Moroccan Archives - Sardeenz!

Alshark Moroccan Sardines in Olive Oil

These Alshark Moroccan Sardines in Olive Oil came from a local Middle Eastern market. They were a new item since last I visited. Google Lens translates some of the Arabic verbiage to reveal the name is really "Al Sharq". Labeled "Lightly-smoked sardines in olive oil", I was intrigued, as so few pilchards come out of Morocco smoked. For $2.69, it didn't seem I could go wrong.

Initial impression upon opening the can: 4.5/5.

Looks to be a good count, at least five. Packing not so pretty. Dark dorsal side up. Scales, or is that just loose skin? I see no tails, but there are dorsal fins, quite unusual.

The aroma is stronger than usual of fish, but not in a bad way. There is also a hint of the aforementioned smoke. A sip of the olive oil doesn't reveal much, but also tastes faintly of smoke. The carton doesn't specify how the smoke flavor is achieved, so we'll assume smoked means smoked, not just flavored.

Here We Go

Lifting them out of the tin to put over rice, they are slightly inclined to break apart. As I do so, I'm having trouble deciding if what's being dislodged by my fork is just skin or sheets of scales. I'm hoping for the former.

I also note several hair-like pin bones loose about the fish. I'm not worrying about ingesting them, but their presence is off-putting.

I poured about a tablespoon of the oil left in the tin over everything, trying to avoid any of the debris left floating in it.

Digging in, the fish are tender and moist. No dryness, no mushiness. Whether scales or skin, I was surprisingly unbothered by anything unwelcome sticking to the roof of my mouth.

The smoke has been judiciously applied. It's complementing the flavor of the fish nicely. Overall, the non-visual portion of the experience has been quite good.

Main Takeaways

Moist, tender fish
Balanced smoke
Dim the lights or close your eyes while consuming

While I applaud the flavor, texture and smoke, I'm having a hard time forgiving the lackadaisical approach to processing. I doubt I'll be returning to these any time soon. Perhaps, in time, they will up their game on fish cleaning protocols.

Brand: Alshark (Al Sharq) / Baroody Imports, NJ
Description: Sardines in Olive Oil
Species: Sardina pilchardus
Country of Origin: Morocco
Source: FAO34, Eastern Central Atlantic
Skin/Bones: Yes/Yes
Net Wt: 4.38 oz.
Price Range: $2-3

Sultan Moroccan Sardines with Olive Oil & Hot Peppers

DeenLeave a comment

These Sultan Moroccan Sardines with Olive Oil & Hot Peppers were also from that new local Middle Eastern market. They also sell a version packed in sunflower oil with hot peppers. A gentleman at the market proclaimed these packed in olive oil to be his favorite sardine. I had tried the ones with tomato sauce and hot peppers before and thought they were worthy. Let's see how these fare.

Initial impression upon opening the can: 4.8/5.

A little ragged-looking, but that's not usually a problem, taste-wise. The fresh sardine aroma is subtle. The oil is tinted red from the pepper. There are a few scales evident, but no tails or fins. A sip of the olive oil is neutral, until its heat hits the back of the throat with unexpected intensity.

Diving In

There are six medium size fish packed in the deep tin. All were firm enough to extract fairly intact, save for some roughed-up skin. Two sizeable peppers apparently account for the muscular level of heat.

There was a tablespoon or more of oil left in the can, and I cautiously poured about two thirds of it over everything.

Separating the fish into bites with a fork, they are firm but on the palate tender, almost melt-in-your-mouth. They are satisfyingly meaty at the same time. The salt level is just about right, with 440mg. sodium, a little above average.

Mixing the hot oil with the rice subdued the heat somewhat, and made for a satisfying level of spice throughout.

Main Takeaways

Tender, meaty pilchards
Good sardine flavor
Pepper heat is strong but not excessive

I would consider these a definite re-buy for spicy sardines. They check most all of the boxes for flavor, texture and heat. And all at a reasonable price.

Brand: Sultan
Description: Sardines with olive oil & hot pepper
Species: Pilchards
Country of Origin: Morocco
Source: FAO34, Eastern Central Atlantic
Skin/Bones: Yes/Yes
Net Wt: 4.41 oz.
Price Range: $3

Sultan Moroccan Sardines with Tomato Sauce & Hot Peppers

DeenLeave a comment

These Sultan Moroccan Sardines with Tomato Sauce & Hot Peppers sounded appetizing. I'd had mixed results with similar ones before. This brand came to my attention as a "recommended" product on Amazon. I assume the algorithm has noticed by now that I search for tinned fish on there frequently. They were on sale for $5, so I gave them a shot.

Initial impression upon opening the can: 4.8/5.

I was slightly concerned they might be old stock, but the can indicates they were packed in the last six months, and with an expiration date of 2029.

Some sizeable fish, packed in there tightly. Looks like three, but this is one of those deep cans, so there's more than meets the eye. No apparent scales, and the skin is reasonably intact.

No aroma to speak of, neither fish nor sauce. A sip of the sauce is brightly tomato-y, but no heat at all. The ingredients don't list anything seasoning the sauce other than the alleged chili pepper.

Let's Dig In

I was able to extract them all fairly intact. There were six in total, a generous portion. I poured the rest of the sauce from the can over everything. There was no physical pepper in the bottom.

Trying just a bite of fish with a glop of the tomato sauce, but still getting no heat. I found the meat tender and with a good sardine flavor. The salt level is good, an average 310mg. I've had good experiences with Moroccan sardines before, and this one added another one.

Half a can in, I still couldn't help thinking the tomato sauce was far more bland than promised. A few dashes of Valentina did the trick. It had just enough heat to kick up the tomato sauce with a subtle amount of heat, while at the same time not masking the flavor of the fish.

Main Takeaways

Nice meaty, tender fish
Generous portion
Bland sauce, but nothing a little hot sauce couldn't fix

Brand: Sultan
Description: Sardines in tomato sauce & hot pepper
Species: Pilchards
Country of Origin: Morocco
Source: FAO34, Eastern Central Atlantic
Skin/Bones: Yes/Yes
Net Wt: 4.4 oz.
Price Range: $5

Sadaf Moroccan Sardines in Olive Oil

DeenLeave a comment

I see dozens of Sadaf brand items at a local Mediterranean market and cafe, but never these Sadaf Moroccan Sardines in Olive Oil. I paid a little more than I probably would have liked to at Amazon, but wanted to check them out.

Initial impression upon opening the can: 4.5/5.

This was another of those super stiff cans you need a crowbar to open. The "easy open" ring on the carton is mistaken. Once open, there was only a mild fishy aroma. The oil was neutral in taste, having picked up only a little of the fish flavor.

Very tight packing, making extracting a single, whole fish impossible without it breaking apart. It almost felt more like a can of tuna. The flavor was mild, typical of most skinless boneless pilchards. This was also one of those slightly deeper than normal cans, so the portion, even though fused into a big mass, was quite generous.

On the whole, I've not found much to distinguish one skinless & boneless sardine over another besides price and availability. Unfortunately, at $6, I doubt I'll be buying these again. The more highly-regarded King Oscar of the same can still be had most anywhere for half that. Of course, I do realize Amazon pricing on single can purchases can be inflated. But these were "sold by" Sadaf themselves, who sell them direct on their own website for $3 (plus shipping).

Main Takeaways

A little pricey for what they are
Fish fused together
Generous portion

See it at Amazon.

Brand: Sadaf Foods
Description: Skinless & Boneless Sardines 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: $6