Nuri Archives - Sardeenz!

Nuri Sardines in Tomato Sauce

These Nuri Sardines in Tomato Sauce came from International Loft, who imports them directly from Portugal. I've had several Nuri selections so far, and to date, most have not disappointed. Let's see how these are.

Initial impression upon opening the can: 4.9/5.

Bigger fish than I would prefer, but that's the nature of the game. Some rough skin and a few scales in evidence. The sauce looks moderately thick, and the oil hasn't separated much. Its color is reasonably bright. The aroma is mainly of the fish, with little if any in the way of tomato.

A sip of the sauce is encouraging. It doesn't have an overcooked taste. I can see bits of crushed tomato, also a plus.

Here We Go

There are four big fish total. I initially thought it might only be three, but this is one of those deeper tins. They extract from the can reasonably intact. There are a few scales left floating in the sauce, which I fish out and set aside before pouring everything over the fish and rice.

The first bite is very encouraging. The fish is melt-in-your-mouth tender. No dryness whatsoever. The sauce has a good flavor. Sodium is listed at 500mg, but they taste nowhere near that salty.

Checking the wrapper, I see that, rather than just the typical tomato, oil and salt, the sauce here also contains clove and laurel. They must be in powder form, as I see no solid bits of either.

Main Takeaways

Big, meaty pilchards
Incredibly tender and moist
Flavorful sauce

I was expecting typical Nuri quality, but these exceeded expectations. I usually like my pilchards smaller, but in this case, I should have bought more. Definite re-buy.

Brand: Pinhais/Nuri
Description: Sardines in tomato sauce
Species: Sardina pilchardus
Country of Origin: Portugal
Source: FAO27, Northeast Atlantic
Skin/Bones: Yes/Yes
Net Wt: 4.4 oz.
Price Range: $6

Nuri Extra Spiced Sardines in Olive Oil

DeenLeave a comment

These Nuri Extra Spiced Sardines in Olive Oil came with an order from International Loft a couple of months ago. I saw a recent review of them online, and was moved to finally crack open the can and compare thoughts. I was pleasantly surprised.

Initial impression upon opening the can: 4.9/5.

Not the prettiest, but these are some hefty pilchards, and they're packed in there tight. It's one of those deep cans, so it's a generous 4.4 oz. portion. There are no scales apparent, nor any fins or partial tails.

The aroma is of fresh fish, but not too much of the spice. A sip of the oil is spicy on the tongue, with the heat hitting squarely at the back of the throat.

Let's Dig In

Put out over rice, there are five fish in total: one smaller, three medium, and one huge. The usual spiced suspects are there, notably with three piri-piri peppers, which appear to account for the "extra". Also appearing are a pickle slice, a sliver of carrot and a chip of laurel leaf. The wrapper lists cloves, but I found none.

Even packed full, there was a substantial amount of peppery spice-infused oil left in the can, and I poured most of it over the fish and rice.

Although firm in appearance, these are incredibly tender, and not dry at all. The heat from the peppers is steady and complements the flavor of the fish nicely. It is, however, piquant enough to prompt some scalp perspiration.

All in all, a top notch can of fish that I'd happily buy again. Although I'm not sure what, other than the extra pepper or two, makes these cost $2 more than their regular "spiced" version.

Update: Apparently, in addition to the triple peppers, the extra cost can be attributed to the fact these are aged a minimum of 90 days longer than the regular spiced version, before being shipped to market.

Main Takeaways

Tender, moist, mild flavored fish
Spiciness well-balanced
Steady heat, short of overpowering

See it at Amazon.

Brand: Pinhais/Nuri
Description: Extra Spiced Sardines in Olive Oil
Species: Sardina pilchardus
Country of Origin: Portugal
Source: FAO27, Northeast Atlantic
Skin/Bones: Yes/Yes
Net Wt: 4.4 oz.
Price Range: $8

Nuri Spiced Sardines in Tomato Sauce

DeenLeave a comment

I received these Nuri Spiced Sardines in Tomato Sauce as part of my recent order from International Loft. They would be a departure for me, as I had long resisted trying sardines packed in tomato sauce. It just didn't sound all that appealing. But the notion of a spiced tomato sauce piqued my curiosity. The results were surprising.

Initial impression upon opening the can: 4.9/5.

Only a fraction off because I initially thought it was only two huge pilchards. I quickly realized the can was deep, and it was a total of four. The tomato sauce looks thick, and that's a plus. It's not just a watery canned-type sauce.

There's not any real aroma from the can, the fish, the seasoning or otherwise. A sip of the oil/sauce is promising. There's a really delayed heat that doesn't hit until well into the back of the throat. But it wasn't overpowering.

I dug out the first fish, and it was tender enough to want to break apart. A taste of the fish was impressive. It was really impossible to get a sense of just the fish taste due to the tomato sauce, but everything was working in a positive way. I soon found a small red pepper, then a pickle, and finally a slice of carrot. The usual spiced suspects.

As I went, I dragged each morsel through the sauce, which was thick enough to adhere and give the complete experience to every bite. Really, really good. Everything in balance. I even got a spoon and finished every last bit of what was left in the can.

Main Takeaways

Nice tender, flavorful fish, even though larger than my preference
The sauce was really good, and combined with the spice even better
Definitely buying again

Reasonably priced in a 2-pack at Amazon.

Full Disclosure

I watched a few reviews of sardines in tomato sauce before trying these. The one that made me choose them was by Sardine Expedition. And even though she found them untenably salty, I took the chance that the can she tried was an anomaly. At 500 mg. sodium for a generous 4.4 oz. portion, they shouldn't have been a total salt bomb. And even though her review was 3 weeks ago, her can was expiration dated DEC2028 while mine was 2032, meaning they were canned apparently four years apart.

Brand: Pinhais/Nuri
Description: Spiced Sardines in tomato sauce
Species: Sardina pilchardus
Country of Origin: Portugal
Source: FAO27, Northeast Atlantic
Skin/Bones: Yes/Yes
Net Wt: 4.4 oz.
Price Range: $6

Nuri Spiced Sardines in Olive Oil

DeenLeave a comment

I had picked up these Nuri Spiced Sardines in Olive Oil at World Market a while back, at the same time as a can of their spiced mackerel.

Initial impression upon opening the can: 4.5/5.

The skin is a bit torn up. I guess that's to be expected when you stuff four pilchards of this size into a can that really can only fit three. I wasn't getting the scent of the aromatics I was expecting, but that's not always the case. The oil is slightly tinged with the color I assume comes from a pepper.

Digging in, the fish are firm, but break apart easily. I didn't find anything in the way of scales, nor any of the spine crunch I expect from larger pilchards. I didn't really dissect them to see if the spine had been removed. The meat is tender, and the flavor mild.

Below the fish are the usual suspects: carrot (the thinnest slice possible), cucumber (pickle?), a peppercorn, clove, and a couple of bits of bay leaf. Although these aromatics seem arbitrarily applied, they do achieve a pleasant balance. Can't really go wrong with Nuri. Their QPR is actually quite good as well.

Main Takeaways

Tender, mild flavored fish
Spices well-balanced
QPR Nuri is known for

See it at Amazon.

Brand: Pinhais/Nuri
Description: Spiced Sardines in Olive Oil
Species: Sardina pilchardus
Country of Origin: Portugal
Source: FAO27, Northeast Atlantic
Skin/Bones: Yes/Yes
Net Wt: 4.4 oz.
Price Range: $6

Nuri Spiced Mackerel Fillets in Olive Oil

DeenLeave a comment

I guess I'm on a bit of a mackerel kick lately. These sounded good, Nuri Spiced Mackerel Fillets in Olive Oil. There needs to be a distinction made between "spicy" and "spiced". It seems that, in the world of tinned fish, "spiced" doesn't necessarily mean "hot". So, even though there are a bunch of red peppers on the label, that's not what's really going on here.

Initial impression upon opening the can: 5/5.

The score is based on a full packing of fish, a clean look to the olive oil, and the aroma of the spices wafting up from the just-opened can. A sip of the oil gives a subtle preview of the infused spices.

The meat is tender, the fillets breaking apart somewhat easily as they are extracted from the tin. The texture is reminiscent of tuna, but the flavor more mild.

Spicing Things Up

I have seen video of the Pinhais packing operation in Matosinhos, Portugal. The empty cans move down a conveyor belt with several ladies seated on either side. As the cans move past, they toss a variety of things into them: small, thin slices of carrot and cucumber; peppercorn and whole clove; and one small red chilli. Meanwhile, another lady is scissor-snipping bay leaves cross-wise into small strips, and one of those pieces is tossed into each can as well.

In Summary

Of all the spices, the bay and clove are most evident, the pepper not so much. They're all underneath the fish, so that's why you don't see them in the photo. An interesting flavor combination with the richness of the mackerel. These were good, I'd try them again.

Brand: Pinhais/Nuri
Description: Spiced Mackerel in Olive Oil
Species: Mackerel
Country of Origin: Portugal
Source: FAO27, Northeast Atlantic
Skin/Bones: No/No
Net Wt: 4.4 oz.
Price Range: $8

Nuri Sardines with Lemon Special Edition

DeenLeave a comment

Another selection in the quest for lemon-y sardine goodness. These Nuri Sardines in Olive Oil with Lemon Special Edition are a cut above. Whenever you see a review of sardines where they talk about "clean" tasting, these are an example of what they're talking about. When you open the can, there's not that canned tuna aroma so prevalent with cheap supermarket sardines.

Initial impression upon opening the can: 4/5.

When you start to pay above $5 or $6 a can, you also start to expect a more premium product. These have a subtle lemon flavor courtesy of a fragment of a lemon slice. But that's all that's necessary because the lemon doesn't have to fight to overcome an overt fishy taste more often found in cheaper selections. An added plus is the fact that the can is tightly packed with a solid five pilchards with little to no wiggle room. Highly recommended.

Interesting packaging. The otherwise unmarked can is covered by a paper overwrap printed with all the particulars, which is then sealed in a cellophane wrapper.

See it on Amazon. Available in a 4-pack, but the price per can is better than elsewhere.

Brand: Pinhais/Nuri
Description: Sardines in Olive Oil with Lemon
Species: Pilchards
Country of Origin: Portugal
Source: FAO27, Northeast Atlantic
Skin/Bones: Yes/Yes
Net Wt: 4.4 oz.
Price Range: $7