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
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
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
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
While perusing the tinned fish shelf at your local store, you will undoubtedly come across what are called kipper snacks. As opposed to the typical 4x3 dimensional ratio of a typical sardine can, kipper snack cans are usually longer by half, sometimes narrower and shallower as well.
Kipper is a term used to describe herring fillets which have been salt-cured and cold smoked, a process also known as kippering. They are most often packed in brine, but are sometimes seen packed in oil. Delicious as a snack, they have long been served in Europe and Scandinavia. In England, they are often served as a breakfast meat.
Ounce for ounce, they are typically less expensive than sardines (pilchards and brisling), and are high in healthful Omega-3 fatty acids. On the other hand, they are salt-cured, so if sodium content is a concern you may want to tread carefully.
Here are some you are most likely to see in the US market. We tried them all, and to be honest, they're all good and also inexpensive. But we liked the Brunswick Golden Smoked we got from Amazon for both taste and value. You'll most likely find the MW Polar brand in your local area. While local stores stock a few King Oscar products, their kipper snacks were not among them.
Brunswick Golden Smoked Herring Fillets
Initial impression upon opening the can: 4/5.
While not noted as kipper, kippered or kipper snacks on the label, these are still essentially just that. They were under $2 on Amazon. 160 calories and they had a nice smoke flavor that didn't taste fake. Some people say they find these too smoky. Maybe it's because these are actually smoked as opposed having "natural smoke flavor" added, so there could be some variation in smoke level from one lot to another.
Brunswick does offer another version described as "Kipper Style", which only contains "natural smoke flavoring". It may be worth noting that the "Kipper Style" clocks in at 600mg sodium, while these "Golden Smoked" only have 460mg.
Ours came in the cellophane-wrapped package shown here, but we understand updated cans will have the graphics and information on the can itself.
Brand: Brunswick Description: Golden Smoked Herring fillets Species: Clupea Harengus Country of Origin: Canada Source: Skin/Bones: No/No Net Wt: 3.25 oz. Price Range: $2
MW Polar Kipper Snacks
Initial impression upon opening the can: 4/5.
These were also under $2 at Walmart, and it's a big can, so you feel like you're getting a lot. The label says they're naturally smoked, and the dark coloration of the surface of the fillets bears this out.
Of the three, they have only 130 calories and contain a low 100mg. sodium per can. At the price, we would have no problem buying these again. Perfect for a low calorie mid-day snack.
Brand: MW Polar Description: Kipper Snacks Species: Clupea Harengus Country of Origin: Germany Source: FAO 27, Northeast Atlantic Skin/Bones: No/No Net Wt: 3.53 oz. Price Range: $2
King Oscar Kipper Snacks
King Oscar Kipper Snacks are available both packed in brine and juices, and packed in olive oil. We weren't paying attention and bought this version from Amazon. Of the three, they were the most expensive, about 25% more than the others.
Initial impression upon opening the can: 4/5.
The lighter color compared to the MW Polar tends to confirm the claim of lightly smoked. They have 140 calories and 360mg. sodium per can. The quality we have come to expect from King Oscar was there, but we can't say there was enough difference to want to pay more. Hopefully, we can try the olive oil packed version at a later time, and see if that's something worth considering.
Brand: King Oscar Description: Kipper Snacks Species: Clupea Harengus Country of Origin: Poland Source: FAO27, Northeast Atlantic Skin/Bones: No/No Net Wt: 3.54 oz. Price Range: $2-3
The Brunswick brand, marketed by Bumblebee Seafoods, offers two different sardines that, at first glance, may seem identical, perhaps just a packaging variation. But upon closer inspection, they are two very different offerings.
Brunswick Skinless Boneless Sardines in Olive Oil
The first contains the more-traditional pilchards, the thumb-sized fish most often associated with the term sardines. Its tin is packaged in a cardboard carton.
Initial impression upon opening the can: 4/5.
These compare favorably to the King Oscar offering, considered by many a standard by which to judge skinless/boneless pilchards. It can also be had a slightly better price.
Brand: Brunswick Description: Sardines Served in Olive Oil Species: Pilchards Country of Origin: Morocco Source: FAO34, Eastern Central Atlantic Skin/Bones: No/No Net Wt: 4.4 oz. Price Range: $2-3
A variation, served with mild red peppers, is also very good, and not too spicy.
Brunswick Boneless Butterflied Sardine Fillets in Olive Oil
Initial impression upon opening the can: 4/5.
The second version, upon inspection of its ingredient list, contains herring. While the pilchards version might contain four to six fish, this one had two thick fillets spanning the length and breadth of the can.
This version also differs in that its tin is packaged in a cellophane wrapper. The description is "sardine fillets" rather than just "sardines", and "boneless butterflied" vs. "skinless/boneless". Herring is among the species legally allowed to be marketed as sardines, so technically there is no misrepresentation.
Some may be tempted to think this might be a way to enjoy herring without all the trappings of kippers and the extra sodium they usually contain. But this one at 370 mg/serving falls squarely in the middle of the sodium content found in a variety of kipper snacks.
Brand: Brunswick Description: Sardine Fillets in Olive Oil Species: Herring Country of Origin: Canada Source: Skin/Bones: No/No Net Wt: 3.75 oz. Price Range: $2
While different, both are satisfactory, quality products, so which ever one you happen to buy should not disappoint. The herring version is typically less expensive than the pilchards, with both often available just on either side of $2.
