Sardines Archives - Page 2 of 18

Nissui Seasoned Sardines

These Nissui Seasoned Sardines came from a new Asian market I visited recently. Their sardine selection was low, fried eel apparently being the more popular tinned fish there and in many other such establishments. The receipt called them "sardines ajitsuke", which apparently just means "seasoned".

Initial impression upon opening the can: 3/5.

A rather unappetizing visual. I'd rather they looked more like the image on the can, but no luck. Also disappointing is the amount of empty space. Just two large sardinops, I would assume, these being sourced from Thailand. The aroma is of soy sauce, not surprising.

I went in a different direction this time, and ate them with some soy and sesame oil glazed cold noodles. Seemed appropriate for a Japanese product also in a soy-based sauce.

Lifting them from the tin, they are quite stiff. Digging in, they are resistant to the pierce of a fork, but that's more likely due to their size. On the palate, they were reasonably tender, and the bones unobtrusive. I detected no scales.

Appearances aside, the flavor was not bad. But being packed in a soy sauce preparation may or may not have influenced the perception of the fish flavor.

Saltiness wasn't an issue, despite the label claiming 670mg. sodium. Probably more due to the soy sauce, which I didn't pour all of over the fish and noodles.

Main Takeaways

Not the prettiest
Wished they were smaller and better filled the can
Flavor and tenderness acceptable despite appearance

Although a Japanese product, the label indicates the fish are sourced from Thailand.

Brand: Nissui Co. Ltd.
Description: Sardine in soy sauce
Species: ?
Country of Origin: Thailand / Japan
Source: FAO61, Northwest Pacific
Skin/Bones: Yes/Yes
Net Wt: 3.53 oz.
Price Range: $2-3

Pollastrini Sardines in Tomato Sauce

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These Pollastrini Sardines in Tomato Sauce came from International Loft. I've tried a couple of Pollastrini selections before, and this tin was one of a few unfamiliar ones from them that I ordered during a recent sale.

Before I even opened the tin, I was a bit confused. Pollastrini is an Italian brand, reportedly one of, if not the last remaining producers of Mediterranean sardines. What struck me as odd was the label applied by the US importer, which had a cannery code indicating product of Croatia. Also perplexing was the ingredient list on the applied label contradicted the ingredients underneath it on the tin itself. This gave me pause, as the tin listing includes olive oil, celery and spices whereas the label specified sunflower oil, potato starch and sugar.

Initial impression upon opening the can: 4.9/5.

The initial aroma is of tomato. The sauce looks homogenous, the oil not having separated as is often the case. A sip of it has a certain brightness to it. The fish themselves are mostly intact with little roughed up skin. The "bars" across them must be some artifact of the canning process.

The tin is 3.5 oz, a little light as compared to the average. But although shallower, it is also wider than normal, and in this case capable of accommodating six fish.

Time To Eat

The fish are firm, and come out of the can intact. There are a few scales, but no tails or fins. They are mostly uniform in size with one larger exception.

I poured most of the sauce remaining in the tin over everything. In a bit of a departure from normal, I'm using a brown and wild rice combo instead of my usual basmati. The sauce is nothing special, but at least does not have an overcooked taste.

Digging in, the meat is firm, with no dryness on the palate. They have a good, fresh flavor. Mediterranean sardines sometimes have a different mouthfeel from those harvested from other regions. I have seen elsewhere the texture of the fish in this same tin referred to as anchovy-like. Having recently tried the Patagonia Provisions Spicy White Anchovies, I can see where that impression comes from.

I found the salt level acceptable. Depending on whether you go by the tin or by the applied label, sodium is either a moderately high 620mg. or a moderately low 240mg. My impression is of the latter.

Main Takeaways

Fresh-tasting, meaty sardines
Smaller net weight than average, but six fish a plus
Tomato sauce just OK

Brand: Pollastrini
Description: Sardines in tomato sauce
Species: Clupea pilchardus (Sardina pilchardus)
Country of Origin: Italy/Croatia
Source: FAO37, Mediterranean Sea
Skin/Bones: Yes/Yes
Net Wt: 3.5 oz.
Price Range: $6

Casablanca Spicy Sardines with Hot Peppers

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These Casablanca Spicy Sardines with Hot Peppers came from a local Middle-Eastern market. I've learned to check there regularly, as I've found several selections I haven't seen elsewhere, and they seem to get new things frequently. Moroccan sardines at $2 a tin felt like a challenge worth taking.

Initial impression upon opening the can: 4.5/5.

It's one of those stiff, scary-to-open cans with the squiggly ridges on the lid. Fortunately, I get it open without incident. It's just two huge pilchards, which I've come to expect from inexpensively-priced Moroccan sardines. Skin is a little roughed up. The oil is tinged red from peppers, I assume, but I don't see any yet. The aroma is a little fishier than I'd like. A sip of the oil, listed as sunflower, has a heat that doesn't hit until the back of the throat. I see some bones sticking out from the tail end of the loins. No scales or fins, though.

Let's Eat

Heaving them out over rice, I find two bright red peppers underneath. There's a few tablespoons of the oil left in the tin, and I poured most over the fish and rice.

I think what I like least about getting overgrown pilchards is the sense that I'm butchering a side of beef rather than enjoying some little fishes. Nonetheless, the meat is tender and moist, not mushy, and reasonably melt-in-your-mouth in texture.

The fish flavor, like the aroma, is a bit stronger, but not off-putting. The pepper flavor is low but steady, no real complaint there. They don't seem all that salty, and the carton confirms a low 200mg. sodium. I didn't feel compelled, however, to add anything salty to make up for it.

Main Takeaways

Why couldn't they be smaller
Tender, meaty fish regardless
Maybe could have used some salt

Brand: Spice N' More Corp. / Casablanca
Description: Spicy sardines in olive oil
Species: Sardina pilchardus
Country of Origin: Morocco
Source: FAO34, Eastern Central Atlantic
Skin/Bones: Yes/Yes
Net Wt: 4.375 oz.
Price Range: $2

Brunswick Skinless Boneless Sardines in Olive Oil

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It occurred to me that it had been a long time since I had returned to where the journey started, with some skinless boneless sardines. Back then, I ordered King Oscar's by the case, usually consuming them as an evening snack with saltine crackers. This tin of Brunswick Skinless Boneless Sardines in Olive Oil was laying around in my stash, and I was moved to revisit this style of tinned fish. For old times' sake.

Initial impression upon opening the can: 4.9/5.

There's that aroma, somewhere between sardine and tuna. The olive oil has a golden hue. There appear to be five fileted loins total.

Let's Eat

My recollection of these was that, although tender and meaty, they were a little bland. With sodium a little on the low side at 290mg, they weren't all that salty. Seemed like a good opportunity to investigate how they would taste with chili crisp.

I first became aware of the condiment chili crisp while watching a youtube sardine reviewer. It would also be from where I learned of Salsa Espinaler. For the purposes of this review, I chose a rather spicy version of chili crisp, Chuannan Chili Oil Crisp, which you can learn more about at the link.

I was concerned this bold version of chili crisp might overpower the sardine flavor. The one the youtube reviewer had was a far tamer brand called Lao Gan Ma. But I found the heightened spice level of the Chuannan complemented the fish and vice versa. And since chili crisps are often combined with rice, the three together made for a tasty, umami-filled experience.

Main Takeaways

Tasty sardines
Nostalgic flavor
Needed some spicing up

Brand: Brunswick
Description: Skinless boneless sardines in olive oil
Species: Pilchards
Country of Origin: Morocco
Source: FAO34, Eastern Central Atlantic
Skin/Bones: No/No
Net Wt: 4.4 oz.
Price Range: $2-3

Old Riga Atlantic Sardines in Oil

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These Old Riga Atlantic Sardines in Oil came from an international market that I have not had much good luck with when it comes to sardines. The can is large, 8.5oz, twice that of a normal tin, and was only $4.49. I waited until a day that I was hungrier than normal, as storing sardine leftovers is a pain. I was assuming sprats, as they are from Latvia. Boy, was I ever wrong.

The first indication I should have had that something was amiss was in checking the ingredients. "Sliced sardines"? Why would you slice sprats?

Initial impression upon opening the can: 2/5.

What in the name of sweet baby Jeebus have I gotten myself into? A strong aroma of fish hit me as I cracked open the can. I wasn't really sure what I was looking at, at first. Then it dawned on me that it was the cross-sections of sliced, rather large fish. Some really unappetizing-looking fish at that.

Wish Me Luck

The tin says they're packed in canola oil, but it's more like "with" some canola oil. Since they were packed cross-section side up, I can now see skin, but thankfully no scales. Also a few fins, but I dispatched them straight away. I'm not really sure what species of fish this even is.

I closed my eyes, and took a whole piece in one bite. The meat is tender enough, but woefully bland. There doesn't seem to be too much in the way of bones, but I didn't feel like performing a dissection.

They're lacking salt. And that's surprising, as the tin states the entire contents is six servings at 200mg. sodium per. Honestly, it doesn't taste like 200mg. for the whole can. Three fourths of the way through, I brought out the Valentina hot sauce in order to salvage what was left.

I have a can of Japanese mackerel in soybean paste I've been reluctant to open, fearing a similar experience.

Main Takeaways

Read the label before purchase, dummy
Unappetizing appearance
Tender but bland fish

Brand: GFI Foods / Old Riga
Description: Atlantic sardines in oil
Species: ?
Country of Origin: Latvia
Source: FAO27, Northeast Atlantic
Skin/Bones: Yes/Yes
Net Wt: 8.5 oz.
Price Range: $4-5

Pollastrini Sardines in Sunflower Oil

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These Pollastrini Sardines in Sunflower Oil came from International Loft. As with other Pollastrini tins in the order, this one also includes an add-on label indicating sourcing from Croatia. I've liked other selections from them so far, and wanted to see what their unembellished, plain sardines in oil were like.

Initial impression upon opening the can: 4.9/5.

The skins are a little rough, but that won't affect taste. The aroma from the tin is solely of the fish, and a little stronger than I'm used to. But not in a bad way. No scales apparent, but I see some tails, typical of Italian packed sardines. They're easy enough to cut off.

A sip of the oil is neutral, as sunflower usually is. Pollastrini produces plain sardines packed in olive oil, and I'm not sure why International Loft doesn't appear to stock them. They do stock the spicy sardines in olive oil version. But, if the fish have a good taste on their own, though, the type of oil isn't necessarily critical.

Let's Eat

Pulling them from the tin, they are quite tender, almost falling apart. The few tails I saw, I easily cut away with a fork. There are six fish, once again testament to Pollastrini's ability to pack more fish in a smaller can than their competitors.

What little oil was left in the tin, I poured over the fish, attempting to avoid the skin and tails debris.

Digging in, they are as tender as they seemed. I found, however, as I worked my way through them, the taste to be somewhat earthy, maybe even muddy. Not a lack of freshness, but something intrinsic to the fish, a blandness. Disappointing.

They lacked salt, but even the addition of a salty condiment didn't materially improve things. Sodium is listed as 550mg, but they tasted nowhere near that salty.

Main Takeaways

Tender fish
Good count
Unimpressive flavor

Brand: Pollastrini
Description: Sardines in sunflower oil
Species: Clupea pilchardus (Sardina pilchardus)
Country of Origin: Italy/Croatia
Source: FAO37, Mediterranean Sea
Skin/Bones: Yes/Yes
Net Wt: 3.5 oz.
Price Range: $6

Espinaler Sardines in Pickled Sauce 3/5

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These Espinaler Sardines in Pickled Sauce 3/5 (Escabeche) came from Caputo's. As part of the Espinaler "classic" line, they are still quite a bargain at $5. I'd had their mussels in pickled sauce before, and wondered how that might translate to sardines.

This was one of those deep, super stiff cans with the undulating ridges on the lid. Usually, that makes for a big mess when either your hand or the lid suddenly slips, and the packing oil or sauce flies everywhere. Savvy sardine aficionados have learned a "walk and rock" technique to get the lid off without incident. Typically, you can get the lid about halfway peeled back before things start getting dicey. But, if you "walk" it, concentrating on the left and right alternately, you can get to a point where you can "rock" the lid back and forth until it gently releases. Thus endeth the lesson.

Initial impression upon opening the can: 4.9/5.

On a 3/5 tin of sardines, I always hope for 5, but in this case got 3. Beautifully packed, pristine skin, no scales, fins or tails. The aroma of the sauce is immediately apparent when the lid is first cracked.

A sip of the oil/sauce is less revealing, but would bloom later on. The oil in this case is sunflower.

Time To Eat

I heaved the three big pilchards out over rice, and before pouring any of the sauce/oil over them, took a minute to whisk it back into an emulsion with a plastic fork.

Digging in, the fish are as tender as can be expected from pilchards their size. They are acceptably moist, with a good, fresh sardine flavor.

It hadn't struck me before now, only having had this sauce preparation with their mussels, that the flavor of this pickled sauce/escabeche is quite reminiscent of the Salsa Espinaler appetizer sauce. Both are vinegary, with a mild pepper note.

I didn't find these notably absent of salt, but the sauce made up for any lack thereof. Sodium is listed as a moderate 350mg.

I thought it was odd that the carton I received was printed (in Spanish) "sardines in olive oil". Only two labels, applied over the back and front, contained the name and information for sardines in pickled sauce. Someone must have forgotten to order boxes at the cannery.

Brand: Espinaler
Description: Sardines in pickled sauce
Species: Sardina pilchardus
Country of Origin: Spain
Source: FAO27, Northeast Atlantic
Skin/Bones: Yes/Yes
Net Wt: 4.05 oz.
Price Range: $5