Smoked oysters are a tinned fish staple. If you've had canned sardines, chances are you've also had canned smoked oysters. If you want a change of pace from sardines, mackerel, herring, etc, they can be a good choice. Let's compare two popular brands.
Northern Catch Smoked Oysters
Northern Catch is an Aldi house brand, like many of their products. The first thing you notice about these Northern Catch Smoked Oysters is that they're packed in cottonseed oil. A quick search revealed the jury's deadlocked on whether it's a good or a bad thing. One also has to wonder what problem the state of California has with these. (The answer is here).
Initial impression upon opening the can: 3.5/5.
As with many canned smoked oysters, the texture was a little mealy. The oil is very neutral, and doesn't add to or subtract anything from the flavor. The smallness means there's more in the can, so perhaps a good option for use in a pasta dish.
Inexpensive, at under a buck and a half, they were worth a try. Like most tinned smoked oysters, they're small; it would take at least four to equal the size of an average Louisiana oyster.
Brand: Aldi/Northern Catch
Description: Smoked Oysters in Cottonseed Oil
Species: Crassostrea Gigas
Country of Origin: China
Source: Farmed
Skin/Bones: N/A
Net Wt: 3.0 oz.
Price Range: $1-2
Next, we compare to the Crown Prince.
Crown Prince Natural Smoked Oysters in Olive Oil
These were found at Trader Joe's, but can be found most anywhere. At $3.49, they were quite a bit pricier, but the quality difference was notable. There doesn't seem to be any of the brand offered at a reasonable price at Amazon. I will continue to try to find these at a better price.
Initial impression upon opening the can: 4/5.
The first thing you notice when opening the can is how much larger they are than the ones from Aldi. I counted 11 in the can. The texture was a bit "meatier" as well, which was a plus. That they are packed in olive oil is also preferable.
I noticed that Crown Prince also offers a version packed in cottonseed oil, sourced from China like the Aldi brand. They also sell a China-sourced version in Spanish olive oil. Both bear the description "Fancy Whole", whereas the version I tried just had the word "Natural". It bears noting that you really need to pay attention to make sure you're getting what you want.
Brand: Crown Prince
Description: Smoked Oysters in Olive Oil
Species: NS
Country of Origin: South Korea
Source: FAO61, Northwest Pacific
Skin/Bones: N/A
Net Wt: 3.0 oz.
Price Range: $3-4