Sardeenz!

Minerva Mackerel Fillets in Spiced Olive Oil with…

I leave the title open-ended because it's quite confusing. The package I bought says "Minerva Mackerel Fillets in Spiced Olive Oil with Vegetables". But if you look for it online, you'll find anything but. Some packages say "with pickles". Others are in Portugese, but still clearly say pickles. Some wrappers have UPC codes; others, depending on vendor, do not. But, according to the ingredient statement, they are all apparently the same. This would be my first experience with mackerel from Minerva.

Initial impression upon opening the can: 5/5.

These look great. The can is packed as full as can be reasonably expected. Slices of cucumber and carrots (pickled?) are nestled between the three fillets.

A sip of the slightly orange-tinted oil is largely neutral, not really spicy at all, but with a hint of a vegetal note. A nibble of the meat is mild, as one would expect of mackerel.

Digging Deeper

The fillets extracted from the can largely intact, a lone, small piri-piri pepper under the last one out. There was a little over a tablespoon of the oil left in the can, and I poured it all over the fish and rice.

The heat from the rice made the spice in the oil bloom a bit, but it never reached a point I would call hot nor even piquant.

The fish might have been a tad dry, but the addition of the oil mostly solved it. I thought a little more salt might have helped. Still, they were tender and flaked easily.

The vegetables had no discernable acidity or saltiness, so I wouldn't really call them pickles. The pepper also lacked any spiciness, but I suppose any it might have had was diffused into the oil.

So, the confusion continues. Pickles? Vegetables? The wrappers, in all their various iterations, say "olive oil, carrot, cucumber, piri-piri chili pepper, salt". If I had to guess, those that say pickles pre-date the ones that say vegetables, based on observable "best by" dates.

Main Takeaways

Good quality mackerel fillets
Spiciness not in evidence
Generous portion

One final observation. I looked at multiple vendor websites, trying to find an image of a wrapper that matched mine, but could not find one. Not even from the place I bought them. What I did find, however, was puzzling: prices all over the map. Under $7 at one place, $8 where I bought them, and $14.50(!) elsewhere. That last one is just crazy, especially considering the cheapest vendor will pay the shipping on orders over $25. That most expensive vendor offers several customer perks, but apparently they come at a cost.

Brand: A Poveira/MInerva
Description: Mackerel Fillets in Spiced Olive Oil with Vegetables
Species: Scomber colias
Country of Origin: Portugal
Source: FAO27, Northeast Atlantic
Skin/Bones: No/No
Net Wt: 4.25 oz.
Price Range: $7-14(!)

Tonnino Yellowfin Tuna Fillets with Oregano

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These Tonnino Yellowfin Tuna Fillets with Oregano in Olive Oil came from Whole Foods while on sale there. Packed in a glass jar, you can largely see what you're getting before you buy it, an anomaly in the world of tinned fish. But how did they taste?

Initial impression upon opening the can jar: 4.9/5.

Some nice elongated, solid tuna fillets, three in total. The immersion in oil masks any real aroma at this point.

Pulling the fillets out, they remain largely intact. Two of the three were used immediately over a Mediterranean pasta salad with rotini, cucumber, roasted red pepper and kalamata olives. While delicious, it didn't really allow for a sense of the tuna on its own merits.

Let's Try it Alone

I plated the remaining fillet and poured an ounce or so of the oregano-infused olive oil over it. There was a bit of tuna debris left in the bottom, so... Waste not, want not. I added it to the top.

It was at this point the aroma of the fresh tuna and herbs started to bloom. Breaking the fillet into smaller bite-size pieces, I endeavored to coat each in the golden green-hued oil. I found the tuna itself felt a little dry on the palate, and the oil really improved the mouthfeel.

I thought the level of oregano was just right, not heavy-handed as with some recent tastings. Even though listed at a moderate 380mg. sodium, it seemed a little lacking in salt. But I opted not to make any alterations, and just enjoyed it as-is.

The olive oil, while not listed as EVOO, is of high quality, and I'll keep that remaining in the jar for some near term future use.

All in all, the $9 regular price is reasonable for wild, pole & line caught yellowfin. Also of note is this glass jar pack is 6.7 oz, a generous portion of same. I see Walmart carries some Tonnino tuna in this format at prices more in line with the Whole Foods sale price.

Main Takeaways

Meaty, substantial tuna fillets
Good seasoning level
Lacked salt, on its own

Brand: Tonnino
Description: Yellowfin tuna fillets with oregano in olive oil
Species: Thunnus albacares
Country of Origin: Costa Rica
Source: FAO?
Skin/Bones: No/No
Net Wt: 6.7 oz.
Price Range: $9

Fishwife Gift Sets

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Looking for a holiday gift for that tinned fish lover in your life? See this and several other curated Fishwife Gift Sets on sale now.

Nuri Extra Spiced Sardines in Olive Oil

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These Nuri Extra Spiced Sardines in Olive Oil came with an order from International Loft a couple of months ago. I saw a recent review of them online, and was moved to finally crack open the can and compare thoughts. I was pleasantly surprised.

Initial impression upon opening the can: 4.9/5.

Not the prettiest, but these are some hefty pilchards, and they're packed in there tight. It's one of those deep cans, so it's a generous 4.4 oz. portion. There are no scales apparent, nor any fins or partial tails.

The aroma is of fresh fish, but not too much of the spice. A sip of the oil is spicy on the tongue, with the heat hitting squarely at the back of the throat.

Let's Dig In

Put out over rice, there are five fish in total: one smaller, three medium, and one huge. The usual spiced suspects are there, notably with three piri-piri peppers, which appear to account for the "extra". Also appearing are a pickle slice, a sliver of carrot and a chip of laurel leaf. The wrapper lists cloves, but I found none.

Even packed full, there was a substantial amount of peppery spice-infused oil left in the can, and I poured most of it over the fish and rice.

Although firm in appearance, these are incredibly tender, and not dry at all. The heat from the peppers is steady and complements the flavor of the fish nicely. It is, however, piquant enough to prompt some scalp perspiration.

All in all, a top notch can of fish that I'd happily buy again. Although I'm not sure what, other than the extra pepper or two, makes these cost $2 more than their regular "spiced" version.

Update: Apparently, in addition to the triple peppers, the extra cost can be attributed to the fact these are aged a minimum of 90 days longer than the regular spiced version, before being shipped to market.

Main Takeaways

Tender, moist, mild flavored fish
Spiciness well-balanced
Steady heat, short of overpowering

See it at Amazon.

Brand: Pinhais/Nuri
Description: Extra Spiced Sardines in Olive Oil
Species: Sardina pilchardus
Country of Origin: Portugal
Source: FAO27, Northeast Atlantic
Skin/Bones: Yes/Yes
Net Wt: 4.4 oz.
Price Range: $8

Ekone Habanero Hots Smoked Oysters

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I always look at these Ekone Habanero Hots Smoked Oysters at Whole Foods and wonder how good they might be. But the $13 price tag for a 3 oz. can makes me pass them up. Last trip, I noticed they were tagged "last chance" and the price marked down to just over $8. Seemed like now or never.

Initial OOBE

Even before opening the can, I noticed it was a bit sticky on the outside. And I observed what appeared to be some organic material peeking out from under the top rim on the outside. The best by date on the bottom was unclear, and I thought it might say July 2024 (It is currently December 2025). My expectation, however, is that Whole Foods' inventory, even that of unpopular items, turns over fast enough to keep product from expiring on the shelf.

There was no staining of the inside of the carton, so whatever happened occurred long before packaging. The can was not swollen or dented, and the sound of vacuum breaking when the ring was lifted was reassuring. I wrote the stickiness and the other off to small cannery operational oversight, and pressed ahead.

Initial impression upon opening the can: 4.8/5.

Better quality smoked tinned seafood is usually packed with less liquid than the average mass market stuff. There was a bit more headroom here than I was expecting, the steep regular price considered. Some nice looking oysters, though. Much larger than the pedestrian supermarket variety. Far fewer, too. Ultimately, I counted three whole, large oysters and two either partial or smaller ones.

The aroma is smoky and sweet. A sip of the liquid is similar, but has a steady, low level of heat from the habanero. The sauce ingredients, mostly organic, include sunflower oil, tomatoes, habanero peppers, garlic, hot sauce, cane sugar, garlic powder, onion powder, citric acid (flavor enhancer) and natural smoke.

Extracting oysters from the can, I attempted to get as much as the sauce as I could on each. I found it quite flavorful and complex. If they could bottle it as a barbecue sauce, it might sell.

Main Takeaways

Large, meaty oysters, albeit few in number
Complex, flavorful sauce with smoky, moderate heat
QC needs to pay closer attention

Update: I went back to Whole Foods for something else, but took the opportunity to inspect the remaining few cans on the shelf. Most of the "best by" dates on the lids were distorted by the ridges in them, but it appears to be 2029, not 2024. Those cans were a bit sticky as well.

Brand: Ekone Oyster Co.
Description: Smoked Oysters with habanero hot sauce
Species: Pacific oysters
Country of Origin: USA
Source: Farm raised
Skin/Bones: N/A
Net Wt: 3.0 oz.
Price Range: $12-13

Ati Manel Mackerel Filets in Olive Oil

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I got these Ati Manel Mackerel Filets in Olive Oil from Caputo's a few months back. After trying a variety of different tins in the interim, it seemed like a good time to revisit mackerel. You may remember my experience with another Ati Manel mackerel did not go so well. This time, I'm sure it will be different.

Initial impression upon opening the can: Relief.

Some gorgeous mackerel filets. There's no discernable aroma coming from the can. The oil is transparent, and a sip of it is neutral.

A small bite of fish reveals a rich, mild flavor with none of that "tang" for which tuna is generally known. And I think that's what attracts me most to mackerel. The texture is firm but still tender at the same time, the meat flaking readily.

Mackerel Three Ways

I'm able to pry the filets from the can mostly intact. There are four in total. There was about a quarter inch of oil left in the can, and I poured about half over the fish and rice.

One filet I ate plain, just to assess flavor and salt level. The meat is not juicy per se, but at the same time not dry. The saltiness was very subdued, almost undetectable, which ended up being a good thing, as I was about to kick things up a bit.

Bring On The Umami

I added two different toppings. Upper in the photo is some garlic furikake. I thought its delicate flavors and relatively low salt level made for a delicious combination.

Below that is some Fly By Jing Xtra Crunchy Sichuan Chili Crisp. It's quite a bit saltier, and I probably should have used less. I scraped a good bit of it aside after the first bites, leaving only a little on the fish. That was an improvement, as it spiced up the fish without totally overpowering its flavor.

Overall, a good can of fish. A little pricey at $8, but certainly worth it.

Main Takeaways

Rich, mild flavor
Firm but tender
Generous portion of intact, whole filets

Brand: 100 Misterios / Ati Manel
Description: Mackerel Filets in Olive Oil
Species: Scomber japonicus
Country of Origin: Portugal
Source: FAO27, Northeast Atlantic
Skin/Bones: No/No
Net Wt: 4.2 oz.
Price Range: $8

Matiz Lightly Smoked Sardines in Spanish Olive Oil

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These Matiz Lightly Smoked Sardines in Spanish Olive Oil came from World Market about three months ago. To be honest, I kind of lost track of them in my tinned fish stash. It's starting to get out of hand. Some recently reviewed plain sardines made me want to continue on that path for a while, even though I'll probably find some spiced ones and try them next. Let's see how these were.

Initial impression upon opening the can: 4.8/5.

Nice looking fish, photogenically packed silver belly side up. The aroma from the just-opened can is neutral, not really imparting any smokiness. A sip of the oil is also neutral, but I think I detect a subtle note of spice that shouldn't be there. There look to be five husky pilchards.

A taste of the fish is promising, though. The meat has a soft, melt-in-your-mouth texture. No scales to speak of, nor fins. A couple of partial tails, though.

Let's Eat

Extracting them from the can to put out over rice, they are firm enough not to fall apart. There is also the five fish, a welcome portion. About a half inch of oil is left in the can and I pour half of it over everything.

Working my way through the first couple, I find the meat consistently tender and moist. The fish flavor is mild, but I thought it could have used a touch more salt.

Still not getting any smoke, though. The ingredients list only "smoked aroma", which tells me there is room for inconsistency can-to-can. I find it to be the case, more often than not, that the promise of "lightly smoked" is rarely fulfilled, especially when natural smoke is not involved.

A Moment of Weakness

OK, I admit I'm a flavor junkie. These were some really nice plain sardines, lack of smoke and dearth of salt aside. But after confirming my assessment of them unadorned, I just couldn't resist adding a little kick.

I topped the remaining few fish with a dash of Trader Joe's Crunchy Chili Onion. It's very onion/garlic forward, not too salty. It has a steady heat that borders on excessive, but stops just short of discomfort. Really good, and a bargain at under $5 a jar.

Main Takeaways

Tender, moist fish with mild, fresh flavor
Lacked smoke and salt
Generous portion of five pilchards

Brand: Connorsa / Matiz
Description: Lightly Smoked Sardines in Spanish olive oil
Species: Pilchards
Country of Origin: Spain
Source: FAO27, Northeast Atlantic
Skin/Bones: Yes/Yes
Net Wt: 4.2 oz.
Price Range: $5-6