These Ramón Peña Sardines in Olive Oil 16/20 came with an order from International Loft about two months ago. Their inventory of the brand is not as large as others, but they did have this configuration when others did not. I was looking forward to these smaller pilchards. Let's see how they were.
Initial impression upon opening the can: 4.9/5.
The skin is a little roughed up, but it's a fault easy to overlook, as they are quite small and delicate. The can is a deep one, and contains two layers of eight fish. The aroma is fresh. A sip of the olive oil (not listed as EVOO) is neutral with a hint of saltiness.
A taste of the first fish alone is exquisite. It is extremely melt-in-your-mouth tender, yet just firm enough that the fish don't fall apart when plucked from the can. No scales at all. Some have partial tails remaining but they were in no way noticeable on the palate. I ate the first four this way, and had a hard time stopping.
Time For Lunch
I put eight more out over some sticky rice, but had to leave the last four in the can because there wasn't enough room for them all.
Bite after bite, I marveled at the tenderness and mild flavor. Very moist fish. Probably the best plain, small pilchards I've had to date.
After moving the last four fish to the bowl, I applied a few dashes of Salsa Espinaler, just to see what it would do. I found it a bit of an improvement, but mainly because the salt level of the plain sardines seemed rather low. Regardless, I enjoyed them either way.
The label calls the entire can two servings. But I'm not one known for tinned fish leftovers. At 200 calories for the whole can, I could afford to be a little gluttonous.
Main Takeaways
- Super tender, mild flavored fish
- Could have used a pinch more salt
- A definite re-buy, if available
Brand: Ramón Peña
Description: Sardines in olive oil 16/20
Species: Sardina pilchardus
Country of Origin: Spain
Source: FAO27, Northeast Atlantic
Skin/Bones: Yes/Yes
Net Wt: 4 oz.
Price Range: $9