brisling Archives - Sardeenz!

Fangst Brisling Smoked Over Beech Wood

These Fangst Brisling Smoked Over Beech Wood came with that recent big haul from Caputo's. I've been looking forward to seeing how their sprats were when just smoked, without any other seasonings. They were a bit surprising.

Initial impression upon opening the can: 4.9/5.

Nicely packed, as better Latvian sprats usually are. The count looks to be 11 in a single layer. Visually, they have that bronze look of smoked sprats. The aroma from the can isn't especially noteworthy. I don't really smell any smokiness, but assume it will be there on the palate. A sip of the oil is, well, um, salty. And that's a new one on me.

Normally, I treat sprats as more of a snack, and just eat them from the can solo. Digging in, the fish are quite tender. And salty. The carton says 350mg. sodium, but it tastes like twice that or more. I am getting a hint of the wood smoke on the back end, but it's very subtle. You have to really be looking for it to detect it under all the salt.

Oh, and did I mention salty? I've had other Fangst selections before, and noted each time that they had a prominent but not off-putting salt level. Unfortunately, this time was different, and I found the overt saltiness to be a distraction. It didn't keep me from finishing the $8 can, mind you, but it made for a somewhat disappointing experience. YMMV.

I did look up a few online reviews of these, and while some did note the saltiness, they didn't mention it overpowering the other flavors. Perhaps this can was an anomaly. Caveat emptor.

Main Takeaways

Nice sprats
Subtle smoke
Far saltier than the amount of sodium listed

Brand: Fangst (Copenhagen, Denmark)
Description: Brisling, Smoked over beech wood
Species: Sprattus sprattus
Country of Origin: Latvia
Source: FAO 27, Northeast Atlantic
Skin/Bones: Yes/Yes
Net Wt: 3.5 oz.
Price Range: $8

Fangst Brisling Spiced with Allspice & Cloves

DeenLeave a comment

These Fangst Brisling Spiced with Allspice & Cloves are from a recent online order. I got them after trying and liking the ones with heather and chamomile.

Initial impression upon opening the can: 4/5.

Kind of a mess in there. I expected a neater presentation. But I give the benefit of the doubt, and forge ahead. A sip of the oil gives an unusual taste that I can't attribute to either allspice or clove. The aroma is the same. Then I remember this isn't olive oil but instead cold pressed rapeseed (canola) oil. I see little in the way of tails.

As I try to extract a whole fish from the can, I find they are impossibly tender and fall apart at the slightest movement. Perhaps this explains the messy appearance. The carton promises they are mildly spiced, and, with one clove and one allspice berry, they are that. The Danes have a different, subtle take on sardine seasoning from that of Western Europe, and I find that refreshing.

As with the previous Fangst brisling selection, they are noticeably salty, but not excessively so. I consider it a plus. By the time I reach the last of the eight or so fish, what's left in the can is mostly debris from the unsuccessful attempts to pluck out whole fish. I happily change utensils in order to get the rest of it.

I looked forward to trying these, and initial appearance aside, was not disappointed. I'd buy them again.

Main Takeaways

Kind of messed up looking
Really tender, too tender, "fall apart-y"
Still really tasty

A little pricey in lots of three at Amazon, but not too bad.

Brand: Fangst (Copenhagen, Denmark)
Description: Brisling Spiced with Allspice & Cloves
Species: Sprattus sprattus
Country of Origin: Latvia
Source: FAO 27, Northeast Atlantic
Skin/Bones: Yes/Yes
Net Wt: 3.5 oz.
Price Range: $8

King Oscar Brisling Sardines in Olive Oil

DeenLeave a comment

Going back to basics for a moment with these King Oscar Brisling Sardines in Olive Oil. Besides their Skinless Boneless pilchards, these are the least embellished fish in their range of products.

Initial impression upon opening the can: 4.8/5.

They would have looked better if some skin hadn't stuck to the lid. But they are nicely packed as one would expect of a producer of better quality tinned fish, like KO. The aroma of the olive oil is there, along with a mild fish scent. Extracting fish from the can, they lift out whole for the most part. There were the 8 on top, plus seven slightly less pretty ones underneath, in keeping with the two-layer notation.

As with other KO brisling offerings, they are packaged in a cellophane overwrap rather than a cardboard carton. Over time, the wording on this SKU has changed from saying "12-22 fish" to just "12+ fish".

Tasting them, I note there isn't much evidence of the "lightly smoked", which is described in the ingredients, but not prominently promoted otherwise. The fish are clean-tasting and tender, and the tails are soft, not prickly. Although catch area is not specified, they are packed in Poland, so one could assume FAO27 (Northeast Atlantic). These are of the quality one would expect from King Oscar.

Main Takeaways

Two full layers, not just a few hiding under the many
Smoke is MIA
Still a top quality brisling

These were from Walmart, where they were inexplicably priced around $3.50. Fortunately, they can be had cheaper, as little as $2.50 or thereabouts, in quantity from Amazon.

Brand: King Oscar
Description: Brisling in Olive Oil
Species: Sprattus sprattus
Country of Origin: Poland
Source: FAO 27, Northeast Atlantic
Skin/Bones: Yes/Yes
Net Wt: 3.75 oz.
Price Range: $3-4

Fangst Brisling with Heather & Chamomile

DeenLeave a comment

These were a bit of a crapshoot. I've never seen sardines flavored this way before, but it sounded intriguing. Officially, Fangst Brisling No.1, Smoked, with Heather & Chamomile. I can't be sure, but I tend to believe that comma means to say they are smoked, and are then flavored with heather and chamomile.

Initial impression upon opening the can: 4.5/5.

There was a brief scent of something herbaceous/floral that quickly dissipated. Visually, they appear like most cans of brisling, nicely interlaced. There were 10 fish total. The color gives a hint that smoke was involved, although the carton does not divulge exactly how. As smoked brisling go, however, it is subtle, not overpowering. They are packed in organic rapeseed oil (known elsewhere as canola).

Individual fish were able to be lifted intact from the can. They are tender, the fish flavor is mild, and the tails are not prickly. The subtle herbaceous/floral aroma is there on the palate, but they border on being slightly too salty.

Nonetheless, I still find the flavor fascinating, a quite different take on seasoning sardines than those from Atlantic-facing Europe or the Mediterranean. If you're looking for something out of the ordinary brisling-wise, these might be the ticket.

Main Takeaways

Beautiful packing and visual appeal
Nice smoke and interesting seasoning
Maybe a little too salty

See it at Amazon.

Brand: Fangst (Copenhagen, Denmark)
Description: Brisling, Smoked, with Heather & Chamomile
Species: Sprattus sprattus
Country of Origin: Latvia
Source: FAO 27, Northeast Atlantic
Skin/Bones: Yes/Yes
Net Wt: 3.5 oz.
Price Range: $8

Bar Harbor Wild Petite Sardines in EVOO

DeenLeave a comment

I got these Bar Harbor Wild Petite Sardines on sale at Whole Foods. They were intriguing because, as sprats in a round can like this go, they were not smoked. As such, I expected a more premium experience.

Initial impression upon opening the can: 4.8/5.

Nicer presentation than in the stock photo of the package. An oddly bland aroma, which I attributed to the lack of smoke. There are ten fish and a fraction visible in the top layer, with 6 more beneath.

The fish are very tender, the flavor mild, the texture buttery. As for the EVOO, it was neutral, not really adding anything. The tails are mostly removed, an acknowledgement of the prickliness often found in Latvian sprats.

But, as with the aroma, the taste was a bit bland. These might be the brisling purist's cup of tea, but I thought they needed a little kick. A little Salsa Espinaler did the trick. But, in retrospect, I think just a squeeze of fresh lemon juice might be the perfect balance between purist bland and the want of a little zest. If I catch these on sale again, that's how I will revisit them.

Main Takeaways

Unsmoked sprats?
Great texture and flavor, but still kind of bland
Needed something to brighten things up

See it at Amazon.

Brand: Bar Harbor Foods
Description: Wild Petite Sardines in EVOO
Species: Sprattus sprattus
Country of Origin: Latvia
Source: FAO 27, Northeast Atlantic
Skin/Bones: Yes/Yes
Net Wt: 4.2 oz.
Price Range: $5

Chicken of the Sea Sardines in Lemon Sauce

DeenLeave a comment

I purchased these Chicken of the Sea Sardines in Lemon Sauce in a group with the Louisiana hot sauce and Mediterranean versions. As with both of those, they are labeled as being either sprats or herring. They turned out to be sprats. The can had a bit of slosh, indicating a less than full packing of fish.

Initial impression upon opening the can: 3.5/5.

The haphazard packing was not a surprise. Clean aroma. Attempting to extract a whole intact sprat from the can was difficult. They were "fall apart-y", to quote another sardine taster. The label says "smoke flavor", but I wasn't getting any of it. Nonetheless, the meat was tender and the tails weren't prickly.

The lemon "sauce " is apparently achieved by a combo of sugar, citric acid, lemon juice concentrate and xanthan gum. Even though consisting of more-or-less natural ingredients, it tasted a bit artificial. I wouldn't say it warranted being called a "sauce", either. There was no viscosity to it. Odd that the label shows a "serving suggestion" that includes a lemon wedge.

Main Takeaways

Messy presentation
Borderline mushy
Promised flavoring underdelivered

These aren't terrible for the price, under $2 per can. But I doubt I'll be buying them again.

See it at Amazon.

Brand: Chicken of the Sea
Description: Brisling Sardines in lemon sauce
Species: Sprattus sprattus
Country of Origin: Poland
Source: FAO27, Northeast Atlantic
Skin/Bones: Yes/Yes
Net Wt: 3.75 oz.
Price Range: $2

MW Polar Brisling Sardines in Olive Oil

DeenLeave a comment

Bought these MW Polar Brisling Sardines in Olive Oil after failing to note that what I had bought before was packed in canola oil. Those were in a regular metal pull-top can, and, even though packed in canola, I thought were quite good. Finding these seemed to be a happy coincidence, as they were in olive oil, had a higher net weight and were by far cheaper. Be careful what you wish for.

Initial impression upon opening the can: 4.8/5.

They had that same bronze color from real smoke, and were packed nicely, with 10 fish visible on the top layer, fewer and larger than in the stock photo. Then-- you guessed it-- only 3 fish under that. Not really much different than the metal pull-top can.

While these tasted fine, there was a good bit of tail prickliness, to the point that I bit off the tails and didn't eat them. I do wonder if a higher visible fish count through the clear cover, i.e. smaller fish, would translate to more tender, non-prickly tails. But I have also seen it asserted that prickly tails are not uncommon in brisling sourced from Latvia.

I'm ambivalent about buying them in this format again, as I really think there were more and better fish in the 3.52 oz. can than in this 4.23 oz. one. At around $2.50, they were way cheaper, but not as satisfying, overall.

Main Takeaways

Authentically smoked
Prickly tails
Version in traditional can might be better value

Brand: MW Polar
Description: Smoked Brisling in Olive Oil
Species: Sprattus sprattus
Country of Origin: Latvia
Source: FAO 27, Northeast Atlantic
Skin/Bones: Yes/Yes
Net Wt: 4.23 oz.
Price Range: $2-3