Initial impression upon opening the can: 4.9/5.

The initial appearance isn't as appealing as the trout, bit I will give it points for being a solid hunk of tuna. The carton calls it "steak cut style", but the grain appears to be running contrary to that of a typical tuna steak. Nonetheless, it is a single, thick piece of tuna (take note, Natural Catch) with nothing hiding underneath.

The aroma is subtly smoky, as is a sip of the olive oil it's packed in. I don't see any rosemary leaves in the tin, and I don't get much of an impression of it from either the aroma or the taste of the oil. I would have expected it to be prominent.

Let's Eat

I was able to lift the "steak" from the tin intact. It is a firm piece of meat. After a nibble of the fish, I decided it would be prudent to pour most of the remaining oil over the fish, in hopes of maximizing any flavor of the seasonings. White pepper, black pepper, garlic, salt and "citric acid anhydrous" round out the ingredient list. Although it doesn't taste that salty, sodium is a whopping 920mg.

The meat is quite firm and resists being divided by a piercing fork. It does, however, flake when the fork hits the right places. It also feels a little dry, but I chalk that up to being smoked over actual hardwood, which has the same effect on much fattier salmon. Here, the meat is leaner to begin with, so pouring that packing oil over it was helpful.

Although not overstated, the smoke is the majority of what I'm getting. That and a note of tuna "tang". The tuna is yellowfin, so I'm not sure if that tang isn't really coming from the citric acid powder.

Once again, the carton says "naturally smoked with oakwood, and finished with rosemary for a fresh, herbaceous twist". I perceived a contribution from the trout's juniper berry, but here the rosemary seems lost under the smoke.

Main Takeaways

Nice solid chunk of tuna
Smoke not overpowering but dominates
Rosemary lost in the smoke

I had hoped this one would be as good as the trout, but it wasn't quite. Kudos, though, for it being solid tuna and MSC certified sustainable.

Brand: Walmart / bettergoods
Description: Smoked tuna with rosemary
Species: Yellowfin
Country of Origin: Turkey
Source: FAO51
Skin/Bones: No/No
Net Wt: 4.41 oz.
Price Range: $5

bettergoods Smoked Rainbow Trout with Juniper Berry

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I stumbled across this bettergoods Smoked Rainbow Trout with Juniper Berry at Walmart today. New items tend to show up after a store reset, when it's easier for a retailer to allocate shelf space for them. For those unfamiliar, bettergoods is a Walmart house brand positioned as a cut above others like their generic Great Value. For $4.97, it seemed like a no brainer.

Initial impression upon opening the can: 5/5.

That's a nice piece of trout. Not skimpy on the seasonings, either. The immediate aroma is smoky, as is a sip of the olive oil.

Time For Some Trout

The filet is wedged in tight, so an edge had to be sacrificed to get it out in relatively one piece. It's a firm chunk of fish.

There was a good bit of oil left in the tin, and I poured about half over everything.

A taste of the fish is encouraging. The smoke is just right, the carton says "naturally smoked with oakwood and finished with juniper berries for a fresh, herbaceous flavor twist". So now I'm not sure if juniper berries are an ingredient as the front of the carton implies (or as I infer), or if they're part of the smoking process. Either way, they're contributing something subtle that's elevating the trout above just hardwood smoked.

Trout is a lean fish, so I ended up adding a little more of the packing oil to moisten things up a bit. That's not to say the fish was dry, just that that's how trout is. The meat is firm, but flakes easily.

It's not very salty, the carton lists a low 240mg. sodium, and that's fine. In addition to black pepper, sugar is also listed, but I get no sense of sweetness. Also, juniper berry is listed as the last ingredient, so now I'm even more confused as to whether it's part of the smoke, the seasoning, or both.

Main Takeaways

Firm, meaty trout
Well-balanced smoke and seasonings
Generous portion, priced right

No artificial preservatives, no additives, ASC certified, there's a lot to like here. They also have a smoked tuna "steak cut style" seasoned with rosemary that I'm eager to try next.

Brand: Walmart / bettergoods
Description: Smoked trout with juniper berries
Species: Oncorhychus mykiss
Country of Origin: Turkey
Source: Farmed
Skin/Bones: No/No
Net Wt: 4.41 oz.
Price Range: $5

Nice Cans Sardines in Tomato and Peppers

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These Nice Cans Sardines in Tomato and Peppers came from Caputo's. They're a continuation of my journey in search of the best sardines in tomato. At $11, they weren't cheap, but I had been impressed by other Nice Cans cans in the past, so I hoped I wouldn't be disappointed.

Initial impression upon opening the can: 4.8/5.

My first thought was, "Where's the tomato?" Or the pepper, for that matter. Other than a slight pink tint to the olive oil, it looked like a tin of regular sardines. They were decent looking, though, packed silver bellies up and not too torn up at all. No apparent scales, tails or fins.

The aroma, however, was subtly tangy. A sip of the oil didn't really disclose anything, though. I was expecting at least a slight hit of pepper heat, but it didn't occur.

Let's Dive In

Lifting the fish from the tin, they are tender, with a couple out of the four breaking in the middle.

Underneath were all the goodies. Bright red, roasted pepper and diced onion. I couldn't tell initially if some of the red was tomato or not. The remaining liquid and bits in the tin were poured over everything.

An initial taste of fish and some of the pepper had a brightness to it. I referred to the carton to find that the non-fish ingredients were primarily a pepperonata consisting of smoke-roasted peppers, onions, garlic, oregano, vinegar, tomato and sea salt.

The vinegar explained the brightness and tang, but what struck me most was how far down the list the tomato was. I ultimately realized that the lighter red pulp, most visible on the top fish above, was about the extent of the tomato. Perhaps these should be called "in peppers with tomato" instead of the other way around. Regardless, the whole thing worked really well, I thought.

Back to the fish, they are tender and meaty, not dry at all. Quality sardines, packed well. I thought the pepperonata served them nicely. Sodium is an average 360mg. Overall, nothing to complain about product-wise.

Main Takeaways

Tender, meaty pilchards
Tasty pepperonata
Tomato largely MIA, but not missed

I'd like to try these again, but I'm afraid the best one can do on the price is to buy them where I did. They are much cheaper on Nice Cans' own website, but if you try to order them there a pop-up says "Sorry, US resident, we only sell to you through Caputo's". Oh, well.

Brand: 100 Misterios / Nice Cans
Description: Sardines in tomato and peppers
Species: Pilchards
Country of Origin: Portugal
Source: FAO27, Northeast Atlantic
Skin/Bones: Yes/Yes
Net Wt: 4.2 oz.
Price Range: $11

Tomé Sardines in Spicy Olive Oil with Chilli

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I found these Tomé Sardines in Spicy Olive Oil with Chilli as a new item at one of my local Asian markets. What intrigued me most was that an Asian importer out of New York was distributing Portugese sardines, packed by Ramirez & Cia, no less. At $3.29, it seemed I couldn't go wrong. Or could I?

Initial impression upon opening the can: 4.6/5.

They're not the prettiest. Packed dark dorsal side up, with a fair amount of broken skin. The olive oil is only slightly tinged amber from the pepper. You can see it peeking out from the far side of the tin. I see no fins, tails nor scales.

There's not much of an aroma, of fish, spice or otherwise. A sip of the oil is unrevealing except for the tiniest hit of heat at the back of the throat.

Let's Dig In

There are four fish total, one slightly truncated at the tail end. They are firm as they lift from the can, and have a certain heft to them. They are not inclined to fall apart during the transfer to the rice bowl.

There were about four tablespoons of oil left in the tin, and I poured about half over the fish. I wasn't expecting much from it, and ultimately didn't get much.

The fish resist yielding to the stab of a fork, but are reasonably tender on the palate. They are not dry, but there isn't a lot of sardine flavor to them. I tasted the pepper, and it was only a tad more spicy than the oil, which isn't saying much.

I noted they weren't salty at all, and I thought they could have benefitted by a little more. The carton confirms an unusually low 190mg. sodium.

Main Takeaways

A little rough looking
Tender enough, but lacked sardine flavor
Needed salt

These didn't blow me away, and I now question having bought a second can solely on the reputation of Ramirez & Cia. They produce the Berthe brand, of which I was highly impressed. As far as spiciness goes, I was far happier with similar from Angelo Parodi, which cost only a little more.

Brand: Ramirez & Cia. / Tomé
Description: Sardines in spicy olive oil with chilli
Species: Sardina pilchardus
Country of Origin: Portugal (dist. by United Foods of Asia, Ltd. NY, USA)
Source: FAO27, Northeast Atlantic
Skin/Bones: Yes/Yes
Net Wt: 4.4 oz.
Price Range: $3

Minerva Sardines in Tomato Sauce

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These Minerva Sardines in Tomato Sauce were part of a recent order from International Loft. Ever since I decided to reconsider my longtime avoidance of sardines in tomato sauce, I've been on a mission to find those I think are best. Let's see if these are the ones.

Initial impression upon opening the can: 4.8/5.

Looks like three big pilchards. I would have preferred smaller, like a 5 to 6 count. The tomato sauce looks relatively homogenous, and has a bright tomato-ey color. The aroma is similar, vegetal. A sip of it has a reasonably fresh tomato flavor, and I note the only ingredients are water, tomato, olive oil and salt.

Let's Eat

Minerva Sardines in Tomato Sauce over rice

They pulled from the tin fairly easily, giving only the slightest hint that they wanted to fall apart. As noted there are three, plus some extra pieces parts for some unknown reason.

The sauce remaining in the can was relatively unbroken, so I poured the majority directly over the fish and rice. It's reasonably thick, and clings well to the fish.

The fish are tender enough, and not at all what I would consider dry. No tails, no scales, no fins. All good. Meaty Portugese pilchards.

Sodium is listed as 600mg., a little above average, but they don't taste that salty.

75% of the way through, I was finding the sauce a little bland and boring, so I tried a few drops of Texas Pete Hot Sauce on the rest. It made an improvement.

Main Takeaways

Tender, meaty fish
Not dry
Tomato sauce a little bland

All in all, I'm not disappointed in having tried these. They're not the holy grail of sardines in tomato sauce by any means, but they weren't bad at all. I just wish they'd been smaller fish. Can't have everything, I suppose.

Brand: A Poveira/MInerva
Description: Sardines in tomato sauce
Species: Pilchards
Country of Origin: Portugal
Source: FAO27, Northeast Atlantic
Skin/Bones: Yes/Yes
Net Wt: 4.25 oz.
Price Range: $6

Ekone Lemon Pepper Smoked Oysters

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These Ekone Lemon Pepper Smoked Oysters came from Whole Foods, where they are a new item. The $12.99 regular price would usually mean I wouldn't give them a second look, but at $9.89 on sale, the oyster lover in me was intrigued. Cross your fingers.

Initial impression upon opening the can: 5/5.

Some nice, big oysters. As someone who has the luxury of accessibility to fresh Gulf oysters, it's nice to see such sizeable specimens. The aroma is bold, of smoke and some other spicy notes I can't quite pin down.

Digging In

I'd already had lunch, but this tin was calling my name, so I decided I had a little more room and cracked it open. The first thing you note is the rich color which the smoke has imparted to the oysters. There's ground pepper on top, mixed in with some other ingredients. Plucking them from the tin, there are five big oysters total.

The carton reveals there's a lot more going on in there than meets the eye: organic sunflower oil, lemon pepper mix (spices, salt, cane sugar, garlic, onion, lemon peel, citric acid, orange peel, extractives of turmeric, silicon dioxide (less than 2% as anti-caking agent), parsley), salt, organic cane sugar, organic garlic powder, organic onion powder, natural smoke. Whew! That's a long list, but everything works extremely well in this context. Sodium is listed as 810 mg. but does not taste that salty. I will say, however, that the lemon gets buried in the mix.

Raw oysters, for those not having had the privilege to enjoy them, are texturally kind of homogenous. Cooked oysters or even smoked ones, on the other hand, have a bit of a split personality. Parts are chewy and meaty, while the rest is softer and a bit mealy. Nature of the beast, one could say. But still tasty if not overcooked. Smoked oysters benefit from not being fried into mush, as can sometimes happen. These were nice and firm as is reasonably practical.

All in all, a tasty if somewhat extravagant treat. On sale, they're about $2 per oyster.

Main Takeaways

Big, meaty oysters
Well-smoked and seasoned, even if the lemon is kind of lost
Pricy, but worth it

Brand: Ekone Oyster Co.
Description: Smoked Oysters with lemon pepper mix
Species: Pacific oysters
Country of Origin: USA
Source: Farm raised
Skin/Bones: N/A
Net Wt: 3.0 oz.
Price Range: $12-13