King Oscar Archives

King Oscar Sardines in EVOO with Hot Jalapeño Peppers

Time for some sprats. These King Oscar Sardines in EVOO with Hot Jalapeño Peppers are one of several flavored brisling variations the producer sells. Some are packed 8-12 fish, packed in a single layer. Others, like these are "12+" fish (used to say 12-22), packed in two layers. These promise to be hot. Let's see if they are.

Initial impression upon opening the can: 4.9/5.

As expected, we have the interlaced packing typical of King Oscar sprats. No mushy glop of fish here, they look nice and firm. The skins are mostly intact. The aroma skews heavily to the jalapeño, of which there are a handful of slices placed on top. The wrapper says lightly wood-smoked, but it's hard to tell over the scent of the pepper.

The oil is tinged a greenish color, but I suspect that's less to do with the EVOO and more to do with the green of the peppers. A tentative sip of it gives a subtle amount of heat on the tongue.

Digging In

Extracting them from the can, they are not as firm as they look. Almost fused together, each is reluctant to remain intact as I pry them apart. They are tender, but I wouldn't write off the "fall aparty-ness" as being mushy. It's hard to tell, but I think there are 14 fish total, 8 on top with 6 underneath.

Being sprats, they still have tails, but they're not prickly, as can sometimes be the case. These are from Poland, and it's those from Latvia that often exhibit tails that can be a little scratchy.

I ate these straight from the can. I've always viewed sprats/brisling more as the snack sardine, rather than something I'd make a meal of. Working through them, I noted the heat level was very steady, enough to leave a tingling sensation on the lips and tongue, but not enough to irritate the back of the throat.

The salt level is just right, about that to be expected from the 330 mg. listed on the wrapper.

Honestly, I don't know if I'd buy these again. My heat preference with sardines skews more to piri-piri peppers or the Sichuan pepper of a spicy chili crisp. But, if you like jalapeño, these might be the ticket for you.

Main Takeaways

Good sardine flavor
Moderate heat from the peppers
Not really getting any smoke flavor

As with their sprats in EVOO, these were also $3.58 at Walmart, which I think is a little high. In quantity from Amazon, they can be had for quite a bit less.

Brand: King Oscar
Description: Brisling in EVOO with hot jalapeño peppers
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

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

King Oscar Sardines in EVOO Mediterranean Style

DeenLeave a comment

King Oscar features several flavored variations, the majority of which are confined to their brisling offerings. Of those, some are packed 8+ fish, in one layer (larger sprats) or 12+ fish, in two layers (smaller sprats). These Mediterranean style are the larger.

Initial impression upon opening the can: 4.8/5.

Nice looking fish in a fully-packed can. Clean aroma, scented with the black olives and Herbes de Provence (airb duh pro-VONS), an aromatic mixture of dried Provençal herbs and spices, which traditionally includes thyme, basil, rosemary, tarragon, savory, marjoram, oregano, and bay leaf. Herbes de Provence are most commonly used in French cuisine, though the flavors also pair well with Mediterranean cuisine.

The seasonings are well-balanced, infusing the EVOO nicely, and the fish tender and meaty. At under $3, a definite re-buy.

See it at Amazon.

Brand: King Oscar
Description: Wild Caught Sardines in EVOO, Mediterranean Style
Species: Sprattus sprattus
Country of Origin: Poland
Source: FAO27, Northeast Atlantic
Skin/Bones: Yes/Yes
Net Wt: 3.75 oz.
Price Range: $2-3

King Oscar Mackerel in Olive Oil with Lemon

DeenLeave a comment

Fully described as King Oscar Royal Fillets Mackerel in Olive Oil with Lemon. The quest for great lemon flavor in a can of tinned fish is realized. Only to be disappointed by the lackluster presentation.

Initial impression upon opening the can: Are you kidding me?

Just look at it. This is not what I've come to expect from King Oscar mackerel, or any King Oscar for that matter. An amorphous mass of fish debris. No planks of mackerel fillet, just clumps and shreds of pieces parts.

Visually, it's no more appealing than a can of cheap supermarket tuna in oil. I mean, come on, it says "Royal Fillets" right there on the can. Some might say, "Well, the lemon juice did that." While the acidity may have denatured proteins in the meat, it certainly didn't stir it up into mush.

The upside? The lemon flavor is actually quite good. The ingredients say spirit vinegar, concentrated lemon juice and natural lemon flavoring, along with some salt, are responsible for the flavor. It works. Not as great as squeezing your own fresh lemon juice, though. More like that from one of those plastic lemon-shaped squeeze-bulbs of reconstituted lemon juice. But compared to what many others call "with lemon" or "lemon flavor" that fall woefully short, this KO is actually superior in conveying a more-or-less realistic lemon juice flavor.

Only one can was available for me to try, so I may have to risk buying another to confirm if this messy fish presentation is just a fluke. At under $3 a can, I'm willing to give KO the benefit of the doubt.

Brand: King Oscar
Description: Mackerel in Olive Oil with Lemon
Species: North Atlantic mackerel
Country of Origin: Poland
Source: FAO27, Northeast Atlantic
Skin/Bones: No/No
Net Wt: 4.05 oz.
Price Range: $2-3

King Oscar Spanish Style Sardines

DeenLeave a comment

I've been waiting for my local Walmart to have these back in stock for a while now. Fully described as King Oscar Skinless & Boneless Sardines, Spanish Style in Olive Oil. As is usual with KO skinless/boneless sardines, these are pilchards.

Initial impression upon opening the can: 4.5/5.

I didn't include a photo of the just-opened can because it looked like any other can of King Oscar skinless/boneless pilchards. My assumption was that whatever was included in the can would be underneath the fish, so photographing that would have been moot. Perhaps the idea is that one is expected to dump the fish out onto a plate, et voila! there are the inclusions nicely perched atop the liberated can contents.

Such was not the case, as I chose to do as I usually do, which is to dig portions straight out of the can. I did manage to find the carrot and cucumber, but felt a little disappointed to find no actual whole pepper. These were not as firm as I have come to expect from KO. Digging around to find the veggies created a bit of a mush. They still tasted fine. However, if there was supposed to be any pepper to convey some heat, both it and the heat were absent. Maybe the pepper lady was on break when this can went down the line. I will reserve final judgement until after opening the second can I bought.

Main Takeaways

Not as firm as typical King Oscar boneless skinless
Flavorful but absent heat

See it on Amazon.

Brand: King Oscar
Description: Skinless & Boneless Sardines in Olive Oil, Spanish Style
Species: Pilchards
Country of Origin: Morocco
Source: FAO34, Eastern Central Atlantic
Skin/Bones: No/No
Net Wt: 4.23 oz.
Price Range: $2-3

King Oscar Royal Fillets Mackerel in Olive Oil

DeenLeave a comment

Banking on the KO reputation, I tried this King Oscar Mackerel in Olive Oil. The presentation here is similar to the KO Mackerel in Sweet Thai Chili Sauce, chunks of meat.

Initial impression upon opening the can: 4.5/5.

Can packed full of large pieces of mackerel. Nice fish aroma. Not sure what those indentations are in the top of the meat, they weren't made by the can lid. It's not a grilled product, so I'll have to guess it's something to do with handling during canning.

A different presentation from the slices in the Cole's tried previously. And I found this to be more tender than that of the Thai Chili Sauce version, which I had likened to pulled pork in texture.

My intent was to taste this one with some Salsa Espinaler on hand in case I found it to be too bland, but am glad I didn't. The fish here is very mild and rich, and stands well on its own. At under $3 a can, a definite mackerel re-buy.

See it on Amazon.

Brand: King Oscar
Description: Mackerel in Olive Oil
Species: North Atlantic mackerel
Country of Origin: Poland
Source: FAO27, Northeast Atlantic
Skin/Bones: No/No
Net Wt: 4.05 oz.
Price Range: $2-3

King Oscar Mackerel in Sweet Thai Chili Sauce

DeenLeave a comment

Mackerel is always a welcome change of pace. And this King Oscar Royal Fillets Mackerel in Sweet Thai Chili Sauce fits the bill nicely. I don't remember where I got this, but seems like it was around $2.50.

Initial impression upon opening the can: 4.5/5.

The can is reasonably full. As with the KO Mackerel in Olive Oil, the meat is in chunks, not sliced like other brands. The pieces of meat are kind of fused together. No real aroma to speak of. The deep red sauce is mildly sweet with just a fleeting touch of heat.

Firmer than canned tuna, the texture more like barbecue pulled pork. I'd wager that if I offered you a bite on a cracker and told you it was barbecue pork, or even char siu pork, you wouldn't disagree. A definite re-buy.

See it on Amazon. Sold in lots of 12 only, but that puts them under $2.75 a can. Still a bargain.

Brand: King Oscar
Description: Mackerel in Thai Chili Sauce
Species: North Atlantic mackerel
Country of Origin: Poland
Source: FAO27, Northeast Atlantic
Skin/Bones: No/No
Net Wt: 4.05 oz.
Price Range: $2-3