La Narval Archives

La Narval Small Sardines in Olive Oil

I got these La Narval Small Sardines in Olive Oil mainly because my experience so far with the brand has been good. Also, because they're pilchards, and they're designated as small on the package. Seems like they should be an all-around win in my book.

Initial impression upon opening the can: False advertising?

Where are my small sardines? Four sizeable pilchards visible. But wait. There are four more underneath. The tin is one of those deeper ones, so that explains that. OK, so that's eight, but that's still not what I call small. Anyhow, they look nice, even if I was expecting something else.

Digging in, they are soft enough to want to break apart pulling them from the can. The meat is very tender, but quite bland. There are also more scales than I would expect at this price point. Additionally, there are a few tails as well. I don't expect that of pilchards at any price point.

A sip of the oil didn't impress. I thought they could use more salt, so I added some. A little pinch of coarse kosher improved things slightly. Overall, the fish were just OK, but disappointing that they were not cleaner, smaller and more numerous.

The carton says product of Spain, but also Mediterranean, so I assume the catch area is there and not FAO27.

Main Takeaways

Eight count on the fish, but not really small
Tender but bland
Needed more salt

Brand: Don Gastronom/La Narval
Description: Small sardines in olive oil
Species: Sardina pilchardus
Country of Origin: Spain
Source: FAO37, Mediterranean
Skin/Bones: Yes/Yes
Net Wt: 4 oz.
Price Range: $6-7

La Narval Mussels with Garlic & Chili

DeenLeave a comment

These La Narval Mussels with Garlic & Chili were a little spendy. But, having been impressed by their Tuna Ventresca, I decided to "shell out" and get them.

Initial impression upon opening the can: 4.8/5.

Some nice looking shellfish here. Plump and swimming in olive oil (not EVOO, though) with a slight reddish tinge. The oil had the subtle aroma of garlic, and the color I attributed to the chili. Initially, I didn't find physical evidence of either in the can.

The La Narval website says to expect 12 to 16 mussels per can. I counted either 14 or 15. I didn't find the meat as inherently sweet as with some others, but they were tasty nonetheless. If, as they say, you are what you eat, then maybe the Galician Coast has some different phyto-plankton affecting the flavor of these.

If there was any heat, it was really way in the background. Maybe some Salsa Espinaler might have perked them up a bit, but I didn't have any at hand. They were enjoyable anyway.

At one point, I found what looked like a tiny kidney bean. Since I know mussels don't have kidneys or livers, I had to make a closer inspection. It turned out to be the smallest chile pepper I've ever seen.

Main Takeaways

Appetizing appearance
Sparse seasoning left us wanting something more
Quality mussels, regardless

Best price on these is a little over $7 at World Market. Luckily, I have one nearby.

Brand: Don Gastronom/La Narval
Description: Mussels with Garlic & Chili
Species: Mytilus galloprovincialis
Country of Origin: Spain
Source: FAO27, Northeast Atlantic, Galician Coast
Skin/Bones: No/No
Net Wt: 3.9 oz.
Price Range: $7-8

La Narval Tuna Ventresca in Olive Oil

DeenLeave a comment

"Ventresca" is the Spanish word for belly fillets of yellowfin tuna. The best part of the tuna. The most tender, delicately-flavored tuna. And it isn't cheap. A typical can will cost you 3 to 5 times more than whatever the supermarket calls its best canned tuna. And it just may be worth it. I found this La Narval Tuna Ventresca at the local World Market, and couldn't resist trying it.

Initial impression upon opening the can: 4.9/5.

The can is packed with slices of firm, light pink tuna. Submerged in the almost transparent olive oil, there is little to no aroma. The carton says the oil is Spanish. A sip of the oil gives a subtle, clean tuna taste. The ingredients list nothing more than the tuna, olive oil and salt.

Sampling a slice confirms the superiority of ventresca in the world of tuna. I had intended to incorporate it into some kind of lunch dish, but found myself hard-pressed to stop eating slice after slice directly from the can. This is the kind of tuna you want to be the star of a dish, not glopped in mayo like plain old tuna salad. But more like in a Nicoise Salad.

Inspecting the carton and can for sourcing details, I was surprised that the bottom of the can appeared to indicate FAO51, the Western Indian Ocean. As a product of Spain, I expected it to come from a little closer to home.

Main Takeaways

Beautiful slices of tuna belly
Superior tuna flavor
Don't waste it making tuna salad

See it at Amazon.

Brand: La Narval
Description: Tuna Ventresca in Olive Oil
Species: Thunnus albacares
Country of Origin: Spain
Source: FAO51, Western Indian Ocean
Skin/Bones: No/No
Net Wt: 3.9 oz.
Price Range: $10

La Narval Southern Mackerel

DeenLeave a comment

I remember, when I bought this mackerel at World Market, thinking, "What brand is this?" The WM website says something like "Don Gastronom", but that's nowhere on the box. The box says Southern Mackerel in Olive Oil (in Spanish and English). And "distributed by Conservas Artesanas Gallegas S.L.", with a web address that leads to a site identifying itself as "La Narval". Only then do I notice that name in some tiny print. So, who's "Don"?

Initial impression upon opening the can: 4.75/5.

A minor deduction for that free space you see at 6 o'clock that could'a had some more fish in it. Otherwise, very nice. I always like seeing distinct pieces of fish, as opposed to just chunks stuffed into a can. Clean aroma, really nice olive oil.

Mild and meaty fillets of chub mackerel, 4 pieces in total. No skin, but I thought I detected a couple of fine bones. Salt is on the ingredients list, and I thought it might have benefited by a just a pinch more.

I thought this, from the website, was interesting: "After being cooked in seawater, we dry it a little bit so that when it gets in contact with the sauce, it gets re-hydrated again increasing its taste and texture." Sauce?

I tried it plain first, then with a few drops of Espinaler. It was better without, actually. Good quality fish can be that way, standing just fine on its own. If you like canned mackerel, worth a try.

But again, who the heck is "Don"? I looked it up and, rather than a who, it appears to be an association representing a family of brands of Spanish foods, of which La Narval is one.

Main Takeaways

Meaty and mild flavor
Needed salt
Good value

Brand: Don Gastronom / La Narval
Description: Southern Mackerel in Olive Oil
Species: North Atlantic chub mackerel
Country of Origin: Spain
Source: FAO27, Northeast Atlantic
Skin/Bones: No/No
Net Wt: 4.2 oz.
Price Range: $5-6