Officially described as BELA Sardines in EVOO with Piri-Piri and Smoke Flavor. All things considered, this brand is pretty consistent in terms of both quality and value. BELA is also good for fully disclosing all its bona fides right there on the can. Species of fish, ingredients by percentage of weight, country of origin, cannery code, etc.
Initial impression upon opening the can: 4.8/5.
The skin is a little roughed up in spots. A tightly packed can, with 4 medium to large pilchards. No scales to be found. Fresh sardine aroma. I'm not seeing any seasoning, but that's usually under the fish. Tasting the oil, I didn't find much in the way of heat. Good quality oil, though.
Dumped out over some rice for lunch, and there's the piri-piri. One little pepper. It didn't do much to spice or heat things up, but then it was barely an inch long. I tasted it by itself. Not much to report.
Tasting as many cans as I have recently, the more I tend to think the addition of flavoring elements is more about marketing and consumer psychology than anything else. Unless it's really spiced up, such as those sardines or mackerel with clove, peppercorn, bay leaf and so forth, you often don't get much from one little pepper or a sliver of lemon. Fortunately, they don't seem to affect the price much, if at all.
Otherwise, these were top notch. Firm, meaty pilchards, not dry, with a clean, fresh sardine taste. Recommended.
Main Takeaways
- Generous portion
- Spice and smoke largely MIA
- Great fish otherwise
Brand: BELA Brand Seafood
Description: Sardines in EVOO with Piri-Piri and Smoke Flavor
Species: Pilchards
Country of Origin: Portugal
Source: FAO27, Northeast Atlantic
Skin/Bones: Yes/Yes
Net Wt: 4.23 oz.
Price Range: $4-5
