I've been waiting for my local Walmart to have these back in stock for a while now. Fully described as King Oscar Skinless & Boneless Sardines, Spanish Style in Olive Oil. As is usual with KO skinless/boneless sardines, these are pilchards.
Initial impression upon opening the can: 4.5/5.
I didn't include a photo of the just-opened can because it looked like any other can of King Oscar skinless/boneless pilchards. My assumption was that whatever was included in the can would be underneath the fish, so photographing that would have been moot. Perhaps the idea is that one is expected to dump the fish out onto a plate, et voila! there are the inclusions nicely perched atop the liberated can contents.
Such was not the case, as I chose to do as I usually do, which is to dig portions straight out of the can. I did manage to find the carrot and cucumber, but felt a little disappointed to find no actual whole pepper. These were not as firm as I have come to expect from KO. Digging around to find the veggies created a bit of a mush. They still tasted fine. However, if there was supposed to be any pepper to convey some heat, both it and the heat were absent. Maybe the pepper lady was on break when this can went down the line. I will reserve final judgement until after opening the second can I bought.
Revisit a Year Later
I opened a second can that had been languishing in my stash for quite some time, over a year in fact. As before, the additions were underneath the fish.
Four hefty pilchard loins this time, and the pepper missing from that first tin. I plucked them and the veggies from the tin, and poured about half the remaining oil over everything.
A sip of the oil reveals the pepper has done its job, bringing a moderate level of heat. There was also a pickle in there, hidden between two fish stuck together.
These are firmer than the last can, but at the expense of moisture. They are a tad on the dry side, but not a deal breaker.
Main Takeaways
- June 2025: Not as firm as typical King Oscar boneless skinless. September 2026: Firm as expected.
- June 2025: Flavorful but absent heat. September 2026: Pepper has done its job.
Brand: King Oscar
Description: Skinless & Boneless Sardines in Olive Oil, Spanish Style
Species: Pilchards
Country of Origin: Morocco
Source: FAO34, Eastern Central Atlantic
Skin/Bones: No/No
Net Wt: 4.23 oz.
Price Range: $2-3