I purchased these Chicken of the Sea Sardines in Lemon Sauce in a group with the Louisiana hot sauce and Mediterranean versions. As with both of those, they are labeled as being either sprats or herring. They turned out to be sprats. The can had a bit of slosh, indicating a less than full packing of fish.
Initial impression upon opening the can: 3.5/5.
The haphazard packing was not a surprise. Clean aroma. Attempting to extract a whole intact sprat from the can was difficult. They were "fall apart-y", to quote another sardine taster. The label says "smoke flavor", but I wasn't getting any of it. Nonetheless, the meat was tender and the tails weren't prickly.
The lemon "sauce " is apparently achieved by a combo of sugar, citric acid, lemon juice concentrate and xanthan gum. Even though consisting of more-or-less natural ingredients, it tasted a bit artificial. I wouldn't say it warranted being called a "sauce", either. There was no viscosity to it. Odd that the label shows a "serving suggestion" that includes a lemon wedge.
Main Takeaways
- Messy presentation
- Borderline mushy
- Promised flavoring underdelivered
These aren't terrible for the price, under $2 per can. But I doubt I'll be buying them again.
Brand: Chicken of the Sea
Description: Brisling Sardines in lemon sauce
Species: Sprattus sprattus
Country of Origin: Poland
Source: FAO27, Northeast Atlantic
Skin/Bones: Yes/Yes
Net Wt: 3.75 oz.
Price Range: $2