herring Archives - Sardeenz!

Rugen Fisch Herring Fillets in Mustard Sauce

These Rugen Fisch Herring Fillets in Mustard Sauce came from World Market one of the last times I visited there. They were priced $4.29 on the shelf but rang up as $4.99. When I pointed out the discrepancy to the cashier, the only response was, "Do you still want them?" No apology or offer to adjust the amount manually to the posted price. My personal experience in retail and customer goodwill taught me that leaving a bad taste in a customer's mouth isn't worth 70 cents, a lesson World Market would do well to learn. Moving on.

Initial impression upon opening the can: 4.7/5.

The fish are obscured by a mass of gloppy mustard. There's an oily sheen which the package reveals is canola oil. The aroma is vinegary, mustardy. The look and feel is similar to the seasonal herring offerings at Aldi. Even in removing them from the tin, getting a look at the fillets themselves is not possible due to the copious amount of mustard sauce.

Digging In

Perhaps not a traditional serving style, but I put the fish over rice. The fillets tended to break apart lifting them from the can. It appears to be about four separate fillets, but they are glued together by the mustard. Prying them apart with a fork reveals skin left on all.

There was quite a bit of mustard sauce left in the tin, and I only felt the need to add less than half of it to the fish and rice, as so much had already clung to the fillets themselves. A net drained weight is not given on the carton.

As you might surmise, the taste is mainly of the mustard, which I assume is a German style, somewhere between plain yellow and Dijon. It is smooth, not grainy. The herring, not being smoked, is mild enough that its inherent flavor stood no chance against the sauce.

The taste is not overly salty. The carton lists 520mg. sodium, but is unclear if that's per serving (two per can) or for the entire contents.

If you don't mind the preponderance of mustard, this is a filling tin of fish. Even at the increased price, they still represented a decent value, although the ones from Aldi were less than $2 for the same size tin. And I liked them better.

Main Takeaways

Generous portion
Mustard overpowers the fish flavor
Cheaper alternatives elsewhere

Brand: Rugen Fisch
Description: Herring Fillets in Mustard Sauce
Country of Origin: Germany
Source: FAO 27, Northeast Atlantic
Skin/Bones: Yes/No
Net Wt: 7.05 oz.
Price Range: $5

MW Polar Smoked Herring with Pepper

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This MW Polar Smoked Herring with Pepper came from Walmart. I've been happy with other MW Polar tinned fish products do far, and hoped this one wouldn't be an exception. For $3.58 for a 7oz. tin, it was hard to pass up. Let's see how it tastes.

Initial impression upon opening the can: 4.9/5.

The appearance of the contents mirrors the representation of it on the can more closely than about any other I've seen to date. It's a generous portion. The meat has a bronze coloration suggesting natural smoke. The aroma is similarly smoky. Tiny bits of finely diced red pepper dot the surface of the fillets. A sip of the packing brine is broth-like and tinged with smoke flavor.

Let's Eat

The fillets lift out of the tin largely intact. On closer inspection, it's three fillets with skin on the bottom. There's a good deal of the broth/brine left in the tin, and I poured about half over the fish and rice. Net drained weight accounts for 130gm. of the 200gm. total.

The meat has a good smoke flavor, and the brine has kept it moist and juicy. The last ingredient on the list is beechwood smoke, and since I don't see a claim of natural smoking, I have to assume it's just an added flavoring. Nonetheless, it doesn't taste artificial or acrid, so that's a plus.

The pepper content appears confined to the red pepper and some paprika, but there is an impression of black pepper to the seasoning as well. The salt level is just right, coming in at 360mg. for the entire, two serving can.

Main Takeaways

Generous portion
Tender, juicy fish
Good smoke flavor

All things considered, a satisfying tin of smoked herring, seasoned well, and a bargain at under $4.

Brand: MW Polar
Description: Smoked herring with pepper
Species: Clupea harengus
Country of Origin: Germany
Source: FAO 27, Northeast Atlantic
Skin/Bones: Yes/No
Net Wt: 7.05 oz.
Price Range: $3-4

Brunswick Sardines in Soybean Oil

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These Brunswick Sardines in Soybean Oil came from Walmart. A recent store reset moved the tinned fish to a different aisle. Store resets are usually when new items are slotted in, and I didn't remember seeing these there before. They may have been stocked previously, but the entire section at all three local Walmarts has been seriously neglected in recent months. This tin was the only one of its kind on the shelf. At $1.24, it was worth a try.

Initial impression upon opening the can: 4.5/5.

The aroma is fishy. Not in a terrible way, but a little stronger than that to which I am accustomed. I see no scales and just a few pelvic fins. The tin is non-specific as to species, and I'm not quite sure what these are. Product of Poland implies Baltic Sea, and by association would most likely mean sprats. But these don't look like sprats.

Digging In

I had already had lunch, but was eager to see what these were about. So, I instead chose to have them as a snack.

The first thing I noticed was how the flesh is pale, almost white, so no pilchards here. The first bite revealed a bit more. The meat is quite tender, with a mild flavor, so I'm now thinking herring. Usually, herring standing in for sardines is skinless boneless fillets from a much larger fish.

As I worked my way through the tin, I noted some of the individual fish differed texturally from the others. Some were a bit mushy, like overcooked catfish.

The smoke flavor is there, but it's not doing any great service to the fish. The soybean oil in this instance is also, well, just a bit meh... I also thought they could have used a bit more salt. If the nutritional information matches that of the Brunswick website, sodium is a moderate 340mg. The website also confirms the species as herring.

Overall, I don't feel too put out over spending the $1.24. At least you and I both now know what we're getting with this rather pedestrian tin of fish.

Main Takeaways

Mild, tender fish
Inconsistent texture
Smoke and salt lacking

Brand: Bumble Bee Seafoods/Brunswick
Description: Sardines in soybean oil
Species: Herring
Country of Origin: Poland
Source: FAO27, Northeast Atlantic
Skin/Bones: Yes/Yes
Net Wt: 3.75 oz.
Price Range: $1-2

Beach Cliff Herring Fillets Kipper Style Snacks

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Lately, I've been looking at some odd places for sardines and other tinned fish. I expect selection will be low, but always hope for something interesting. These Beach Cliff Herring Fillets Kipper Style Snacks were found at a dollar store. Nothing special, but for $1.50, worth a try.

The packaging doesn't match that on the store's website, but these are well in date, with a best by of 9/28.

Initial impression upon opening the can: 4.8/5.

A little loose on the packing, but the stated net weight of 3.53 oz. is well within the range typical of kipper snacks. The aroma of the "natural smoke flavoring" hits you first. The appearance, however, is enough to confirm it hasn't been truly wood smoked. A sip of the broth echoes the aroma.

Let's Dig In

Over rice isn't a typical way to enjoy kipper snacks, but it doesn't add or subtract anything from the fish, so it's a good way to assess flavor.

The fish is quite moist and tender, not unusual for this type of herring.

I found the smoke flavor palatable enough, and didn't think it overpowered the flavor of the fish.

Kipper style herring is inherently salty, and the 500mg. of sodium was not unexpected. But it didn't seem excessive.

Main Takeaways

Typical herring kipper snacks
Acceptable salt and smoke
Cheap

Kipper snacks are a good, low calorie, inexpensive tinned fish. Although the MW Polar remains a favorite, most brands are acceptable.

Brand: Bumble Bee Seafoods / Beach Cliff
Description: Herring fillets kipper style
Species: Clupea Harengus
Country of Origin: Canada
Source: FAO21, Northwest Atlantic
Skin/Bones: Yes/No
Net Wt: 3.53 oz.
Price Range: < $2

Wildfish Cannery Smoked Herring

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This Wildfish Cannery Smoked Herring came from Caputo's. My experience with herring to date has largely been confined to kipper snacks and a few tins where herring is sold as sardines. This herring is expensive by comparison to those. But a take on smoked herring from a small cannery piqued my interest.

Initial impression upon opening the can: 4.5/5.

Compared to smoked salmon from this and similar sources, the visual is kind of unappealing. There is some skin, as well as visible spines and soft bones. Rather than a rich mahogany, the smoke has only reinforced the dull brown hue of the herring.

The aroma of smoke is pleasant enough. A sip of the packing liquid (no oil is listed) is reminiscent of a smoky seafood broth. The ingredients list includes sea salt, brown sugar, garlic, black pepper and alderwood smoke.

Digging In

The fish is in small chunks which tend to fall apart as they are picked out of the tin. From what I've read, the loins are cut into smaller chunks before smoking, I assume in order to maximize the smoke exposure.

The bones and spines are easy enough to overlook as they are soft enough to be relatively undetectable on the palate.

The fish doesn't seem overly salty. The sodium level is listed as a surprisingly low 170mg. But then I note the can is considered two servings, so per can it lands somewhat near average.

I expected the brown sugar to play a bigger part in the flavor profile, but the smoke predominated. Not overwhelmingly, just the most forward of anything listed.

Main Takeaways

Visually kind of blah
Smoke level forward but not cloying
Other seasonings overshadowed by the smoke

I'm glad I gave this a try, but all things considered I'd have to say I prefer smoked herring in the kipper snacks style, which also has the benefit of being comparatively quite inexpensive. Oh, well.

Some Random Thoughts on Marketing

You've probably noticed by now the use of eye-catching graphics by some smaller (and not so small) boutique canneries, two from Alaska come to mind.

I find puzzling the phenomenon of taking an already premium-priced product and making it even more costly by printing extensive graphics on the inside of the carton.

In this particular case, the ingredients, already noted three times on the outside, are repeated on four panels inside. Two company logos are printed on bottom flaps that will never be seen unless the carton is completely disassembled, something most people doubtfully ever do. That the fish are packed by hand is noted no less than ten times on both outer and inner panels.

I guess, once you've decided to print on both sides of something, the only added cost is the ink.

Brand: Wildfish Cannery
Description: Smoked Herring
Species: Alaska Herring
Country of Origin: USA
Source: FAO67, Northeast Pacific
Skin/Bones: Yes/Yes
Net Wt: 3.5 oz.
Price Range: $8

Aldi Herring in Curry Pineapple Sauce

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Was back at Aldi today, and although I said I probably wouldn't, I did go ahead and buy these Herring Fillets in Curry Pineapple Sauce.

Initial impression upon opening the can: 3.5/5.

Contrary to the image on the can (and to reviews you may have seen elsewhere), there are no chunks of pineapple (or anything else) in the sauce. The ingredients, like the Mango Pepper Sauce version, list tomato paste as a component, but the taste of it is not evident. Oddly, this one also lists mango chutney among its ingredients.

Anyway, like the Mango Pepper version, the sauce is mildly sweet and you might be hard-pressed to say just what the fruit flavor of it is if you hadn't read the can. Unlike the Mango Pepper, there is no heat to this one. I also can't really tell where the "curry" comes from. Suffice it to say it's just a pleasant, mildly fruity sauce.

I liked these just about as much as the Mango Pepper version-- maybe less-so-- as I preferred the bit of heat in that other one. At $1.69 for a 7.05oz. can, you really can't lose.

ps. I skipped the Tomato Sauce version as the picture on the can made it look like a huge, unappealing glop of ketchup on the fish. Meh...

Brand: Deutsche Kuche
Description: Herring Fillets in Curry Pineapple Sauce
Species: Clupea Harengus
Country of Origin: Germany
Source: FAO 27, Northeast Atlantic
Skin/Bones: No/No
Net Wt: 7.05 oz.
Price Range: $2

Aldi Herring in Mango Pepper Sauce

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Deutsche Kuche brand Herring Fillets in Mango Pepper Sauce are one of three herring selections Aldi sells seasonally, usually twice a year, along with an array of other German style products. The other two are in a tomato sauce and a curry pineapple sauce. This one sounded the most appealing of the three. At only $1.69, it wasn't going to break the bank if I didn't like it.

Initial impression upon opening the can: 4/5.

What's in the can isn't as pretty as what's on the can. Kind of a mish-mash of fish and sauce. But there really are some little green peppercorns floating around in the sauce. The sauce was pleasant, the mango flavor not being as forward as one might expect. The pepper was subtle, being more evident on the back end of a bite.

I always like to try the sauce or oil by itself on a cracker, and thought maybe a little hot sauce might have perked things up a bit. I won't necessarily be rushing back to Aldi to stock up, but if I see them the next time they're available, I'll grab a can or two.

At 7.05 ounces, this is a big serving of canned fish, although the label lists the contents as two servings. Not being one to want to deal with canned fish leftovers, I made a lunch of the whole can. Along with a half sleeve of saltines, the calorie count came in at 650. By comparison, a 6" Subway Club on wheat bread with provolone cheese, some veggies and mayo is about 635. The sandwich, though, has about twice the fat, and 50% more sodium. And that's even including the saltines in the calculation.

DK is an Aldi exclusive brand, so don't bother trying to find them at a good price on Amazon or elsewhere.

Brand: Deutsche Kuche
Description: Herring Fillets in Mango Pepper Sauce
Species: Clupea Harengus
Country of Origin: Germany
Source: FAO 27, Northeast Atlantic
Skin/Bones: No/No
Net Wt: 7.05 oz.
Price Range: $1-2