canola oil Archives

Bumblebee Skinless Boneless Smoked Trout

I've been on a bit of a tinned trout kick lately, and this Bumblebee Skinless Boneless Smoked Trout I found at Walmart looked interesting. At just over $4, I couldn't pass it up.

Initial impression upon opening the can: 4.8/5.

I thought there could have been a little more fish in the can, but that's not uncommon. There is a smoky aroma. A sip of the neutral oil (canola) is similarly smoky, and does not taste artificial. Tasting a bite of the fish alone, the smoke is just right, not overpowering the inherent taste of the trout. I also thought the salt level was just right. The meat is fused together in the can, but is flaky and moist.

Let's Eat

After breaking up the mass of fish a bit to get it out of the can, I put it out over rice. The oil/broth that remained, I left in the can for the moment.

Honestly, I could have left well enough alone and enjoyed the trout as-is over the rice, but I decided to experiment.

It seemed like some chili crisp might be the ticket, so I went with the Lao Gan Ma I've had for a while now. As chili crisps go, it's more crunchy bits than oil. The Fly By Jing, by contrast, has a higher ratio of chili oil to solids.

To loosen things up a bit, I poured most of the residual can liquid over everything and mixed it in. This was a good move, as the smoky oil/broth combined well with the onion/pepper heat of the chili crisp.

I'd recommend this smoked trout with and without condiments.

Other Thoughts

The carton doesn't specify how the smoke flavor is achieved. But since the ingredients don't list an added artificial smoke, I have to assume it's naturally applied.
The carton says this is farm raised fish from Latvia. I have seen other cartons of the same which say it was sourced from Germany and Turkey.

Competitively priced at Amazon.

Brand: Bumble Bee Seafoods
Description: Skinless Boneless Smoked Trout
Species: Farm raised trout
Country of Origin: Latvia
Source: FAO N/S
Skin/Bones: No/No
Net Wt: 3.8 oz.
Price Range: $4

Trader Joe’s Smoked Trout Fillets

DeenLeave a comment

I picked up a can of this Trader Joe's Smoked Trout Fillets up on a recent trip there. It was one of the only tinned fish selections they offer that I had yet to try. Most are relatively inexpensive, starting at only $2. But this one, at $4.49, is at their higher end.

Initial impression upon opening the can: 4.8/5.

The fill is about average compared to other open cans of it I've seen. There's immediately a smoky aroma. The fillets themselves aren't really giving off any aroma I consider fishy. A sip of the oil is neutral but subtly infused with the taste of the smoke. I initially though it might portend an overly smoky flavor to the fish, but it was not to be the case. In researching, I noted that this can previously did not say "hardwood". The ingredients, which list now only "trout fillets, canola oil, salt" formerly had the word "smoke" added. The revision is a plus.

Digging in, the meat is flaky. Trying to extract one of the fillets from the can, I find it fused to the other, so I just dumped it all out over rice. The bits you see on top are just trout debris that was floating in the oil. Consistent with the labeling, there is no skin.

Working my way through the bowl, the meat is satisfyingly tender, flaky and mild in flavor. The texture is reminiscent of a better quality white tuna. The smoke is just right, neither overpowering nor fatiguing on the palate. I also thought the salt level was well-balanced with the rest of the flavors.

I was concerned I might be less than impressed due to the fish being farm raised and packed in canola oil, but neither took away from the experience in any discernable way.

I'd buy this again, and have no trouble recommending it as an entrée into the world of tinned smoked trout.

Main Takeaways

Flaky and tender fish
Just right smoke and salt
Easily recommended

Brand: Trader Joe's
Description: Trout fillets, hardwood smoked
Species: Farm-raised trout
Country of Origin: Germany
Source: FAO N/A
Skin/Bones: No/No
Net Wt: 3.9 oz.
Price Range: $4-5

MW Polar Smoked Brisling in Canola Oil

DeenLeave a comment

I wasn't paying close enough attention, and didn't notice two things: that these MW Polar Smoked Brisling were packed in canola oil, and they also come packed in olive oil. I'm not sure why the olive oil version should be 50% more expensive. So is the "in water" version. Or maybe it's just another example of the pricing games played by certain online sellers.

Initial impression upon opening the can: 4.9/5.

These are nicely packed, largely unblemished. The smoke aroma is room-filling. If smoked fish is not your thing, these are not for you. And it's real smoke, not an added flavoring. The bronze hue of the skin confirms it.

A slight quibble: the can says 2 layers, but I counted 14 fish total. You can see 11 of them in the just-opened can, so it's not two equal layers. I'd buy these again, and hope I can catch them when the olive oil version is priced more in line with what these were.

Update: I found an olive oil-packed version at Walmart in a 4.23 oz. "exhibition" can for only $2.46. Cha-ching!

Brand: MW Polar
Description: Smoked Brisling in Canola Oil
Species: Sprattus sprattus
Country of Origin: Latvia
Source: FAO 27, Northeast Atlantic
Skin/Bones: Yes/Yes
Net Wt: 3.52 oz.
Price Range: $4