I had picked up these Matiz Wild Sardines with Natural Lemon Essence at World Market a couple of months ago, and am just now getting around to trying them. They were $5, and I had seen good things about the brand.
Initial impression upon opening the can: 4.5/5.
Another of those stiff-to-open cans. The skin is a little ragged, but there's something about skin-on pilchards being packed silver belly side up that makes them more visually appealing. Four fish here, a number more to my liking. Fresh sardine aroma. A taste of the oil-- they are packed in sunflower-- reveals a very subtle lemon essence. Plucking individual fish from the can, they are tender enough to fall apart without much resistance.
Tasting one fish on its own, I found it acceptably mild in flavor. I dumped the rest, oil and all, over some hot rice, which seemed to make the lemon flavor "bloom" a bit. There's no slice of lemon in the can. After a recent packaging refresh, the ingredients now list "natural lemon aroma" as the flavoring. Formerly, it said "natural lemon essential oil".
The carton has a helpful little blurb: Rather than "ma-TEEZ" or "ma-TEES", Matiz is pronounced "ma-TEETH". That can be attributed to the Castilian dialect of Spain, the legend being that a medieval Spanish king's lisp was emulated by his subjects.
I see they have also had a recent price increase at World Market, now $5.49. I think, all things considered, they're still worth it.
Main Takeaways
- Nice and tender
- No lemon in the can, but still lemony
- Price has increased, but still worth it
See it at Amazon. Still under $5 each in quantities of 5 there.
Brand: Connorsa / Matiz
Description: Sardines with Natural Lemon Essence
Species: Pilchards
Country of Origin: Spain
Source: FAO27, Northeast Atlantic
Skin/Bones: Yes/Yes
Net Wt: 4.2 oz.
Price Range: $5-6