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Tag: MW Polar

Published on Leave a comment on MW Polar Fancy Whole Smoked Oysters

I picked these MW Polar Fancy Whole Smoked Oysters up at a local supermarket months ago. I bought them mainly for two reasons: I hadn't tried this brand's smoked oysters yet, and they were relatively cheap. I've always been satisfied with MW Polar tinned seafood products, having had their kipper snacks and smoked sprats. At $1.79, I could afford to be curious.

MW Polar Fancy Whole Smoked Oysters carton
MW Polar Fancy Whole Smoked Oysters open can
Initial impression upon opening the can: 4.8/5.

The aroma when cracking the lid was about as expected: a typical but light smokiness. They appear nicely packed, and whole, as noted on the carton. The "fancy" is just marketing. Size-wise, they are about average. There appears to be about twenty in there. A sip of the oil, cottonseed as is typical of Chinese smoked oysters, doesn't really echo anything in the way of smokiness.

Snack Time

I'd already had a small lunch, but was still a little hungry, so having these as a snack seemed like a good way to solve that.

Texturally, they are pretty much the usual: half meaty/half mealy. The flavor is not really any different from a half dozen similar others I've tried. If anything, they are less smoky-tasting, even though the carton touts them as being naturally wood smoked. A little more salt might have been welcome, as they contained a moderately low 230mg. sodium.

Main Takeaways
  • Typical canned smoked oysters
  • Subtle level of smoke

I'll continue my search for a relatively inexpensive tin of smoked oysters that makes me forget about the rest. Thankfully, it's a good thing I'm not in a hurry.

Brand: MW Polar
Description: Smoked oysters in cottonseed oil
Species: N/S
Country of Origin: China
Source: Farmed
Skin/Bones: N/A
Net Wt: 3.0 oz.
Price Range: $1-2

Published on Leave a comment on MW Polar Brisling Sardines in Olive Oil

Bought these MW Polar Brisling Sardines in Olive Oil after failing to note that what I had bought before was packed in canola oil. Those were in a regular metal pull-top can, and, even though packed in canola, I thought were quite good. Finding these seemed to be a happy coincidence, as they were in olive oil, had a higher net weight and were by far cheaper. Be careful what you wish for.

MW Polar Brisling Sardines in Olive Oil can
MW Polar Brisling Sardines in Olive Oil open can
Initial impression upon opening the can: 4.8/5.

They had that same bronze color from real smoke, and were packed nicely, with 10 fish visible on the top layer, fewer and larger than in the stock photo. Then-- you guessed it-- only 3 fish under that. Not really much different than the metal pull-top can.

While these tasted fine, there was a good bit of tail prickliness, to the point that I bit off the tails and didn't eat them. I do wonder if a higher visible fish count through the clear cover, i.e. smaller fish, would translate to more tender, non-prickly tails. But I have also seen it asserted that prickly tails are not uncommon in brisling sourced from Latvia.

I'm ambivalent about buying them in this format again, as I really think there were more and better fish in the 3.52 oz. can than in this 4.23 oz. one. At around $2.50, they were way cheaper, but not as satisfying, overall.

Main Takeaways
  • Authentically smoked
  • Prickly tails
  • Version in traditional can might be better value

Brand: MW Polar
Description: Smoked Brisling in Olive Oil
Species: Sprattus sprattus
Country of Origin: Latvia
Source: FAO 27, Northeast Atlantic
Skin/Bones: Yes/Yes
Net Wt: 4.23 oz.
Price Range: $2-3

Published on Leave a comment on MW Polar Smoked Brisling in Canola Oil

I wasn't paying close enough attention, and didn't notice two things: that these MW Polar Smoked Brisling were packed in canola oil, and they also come packed in olive oil. I'm not sure why the olive oil version should be 50% more expensive. So is the "in water" version. Or maybe it's just another example of the pricing games played by certain online sellers.

MW Polar Smoked Brisling in Canola Oil
MW Polar Smoked Brisling in Canola Oil
Initial impression upon opening the can: 4.9/5.

These are nicely packed, largely unblemished. The smoke aroma is room-filling. If smoked fish is not your thing, these are not for you. And it's real smoke, not an added flavoring. The bronze hue of the skin confirms it.

A slight quibble: the can says 2 layers, but I counted 14 fish total. You can see 11 of them in the just-opened can, so it's not two equal layers. I'd buy these again, and hope I can catch them when the olive oil version is priced more in line with what these were.

Update: I found an olive oil-packed version at Walmart in a 4.23 oz. "exhibition" can for only $2.46. Cha-ching!

Brand: MW Polar
Description: Smoked Brisling in Canola Oil
Species: Sprattus sprattus
Country of Origin: Latvia
Source: FAO 27, Northeast Atlantic
Skin/Bones: Yes/Yes
Net Wt: 3.52 oz.
Price Range: $4