Oysters Archives - Sardeenz!

MW Polar Fancy Whole Smoked Oysters

I picked these MW Polar Fancy Whole Smoked Oysters up at a local supermarket months ago. I bought them mainly for two reasons: I hadn't tried this brand's smoked oysters yet, and they were relatively cheap. I've always been satisfied with MW Polar tinned seafood products, having had their kipper snacks and smoked sprats. At $1.79, I could afford to be curious.

Initial impression upon opening the can: 4.8/5.

The aroma when cracking the lid was about as expected: a typical but light smokiness. They appear nicely packed, and whole, as noted on the carton. The "fancy" is just marketing. Size-wise, they are about average. There appears to be about twenty in there. A sip of the oil, cottonseed as is typical of Chinese smoked oysters, doesn't really echo anything in the way of smokiness.

Snack Time

I'd already had a small lunch, but was still a little hungry, so having these as a snack seemed like a good way to solve that.

Texturally, they are pretty much the usual: half meaty/half mealy. The flavor is not really any different from a half dozen similar others I've tried. If anything, they are less smoky-tasting, even though the carton touts them as being naturally wood smoked. A little more salt might have been welcome, as they contained a moderately low 230mg. sodium.

Main Takeaways

Typical canned smoked oysters
Subtle level of smoke

I'll continue my search for a relatively inexpensive tin of smoked oysters that makes me forget about the rest. Thankfully, it's a good thing I'm not in a hurry.

Brand: MW Polar
Description: Smoked oysters in cottonseed oil
Species: N/S
Country of Origin: China
Source: Farmed
Skin/Bones: N/A
Net Wt: 3.0 oz.
Price Range: $1-2

Ekone Habanero Hots Smoked Oysters

DeenLeave a comment

I always look at these Ekone Habanero Hots Smoked Oysters at Whole Foods and wonder how good they might be. But the $13 price tag for a 3 oz. can always makes me pass them up. Last trip, I noticed they were tagged "last chance" and the price marked down to just over $8. Seemed like now or never.

Initial OOBE

Even before opening the can, I noticed it was a bit sticky on the outside. And I observed what appeared to be some organic material peeking out from under the top rim on the outside. The best by date on the bottom was unclear, and I thought it might say July 2024 (It is currently December 2025). My expectation, however, is that Whole Foods' inventory, even that of unpopular items, turns over fast enough to keep product from expiring on the shelf.

There was no staining of the inside of the carton, so whatever happened occurred long before packaging. The can was not swollen or dented, and the sound of vacuum breaking when the ring was lifted was reassuring. I wrote the stickiness and the other off to small cannery operational oversight, and pressed ahead.

Initial impression upon opening the can: 4.8/5.

Better quality smoked tinned seafood is usually packed with less liquid than the average mass market stuff. There was a bit more headroom here than I was expecting, the steep regular price considered. Some nice looking oysters, though. Much larger than the pedestrian supermarket variety. Far fewer, too. Ultimately, I counted three whole, large oysters and two either partial or smaller ones.

The aroma is smoky and sweet. A sip of the liquid is similar, but has a steady, low level of heat from the habanero. The sauce ingredients, mostly organic, include sunflower oil, tomatoes, habanero peppers, garlic, hot sauce, cane sugar, garlic powder, onion powder, citric acid (flavor enhancer) and natural smoke.

Extracting oysters from the can, I attempted to get as much as the sauce as I could on each. I found it quite flavorful and complex. If they could bottle it as a barbecue sauce, it might sell.

Main Takeaways

Large, meaty oysters, albeit few in number
Complex, flavorful sauce with smoky, moderate heat
QC needs to pay closer attention

Update: I went back to Whole Foods for something else, but took the opportunity to inspect the remaining few cans on the shelf. Most of the "best by" dates on the lids were distorted by the ridges in them, but it appears to be 2029, not 2024. Those cans were a bit sticky as well.

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

Northern Catch Smoked Oysters with Red Chili Pepper

DeenLeave a comment

Picked up these Northern Catch Smoked Oysters with Red Chili Pepper at Aldi on a whim. You don't really see any variation in smoked oysters beyond some brands-- Roland comes to mind-- that grade and sell them according to size. The Aldi exclusive brand, has two versions of smoked oysters, a regular smoked and this one "with red chili pepper". Both retail for under a buck and a half.

Initial impression upon opening the can: 4/5.

As with most canned smoked oysters, the aroma is about the same. There was the red pepper, right there on top. I counted 12 oysters in this particular can, whole as per the package, and about medium size as canned smoked oysters go. Texturally, about average for smoked oysters. Some were "meatier" than others.

Like the regular version, these are packed in cottonseed oil. The pepper imparted only the slightest heat to the contents. I might not have realized it was there had I not known beforehand. Tasting the pepper, I was surprised it didn't infuse the oil or oysters more, as it was rather piquant. All things considered, however, hard to beat at the price.

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

Chicken of the Sea Smoked Oysters in Oil

DeenLeave a comment

One day, I will find the quintessential canned smoked oyster. Today is not that day. Don't get me wrong, these Chicken of the Sea Smoked Oysters in Oil weren't terrible, just not particularly remarkable.

Initial impression upon opening the can: 4/5.

The size was small to about about average, 17 or so in the can. But the can is packed quite full. I couldn't see them fitting any more in there. The oil is neutral, and listed as "cottonseed and/or sunflower", which is common for tinned smoked oysters. There's not much of an aroma to them.

For smoked oysters, they weren't particularly smoky tasting. The texture was typical of most supermarket brands, a little mealy rather than meaty. Eaten on crackers, and served with other snacky foods, they would be OK.

The search continues.

Brand: Chicken of the Sea
Description: Smoked Oysters in Oil
Species: N/S
Country of Origin: N/S
Source: N/S
Skin/Bones: N/A
Net Wt: 3.75 oz.
Price Range: $2-3

Smoked Oyster Duel

DeenLeave a comment

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