Salmon Archives - Sardeenz!

Patagonia Provisions Smoked Wild Pink Salmon With Pastrami Spice

I went to Whole Foods looking for some sale items, and was pleased to find this new, unadvertised Patagonia Provisions Smoked Wild Pink Salmon With Pastrami Spice in stock. So new, in fact, it's not even listed on the Whole Foods website yet. And it was on sale!

Initial impression upon opening the can: 4.8/5.

The pastrami spice aroma hits you immediately, along with a distinct smokiness. There is a modest amount of liquid in the can, typical of smoked salmon in this format. At an even 3 oz. it's a fraction of an ounce lighter than similar entries from competitors Fishwife and Wildfish Cannery. I could see some room in the can for a little more fish.

Let's Try It

My bad. I should have checked the photo before I ate. It's a little fuzzy.

Anyway, there's some nice bronze skin, and I detected no bones. The meat is firm, but flakes readily.

The flavor of the pastrami spice is just right, It could have been overwrought and overpowered the flavor of the fish, but thankfully no.

The ingredients list: Wild pink salmon, organic brown sugar, salt, organic pastrami spice blend (black pepper, coriander, caraway, garlic, onion, mustard), natural wood smoke. As I ate, there was an impression of tanginess I thought might be from vinegar, but as you can see it's not included.

I was pleased the salt level was not as high as might be anticipated, clocking in at a reasonable 530mg.

Main Takeaways

Well-seasoned slow smoked salmon
Pastrami spice well-balanced
Not overly salty

The Whole Foods list price was a competitive $9.99, but the sale brought it down to $7.64 for Amazon Prime members. There was also a "slow smoked with brown sugar" version. I bought a can of it, too, and will review it shortly. By comparison, the only difference between the two ingredient-wise is the pastrami spice.

More On Marketing

I had to check out the Patagonia Provisions website to see if this was truly new or something I had just overlooked. It appears to be new, as of this writing. I found it odd the cartons didn't match, the website showing packaging more in keeping with the rest of the current line. You can see the carton I purchased above is leaning in to the whole eye-catching graphics trend for tinned fish cartons. They've forgone the unnecessary printing of the inside of the box, though. The whole package has a recycled content feel, for which they are to be commended.

Brand: Patagonia Provisions
Description: Smoked Wild Pink Salmon With Pastrami Spice
Species: Pink salmon
Country of Origin: WA, USA
Source: FAO67, Northeast Pacific
Skin/Bones: Yes/No
Net Wt: 3 oz.
Price Range: $10

Wildfish Cannery Smoked Coho Salmon

DeenLeave a comment

I've been sitting on this can of Wildfish Cannery Smoked Coho Salmon for almost three months now. I like to mix things up, and it seemed like time to revisit salmon. It came with my second order from Caputo's, who stocks a nice selection of Wildfish Cannery at good prices. Let's try it.

Initial impression upon opening the can: 4.8/5.

C'mon, now. There's room for a little more salmon in there. It's a typical premium smoked salmon packing style. Filets are cut cross-wise into 1" wide strips, smoked, and then coiled up in a small round can.

The aroma is quite smoky, courtesy of natural alderwood smoke. A sip of the can liquid is similarly smoky. There's also a sweet molasses smell to it.

Seasonings include brown sugar, garlic, black pepper and salt. Quite a bit of salt. It's listed as 220 mg. per serving, and the can is two servings. I'd say it tastes like quite a bit more than 440 mg. A very salt-forward profile seems to be common with smoked salmon. And hey, get your own can.

Bland rice has a way of tempering the saltiness, so I was in luck. I poured everything including the can juices out over it.

The texture is firm, but the meat flakes without much effort. The skin, which usually adds a fatty element to the mouth feel wasn't doing all that much here.

Briefly, I had thoughts of what I might embellish this with, but decided to leave well enough alone. I found myself thinking maybe this is too smoky or too salty, but neither stopped me finishing the whole thing

If I were to add something, it would have to bring a sweeter element to help offset the overt smoke and salt. Maybe Fly By Jing Sweet + Spicy.

Main Takeaways

Good natural alderwood smoke
Tastes saltier than advertised
Good price point for premium smoked salmon

Brand: Wildfish Cannery
Description: Smoked Coho Salmon
Species: Alaskan Coho salmon
Country of Origin: USA
Source: FAO67, Northeast Pacific
Skin/Bones: Yes/No
Net Wt: 3.5 oz.
Price Range: $9

Cole’s Patagonian Smoked Salmon

DeenLeave a comment

I grabbed this can of Cole's Patagonian Smoked Salmon in Extra Virgin Olive Oil during a trip to Walmart a couple of months ago, and am just now getting around to trying it. It was a little spendier than even their smoked rainbow trout, so I hoped I wouldn't be disappointed.

Initial impression upon opening the can: Disappointing.

I didn't know quite what to expect, but had hoped it would look better than this. The appearance is of an amorphous, pink hunk of something that might be fish. A sip of the oil provides a hint of smokiness. Again, as with their smoked trout, it promises "an aromatic Applewood blend". I wasn't getting it.

I broke off a small bit to give an initial taste. It had a hint of smoke, a mild taste and a soft texture. I thought it needed a bit more salt. Blindfolded, I'm not sure I could have told you what kind of fish it was. Don't get me wrong, at this price point I don't expect Wildfish Cannery or Fishwife levels of smoked salmon, but maybe something a little closer in taste and appearance to a fresh salmon fillet.

Diving In

Plopped out over rice, it barely broke apart. The milky white stuff is apparently fat that had exuded out into the bottom of the can. I'm used to this from cooking fresh salmon.

Soldiering on, it didn't improve much, so it was time to make the best of it and experiment.

I had just obtained a jar of S&B Crunchy Garlic in Chili Oil, the spicy version, as part of my deep dive into comparing chili crisp toppings.

I tried to be fair to the fish and not overpower it with this new, higher octane condiment. To that end, I applied it only very sparingly. It did make a minor improvement, I think more from the added salt and umami, which the fish by itself was lacking.

Anyway, another one taken for the team. I wish it had been better news.

Main Takeaways

Visually unappealing
Promised premium-quality smoke flavor undelivered
Lacked salt

Brand: Cole's Seafood
Description: Patagonian Smoked Salmon in EVOO
Species: Farm-raised salmon
Country of Origin: Chile
Source: FAO N/A
Skin/Bones: No/No
Net Wt: 3.2 oz.
Price Range: $5-6

Wildfish Cannery Smoked Sockeye Salmon

DeenLeave a comment

This Wildfish Cannery Smoked Sockeye Salmon was included in a recent haul from Caputo's. I had a temporary tinned fish budget increase, and decided to splurge and get a few of the spendier items.

Initial impression upon opening the can: 5/5.

The smoky aroma hits you immediately, even before you get the lid completely off. Inside, two fillets are curled up, nestled in snuggly. The color is really remarkable. A sip of the can juice (oil is not listed as an ingredient) is a smoky preview of coming attractions. A nibble of the fish is smoky, salty, savory and mildly sweet. The texture is al dente, as expected with genuinely smoked salmon.

I thought I might be able to pry the fillets out whole from the can, but to no avail. The meat was flaky enough to make them fall apart.

Digging In

I got everything out over some hot rice, and poured the remaining can juices over it all.

The bites with skin added an extra dimension to the texture, softening it somewhat. The smoke, while prominent, didn't overpower or fatigue the palate.

The salt level was up front in the flavor profile. I thought the carton listing it at 330mg. seemed low, until I noted the can is considered two servings. Still, it was not off-putting.

I again found myself dividing the meat into successively smaller pieces, in order to prolong the gustatory experience. Authentically-smoked and well-seasoned salmon can have that effect.

I couldn't resist experimenting, and topped the last couple of bites with some Fly By Jing Original Chili Crisp. In retrospect, I'm glad I didn't put it on the whole thing. There wasn't enough sweetness to mitigate the heat, so it was a bit overpowering.

Main Takeaways

A superior example of tinned smoked salmon.
A premium selection from Wildfish Cannery, although not their most expensive.
While very good, their Smoked Coho Salmon and Habanero Smoked Coho are both very similarly satisfying selections, and can be had for about 20% to 25% less.

Brand: Wildfish Cannery
Description: Smoked Sockeye Salmon
Species: Alaskan Sockeye salmon
Country of Origin: USA
Source: FAO67, Northeast Pacific
Skin/Bones: Yes/No
Net Wt: 3.5 oz.
Price Range: $12

Bumblebee Smoke Flavored Coho Salmon

DeenLeave a comment

I picked up this Bumblebee Smoke Flavored Coho Salmon at Walmart about a month ago. At the time I was exploring different brands of tinned smoked salmon with varying results. This one was inexpensive enough, under $3, so I gave it a try.

Initial impression upon opening the can: 4.8/5.

I had already taken notice of the fact the carton says "smoke flavored". At this price point, I wasn't expecting actual smoked fish. The aroma of smoke, however, is very present. A sip of the oil has the same flavor. That the smoke taste is artificial is obvious. The can is reasonably full. The oil (soybean) is tinged a reddish color, noted in the ingredients list as an artificial additive. Trying a little of the meat by itself, I find it possesses a flakier texture than some other tinned salmon in its price range. I consider that a plus.

I thought this might be an opportunity to perk things up a bit, so I opened the jar of FLYBYJING Sichuan Chili Crisp I bought while on sale during the recent Amazon Prime Big Deal Days.

There is a very good smoked salmon sold by Fishwife which includes this same chili crisp condiment. Realistically, I wasn't expecting to replicate that product, nor even come close. But I did find it made an improvement here.

I ended up adding a little more than what's shown in the photo, and probably should have left well enough alone. It's not that the heat of the chili crisp is overpowering, but less of it might have made for a better balance with the taste of the fish.

Well priced at Amazon.

Brand: Bumble Bee Seafoods
Description: Smoke Flavored Coho Salmon
Species: Medium red salmon
Country of Origin: Thailand
Source: FAO N/S
Skin/Bones: No/No
Net Wt: 3.75 oz.
Price Range: $3

Fishwife Smoked Salmon with Sichuan Chili Crisp

DeenLeave a comment

I've been waiting for this Fishwife Smoked Salmon with Sichuan Chili Crisp to come back on sale again at Whole Foods. Last time, it was out of stock by the time I got there. This time, there was exactly one can on the shelf the second day of the sale period. At $15, it's probably one of, if not the most expensive cans of tinned fish you're likely to find on a shelf at a local store. Was it worth it, even at 30% off for Amazon Prime members? Let's find out.

Initial impression upon opening the can: 4.9/5.

A fraction deducted for that empty space at the bottom that could have had more fish in it. Otherwise, the appearance and smoky aroma are enticing. A taste of a pinch of the fish is reminiscent of their Slow Smoked Mackerel. The meat is al dente, as one would expect of authentically smoked fish. I am also already making a mental comparison to the Wildfish Cannery Habanero Smoked Coho Salmon I had tried previously.

Diving In

The carton suggests serving over rice, so that's what I did. Dumped out, you can see some skin and all the goodies from the chili crisp.

If you're familiar with chili crisp, you'll know that Fly By Jing Chili Crisp, like this tinned salmon, is also one of the most expensive of its kind you're likely to find on a local store shelf. It's seen at around $10 to $14, typically, for a small 6 ounce jar.

As I worked my way through the bowl, I found myself dividing the fish into ever smaller pieces, trying to extend the premium experience out as long as possible. As with their slow smoked mackerel, there is a balance of sweet, salty, savory and heat. Except, this time, the heat is kicked up to the next level by the chili crisp. As I finished, I noted the slight numbness to the lips Sichuan peppercorn is known to cause.

Other Thoughts

One caveat. Although it doesn't seem that high, the sodium content is whopping 1050 mg. for the single serving can.

Regardless, this was really good. But I'm just going to have to wait for a sale to buy more. $15 for 3.2 ounces translates to $75 a pound for smoked salmon. In the meantime, I know I can come quite close to the experience with their smoked mackerel. It normally sells in the $9 range. Or the Wildfish Habanero Smoked Coho for $10. Unfortunately, Whole Foods doesn't stock either.

Brand: Fishwife Tinned Seafood Co.
Description: Smoked Salmon with Fly By Jing Chili Crisp
Species: Atlantic salmon
Country of Origin: Norway
Source: FAO27, Northeast Atlantic
Skin/Bones: Yes/No
Net Wt: 3.2 oz.
Price Range: $15

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Wildfish Cannery Habanero Smoked Coho Salmon

DeenLeave a comment

I've been waiting to crack open this Wildfish Cannery Habanero Smoked Coho Salmon for some time now. I tried a few other cans of various smoked salmon in the interim, and wanted to have a broader frame of reference before trying this more premium offering.

Initial impression upon opening the can: 5/5.

Impressive. From the deep color to the marbling of the fish to the aroma of smoke and the myriad seasonings, just impressive. Extracting a small bite, the flavor and texture are overwhelming in multiple (good) ways: smoky, heat, sweet, savory, salty; the meat al dente from the authentic smoking process. I found it hard to stop picking bites directly from the can. But I wanted to get it out over some rice to get all of that sauce. Here's what's in it:

Wild Alaska Coho salmon, habanero hot sauce (Alaskan bull kelp, fermented peppers, mango puree, water, vinegar, agave, salt, conc. lime juice, garlic, xanthan, rosemary extract, dried habanero pepper), sea salt, brown sugar, garlic, and black pepper.

There is some skin with a thin layer of fat adding to the mouth feel. As I ate more of it, I found the heat to be steady, not at all fatiguing on the palate.

The complexity of the flavor of the sauce was deep and, again, impressive. There's that word again.

The salt, however, was another story. The carton says the contents is two servings, so the total for the can is 840mg. sodium. That's kind of pushing it. Still, it didn't seem untenable, just quite noticeable.

All things considered, there's much to recommend this one.

Main Takeaways

Impressive color, aroma and texture
Steady, balanced habanero heat
Complex flavors from a baker's dozen of ingredients

See it at Amazon. Unfortunately, a little pricier there than elsewhere, but can be had in eaches.

Brand: Wildfish Cannery
Description: Habanero Smoked Coho Salmon
Species: Alaskan Coho salmon
Country of Origin: USA
Source: FAO67, Northeast Pacific
Skin/Bones: Yes/No
Net Wt: 4.2 oz.
Price Range: $10