Deen, Author at Sardeenz!

Northern Catch Sardines in Hot Sauce

We got ourselves a real sleeper here, folks. Northern Catch Sardines in Hot Sauce, an Aldi exclusive. Sometimes it's just one of those things: You're there. It's there. The price is a no-brainer, 99 cents. Put it in the basket, already. I had seen a review of these from about 4 years ago, and at the time they were herring. Today, they're pilchards sourced from Morocco.

Initial impression upon opening the can: 4/5.

At first, I wasn't sure these were sardines, they were so big. Two (sometimes three) big fat ones squeezed into a can and swimming in harissa! Usually, I prefer my pilchards smaller, more like in the 3 to 5 per can range, but at 99 cents I guess I can't be too picky.

Hot sauce here is a misnomer. The down list ingredients say "natural hot flavor (capsicum, etc.)", but it's not hot. This is a mildly spicy, vinegary, unctuous (in a good way) sauce. This is the kind of stuff you would want a whole bottle of to put on that can of plain sardines you just bought. At 150 calories, the only thing keeping me from having two cans was the 660mg. sodium. Can't have everything, I guess.

Update July 2025: Sadly, these have been changed again, and are now brisling sardines in a much bolder sauce.

Brand: Aldi/Northern Catch
Description: Sardines in Hot Sauce
Species: Pilchards
Country of Origin: Morocco
Source: FAO34, Eastern Central Atlantic
Skin/Bones: Yes/Yes
Net Wt: 4.25 oz.
Price Range: $1

Aldi Herring in Curry Pineapple Sauce

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Was back at Aldi today, and although I said I probably wouldn't, I did go ahead and buy these Herring Fillets in Curry Pineapple Sauce.

Initial impression upon opening the can: 3.5/5.

Contrary to the image on the can (and to reviews you may have seen elsewhere), there are no chunks of pineapple (or anything else) in the sauce. The ingredients, like the Mango Pepper Sauce version, list tomato paste as a component, but the taste of it is not evident. Oddly, this one also lists mango chutney among its ingredients.

Anyway, like the Mango Pepper version, the sauce is mildly sweet and you might be hard-pressed to say just what the fruit flavor of it is if you hadn't read the can. Unlike the Mango Pepper, there is no heat to this one. I also can't really tell where the "curry" comes from. Suffice it to say it's just a pleasant, mildly fruity sauce.

I liked these just about as much as the Mango Pepper version-- maybe less-so-- as I preferred the bit of heat in that other one. At $1.69 for a 7.05oz. can, you really can't lose.

ps. I skipped the Tomato Sauce version as the picture on the can made it look like a huge, unappealing glop of ketchup on the fish. Meh...

Brand: Deutsche Kuche
Description: Herring Fillets in Curry Pineapple Sauce
Species: Clupea Harengus
Country of Origin: Germany
Source: FAO 27, Northeast Atlantic
Skin/Bones: No/No
Net Wt: 7.05 oz.
Price Range: $2

Angelo Parodi Sardine Fillets

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These Angelo Parodi Sardine Fillets in Olive Oil were an impulse buy at World Market. I figured I mostly knew what I would be getting from the label. Closer examination of same revealed they were from FAO34, Eastern Central Atlantic, as opposed to the expected FAO37, Mediterranean Sea. I can't say why I thought that. Perhaps my expectation was that a Southern European producer would be more likely to source from there as opposed to the waters off the west coast of Africa. But then I noticed these are sourced from Morocco, and only exported by an Italian firm.

Initial impression upon opening the can: 2.5/5.

Not the prettiest can of boneless skinless pilchards. But texturally, they were no different from the average skinless boneless pilchards I had tried before. Notice I said "average". I've definitely had better, but these were OK. I noticed a subtle, unusual "something" about the taste. I'm not sure if it was due to the fish or the oil they were packed in. It reminded me of scrambled egg, not necessarily in a bad way, just in an unusual one.

They were on sale for under $3, but I can't say I'm moved to buy them again. YMMV. I'll stick with the King Oscar until I find something better.

I see that Parodi also offers a skin-on, bone-in Portugese version that sells for about $5 a can in lots of two on Amazon. I might be tempted to try them.

See it on Amazon

Brand: Angel Parodi
Description: Sardines fillets boneless skinless in olive oil
Species: Sardina pilchardus
Country of Origin: Morocco
Source: FAO34, Eastern Central Atlantic
Skin/Bones: No/No
Net Wt: 3.7 oz.
Price Range: $4

Brunswick Sardines in Olive Oil with Hot Peppers

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Picked up these Brunswick Sardines in Olive Oil with Hot Peppers by mistake thinking they were the Sardine Fillets in Olive Oil (and knowing that they were actually herring). I had tried the Boneless Skinless (Pilchards) in Olive Oil with Mild Red Pepper, so it was a chance to at least try these.

Initial impression upon opening the can: 4.5/5.

The package lists serrano pepper as the heat source. Although there are only a few bits of it in the can, the heat is quite pronounced. (As opposed to the whole peppers in the Mild Red Pepper pilchards.) I'm used to spicy foods, and these had me reaching for a plain cracker to tone down the after-burn.

The other thing I noticed that I may have overlooked on the plain "in olive oil" version is that these aren't really "in" olive oil. They just have droplets of oil on the surface of whatever brine/juice these are packed in. Olive oil is the second ingredient on the package listing, so one would assume it should be the second-most amount of the overall make-up. But I really don't see it. Also, "serrano peppers" should really just say "pepper" as it's only the slightest bits of pieces and seeds. But they do really spice it up. I can't imagine how hot they'd be if there was any more.

Anyway, if you like the heat, these might fill the bill for you.

See it on Amazon

Brand: Bumble Bee Seafoods/Brunswick
Description: Sardine Fillets in Olive Oil with Hot Peppers
Species: Herring
Country of Origin: Canada
Source:
Skin/Bones: No/No
Net Wt: 3.75 oz.
Price Range: $2

Fishwife Sardines with Preserved Lemon

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I'd seen a couple of youtube videos reviewing some low-priced and moderately-priced cans of sardines with lemon. In both, the reviewer was less than impressed. I had a can of the Fishwife Sardines with Preserved Lemon I was waiting to try. My hope was this more premium offering might do a better job on the lemon flavor.

Initial impression upon opening the can: 4.5/5.

Really nice looking fish with intact skin. Three sizeable pilchards. My preference would be smaller, but that's OK. Clean fish aroma. A definite "essence" of lemon flavor infusing the oil.

Lemon always adds a zing to the flavor of most fish, so it's not surprising many canners offer a lemon flavored variant. It's typically seen in the form of a slice of lemon added to the can, on top of the fish. How much flavor it imparts to the fish and the packing oil can vary.

What exactly makes the slice of lemon in this can "preserved", I don't know. Unfortunately, the package does not specify. It looked pretty much the same as the one in one of the video reviews, i.e. a cooked sliced of lemon. Rather than being laid on top of the fish, it was squeezed in between two of them.

One complaint the reviewer had about the moderately-priced can was that the fish were mushy. A commenter blamed that on the lemon, claiming that the acidity denatured the proteins in the fish. A plausible theory, but I did not find this to be the case with the Fishwife brand. The reviewer's can was smaller brislings. Conversely, the Fishwife contains three sizeable pilchards, so that difference may or may not be a factor.

I found bites with smaller pieces of fish and a piece of the lemon gave a more satisfying lemon "experience". But was it an experience worth the $8 price? You'll have to decide that for yourself.

See it on Amazon (Whole Foods)

Brand: Fishwife Tinned Seafood Co.
Description: Sardines with preserved lemon
Species: Pilchards
Country of Origin: Spain
Source: FAO27, Northeast Atlantic
Skin/Bones: Yes/Yes
Net Wt: 4.2 oz.
Price Range: $8

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Aldi Herring in Mango Pepper Sauce

DeenLeave a comment

Deutsche Kuche brand Herring Fillets in Mango Pepper Sauce are one of three herring selections Aldi sells seasonally, usually twice a year, along with an array of other German style products. The other two are in a tomato sauce and a curry pineapple sauce. This one sounded the most appealing of the three. At only $1.69, it wasn't going to break the bank if I didn't like it.

Initial impression upon opening the can: 4/5.

What's in the can isn't as pretty as what's on the can. Kind of a mish-mash of fish and sauce. But there really are some little green peppercorns floating around in the sauce. The sauce was pleasant, the mango flavor not being as forward as one might expect. The pepper was subtle, being more evident on the back end of a bite.

I always like to try the sauce or oil by itself on a cracker, and thought maybe a little hot sauce might have perked things up a bit. I won't necessarily be rushing back to Aldi to stock up, but if I see them the next time they're available, I'll grab a can or two.

At 7.05 ounces, this is a big serving of canned fish, although the label lists the contents as two servings. Not being one to want to deal with canned fish leftovers, I made a lunch of the whole can. Along with a half sleeve of saltines, the calorie count came in at 650. By comparison, a 6" Subway Club on wheat bread with provolone cheese, some veggies and mayo is about 635. The sandwich, though, has about twice the fat, and 50% more sodium. And that's even including the saltines in the calculation.

DK is an Aldi exclusive brand, so don't bother trying to find them at a good price on Amazon or elsewhere.

Brand: Deutsche Kuche
Description: Herring Fillets in Mango Pepper Sauce
Species: Clupea Harengus
Country of Origin: Germany
Source: FAO 27, Northeast Atlantic
Skin/Bones: No/No
Net Wt: 7.05 oz.
Price Range: $1-2

Smoked Oyster Duel

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Smoked oysters are a tinned fish staple. If you've had canned sardines, chances are you've also had canned smoked oysters. If you want a change of pace from sardines, mackerel, herring, etc, they can be a good choice. In our smoked oyster duel, we compare two popular brands.

Northern Catch Smoked Oysters

Northern Catch is an Aldi house brand, like many of their products. The first thing you notice about these Northern Catch Smoked Oysters is that they're packed in cottonseed oil. A quick search revealed the jury's deadlocked on whether it's a good or a bad thing. One also has to wonder what problem the state of California has with these. (The answer is here).

Initial impression upon opening the can: 3.5/5.

As with many canned smoked oysters, the texture was a little mealy. The oil is very neutral, and doesn't add to or subtract anything from the flavor. The smallness means there's more in the can, so perhaps a good option for use in a pasta dish.

Inexpensive, at under a buck and a half, they were worth a try. Like most tinned smoked oysters, they're small; it would take at least four to equal the size of an average Louisiana oyster.

Brand: Aldi/Northern Catch
Description: Smoked Oysters in Cottonseed Oil
Species: Crassostrea Gigas
Country of Origin: China
Source: Farmed
Skin/Bones: N/A
Net Wt: 3.0 oz.
Price Range: $1-2

Next, we compare to the Crown Prince.

Crown Prince Natural Smoked Oysters in Olive Oil

These were found at Trader Joe's, but can be found most anywhere. At $3.49, they were quite a bit pricier, but the quality difference was notable. There doesn't seem to be any of the brand offered at a reasonable price at Amazon. I will continue to try to find these at a better price.

Initial impression upon opening the can: 4/5.

The first thing you notice when opening the can is how much larger they are than the ones from Aldi. I counted 11 in the can. The texture was a bit "meatier" as well, which was a plus. That they are packed in olive oil is also preferable.

I noticed that Crown Prince also offers a version packed in cottonseed oil, sourced from China like the Aldi brand. They also sell a China-sourced version in Spanish olive oil. Both bear the description "Fancy Whole", whereas the version I tried just had the word "Natural". It bears noting that you really need to pay attention to make sure you're getting what you want.

Brand: Crown Prince
Description: Smoked Oysters in Olive Oil
Species: NS
Country of Origin: South Korea
Source: FAO61, Northwest Pacific
Skin/Bones: N/A
Net Wt: 3.0 oz.
Price Range: $3-4