olive oil Archives

Fishwife Smoked Salmon

I picked up this Fishwife Smoked Salmon at Whole Foods, where it is currently on sale at 30% off for Amazon Prime members. That brought the sticker shock $11.99 price down to $8.38.

Initial impression upon opening the can: 4/5.

Initial impression is usually based on appearance, things like scales, fins, aroma. Fractions of points added or removed for each. It's very disappointing when points taken off are the result of glaringly empty space.

I mean, really. If you were a new customer to a highly-promoted brand, and paid $12 for a tin of smoked salmon packed only 75% full, what would you think? It would leave a bad taste in your mouth, even before the first bite. "Sold by weight, not volume", yeah, I get it, but I reserve the right to expect a far better OOBE at this price point.

Moving on. The aroma is subtly smoky. The appearance is not as dark as with some tinned smoked salmons, but the coloration suggests the promise of it having been "slow smoked over beechwood". The olive oil is neutral, and not being EVOO, I expect is basically just preserving moisture.

Let's Try It

I placed the fish over a bowl of rice. Being there was a copious amount of oil left in the tin, I poured only about a tablespoon's worth over everything.

The meat is tender and moist with a well-balanced contribution from the smoke. The smoke not overpowering the flavor of the fish is always a plus.

The fish is not as al dente as other premium smoked salmons usually seen packaged in small round tins, including those from Fishwife. The texture is flaky and it's cooked just right.

Sodium is listed at an above average 670mg, but it doesn't taste that salty. The level was just about right, in my estimation.

Main Takeaways

Flavorful, tender salmon
Good smoke balance
OOBE disappointing

Brand: Fishwife Tinned Seafood Co.
Description: Smoked Salmon
Species: Atlantic salmon
Country of Origin: Norway (processed in Denmark)
Source: Farmed
Skin/Bones: No/No
Net Wt: 3.7 oz.
Price Range: $12

Alshark Moroccan Sardines in Olive Oil

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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

Ati Manel Sardines in Olive Oil

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These Ati Manel Sardines in Olive Oil came from Caputo's. I've been down the spicy and tomato-sauced sardine rabbit hole for a while now, and decided it was time to get back to basics: just some good sardines in a good olive oil.

Two demerits to Caputo's for sending out a dented carton without inspecting the tin for damage. The can was dented as well, but the seal appeared uncompromised, and no leakage detected. The shipping carton was not dented.

Initial impression upon opening the can: 4.8/5.

Some nice looking sardines, although the skins are a bit roughed up. The aroma from the tin is largely neutral, with only a whiff of sardine aroma. A sip of the oil is about the same. I see no scales, fins or tails.

Digging In

Lifting them from the tin, I can feel they're going to be tender, even though they're not falling apart. There are six fish total, a good size for the most tender and flavorful pilchards.

Placing them over rice, I poured about half of the olive oil remaining in the tin over everything, trying to avoid the loose pieces of skin left floating in it.

The fish yield to the pierce of a fork easily, and on the palate are even more tender than expected. Quite moist as well.

If there's any complaint (other than the dented can), it would be the lack of salt. The carton lists 480mg. sodium, but it feels like far less. For the last fish, I added a scant teaspoon of Chef Troy's Crunchy Garlic Chili Sauce, and that perked thing up significantly.

Main Takeaways

Tender, moist fish
Fresh sardine flavor
Needed some salt

See Ati Manel at Amazon.

Brand: 100 Misterios / Ati Manel
Description: Sardines in Olive Oil
Species: Sardina pilchardus
Country of Origin: Portugal
Source: FAO27, Northeast Atlantic
Skin/Bones: Yes/Yes
Net Wt: 4.2 oz.
Price Range: $7

Pollastrini Spicy Sardines Revisited

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I'm not sure why I bought this second can of Pollastrini Spicy Sardines. Maybe I thought I was re-buying another brand I liked. Or perhaps it was because the vendor was having a sale, and the one additional can put me over the amount for free shipping. Looking back, the first time I tried this particular tin, I thought the fish were good, but the spicy part was lacking. Anyway, it ended up being an opportunity for redemption.

Initial impression upon opening the can: 4.9/5.

They look pretty much the same as the last time, one exception being far more peppers. The first can had only three, whereas this one has at least seven visible. As before, and as with other Italian sardines, they are pilchards with tail left on. I see a few fins.

The aroma is of fresh fish. A sip of the olive oil has a little heat, perhaps more than I recall from the first tin.

Let's Eat

There are eight fish total, one more than last time. I am impressed by canneries that are able put more fish in smaller tins than the competition.

The fish lift out of the tin mostly intact. Dividing them with a fork, they are quite tender.

On the palate, the extra peppers have done their duty, infusing the fish with an even, moderate heat and spice. The meat is satisfyingly tender. I didn't find them too salty, even though the label lists 550mg. sodium.

Main Takeaways

Tender, flavorful fish
Good spice and heat from the peppers
Don't judge a brand by just one tin

I'm glad I bought these again, and intend to in the future. Hopefully, those will match these.

One More Thing

All the Pollastrini tins I received on this last order had this label on them. I was confused about why a tin from Italy would have labeling indicating sourcing from Croatia. I reached out to the vendor for clarification, but have not received a response.

Croatia is closer to Italy than most people probably realize. If not for a finger of Slovenia reaching out to the sea between them, the two would share a border. Croatia lies directly east of Italy, across the Adriatic Sea, with as little as 53 miles between them at one point. My assumption is that circumstances must sometimes require additional processing capability, and a Croatian cannery steps in to fill the need. Or perhaps boats are making catches destined for Pollastrini closer to the Croatian coast, and processing them there makes more logistical sense.

You can see from this particular can, that the tin itself bears cannery codes from both Italy and Croatia. What then necessitates the additional label, I'm not sure without removing it. My guess would be, if the tin is printed solely in Italian, that the label is simply providing information in English. But there is verbiage in English visible outside the label. There must be some US requirement the tin lacks but the label fulfills. Who knows?

Brand: Pollastrini
Description: Spicy sardines in olive oil
Species: Clupea pilchardus (Sardina pilchardus)
Country of Origin: Italy/Croatia
Source: FAO37, Mediterranean Sea
Skin/Bones: Yes/Yes
Net Wt: 3.5 oz.
Price Range: $6

bettergoods Smoked Tuna with Rosemary

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This new bettergoods Smoked Tuna with Rosemary was purchased at Walmart at the same time as the new smoked rainbow trout. That one was very good, and I hoped this one would be as well. Same $4.97 price point and 4.41oz. portion.

Initial impression upon opening the can: 4.9/5.

The initial appearance isn't as appealing as the trout, bit I will give it points for being a solid hunk of tuna. The carton calls it "steak cut style", but the grain appears to be running contrary to that of a typical tuna steak. Nonetheless, it is a single, thick piece of tuna (take note, Natural Catch) with nothing hiding underneath.

The aroma is subtly smoky, as is a sip of the olive oil it's packed in. I don't see any rosemary leaves in the tin, and I don't get much of an impression of it from either the aroma or the taste of the oil. I would have expected it to be prominent.

Let's Eat

I was able to lift the "steak" from the tin intact. It is a firm piece of meat. After a nibble of the fish, I decided it would be prudent to pour most of the remaining oil over the fish, in hopes of maximizing any flavor of the seasonings. White pepper, black pepper, garlic, salt and "citric acid anhydrous" round out the ingredient list. Although it doesn't taste that salty, sodium is a whopping 920mg.

The meat is quite firm and resists being divided by a piercing fork. It does, however, flake when the fork hits the right places. It also feels a little dry, but I chalk that up to being smoked over actual hardwood, which has the same effect on much fattier salmon. Here, the meat is leaner to begin with, so pouring that packing oil over it was helpful.

Although not overstated, the smoke is the majority of what I'm getting. That and a note of tuna "tang". The tuna is yellowfin, so I'm not sure if that tang isn't really coming from the citric acid powder.

Once again, the carton says "naturally smoked with oakwood, and finished with rosemary for a fresh, herbaceous twist". I perceived a contribution from the trout's juniper berry, but here the rosemary seems lost under the smoke.

Main Takeaways

Nice solid chunk of tuna
Smoke not overpowering but dominates
Rosemary lost in the smoke

I had hoped this one would be as good as the trout, but it wasn't quite. Kudos, though, for it being solid tuna and MSC certified sustainable.

Brand: Walmart / bettergoods
Description: Smoked tuna with rosemary
Species: Yellowfin
Country of Origin: Turkey
Source: FAO51
Skin/Bones: No/No
Net Wt: 4.41 oz.
Price Range: $5

bettergoods Smoked Rainbow Trout with Juniper Berry

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I stumbled across this bettergoods Smoked Rainbow Trout with Juniper Berry at Walmart today. New items tend to show up after a store reset, when it's easier for a retailer to allocate shelf space for them. For those unfamiliar, bettergoods is a Walmart house brand positioned as a cut above others like their generic Great Value. For $4.97, it seemed like a no brainer.

Initial impression upon opening the can: 5/5.

That's a nice piece of trout. Not skimpy on the seasonings, either. The immediate aroma is smoky, as is a sip of the olive oil.

Time For Some Trout

The filet is wedged in tight, so an edge had to be sacrificed to get it out in relatively one piece. It's a firm chunk of fish.

There was a good bit of oil left in the tin, and I poured about half over everything.

A taste of the fish is encouraging. The smoke is just right, the carton says "naturally smoked with oakwood and finished with juniper berries for a fresh, herbaceous flavor twist". So now I'm not sure if juniper berries are an ingredient as the front of the carton implies (or as I infer), or if they're part of the smoking process. Either way, they're contributing something subtle that's elevating the trout above just hardwood smoked.

Trout is a lean fish, so I ended up adding a little more of the packing oil to moisten things up a bit. That's not to say the fish was dry, just that that's how trout is. The meat is firm, but flakes easily.

It's not very salty, the carton lists a low 240mg. sodium, and that's fine. In addition to black pepper, sugar is also listed, but I get no sense of sweetness. Also, juniper berry is listed as the last ingredient, so now I'm even more confused as to whether it's part of the smoke, the seasoning, or both.

Main Takeaways

Firm, meaty trout
Well-balanced smoke and seasonings
Generous portion, priced right

No artificial preservatives, no additives, ASC certified, there's a lot to like here. They also have a smoked tuna "steak cut style" seasoned with rosemary that I'm eager to try next.

Brand: Walmart / bettergoods
Description: Smoked trout with juniper berries
Species: Oncorhychus mykiss
Country of Origin: Turkey
Source: Farmed
Skin/Bones: No/No
Net Wt: 4.41 oz.
Price Range: $5

Nice Cans Sardines in Tomato and Peppers

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These Nice Cans Sardines in Tomato and Peppers came from Caputo's. They're a continuation of my journey in search of the best sardines in tomato. At $11, they weren't cheap, but I had been impressed by other Nice Cans cans in the past, so I hoped I wouldn't be disappointed.

Initial impression upon opening the can: 4.8/5.

My first thought was, "Where's the tomato?" Or the pepper, for that matter. Other than a slight pink tint to the olive oil, it looked like a tin of regular sardines. They were decent looking, though, packed silver bellies up and not too torn up at all. No apparent scales, tails or fins.

The aroma, however, was subtly tangy. A sip of the oil didn't really disclose anything, though. I was expecting at least a slight hit of pepper heat, but it didn't occur.

Let's Dive In

Lifting the fish from the tin, they are tender, with a couple out of the four breaking in the middle.

Underneath were all the goodies. Bright red, roasted pepper and diced onion. I couldn't tell initially if some of the red was tomato or not. The remaining liquid and bits in the tin were poured over everything.

An initial taste of fish and some of the pepper had a brightness to it. I referred to the carton to find that the non-fish ingredients were primarily a pepperonata consisting of smoke-roasted peppers, onions, garlic, oregano, vinegar, tomato and sea salt.

The vinegar explained the brightness and tang, but what struck me most was how far down the list the tomato was. I ultimately realized that the lighter red pulp, most visible on the top fish above, was about the extent of the tomato. Perhaps these should be called "in peppers with tomato" instead of the other way around. Regardless, the whole thing worked really well, I thought.

Back to the fish, they are tender and meaty, not dry at all. Quality sardines, packed well. I thought the pepperonata served them nicely. Sodium is an average 360mg. Overall, nothing to complain about product-wise.

Main Takeaways

Tender, meaty pilchards
Tasty pepperonata
Tomato largely MIA, but not missed

I'd like to try these again, but I'm afraid the best one can do on the price is to buy them where I did. They are much cheaper on Nice Cans' own website, but if you try to order them there a pop-up says "Sorry, US resident, we only sell to you through Caputo's". Oh, well.

Brand: 100 Misterios / Nice Cans
Description: Sardines in tomato and peppers
Species: Pilchards
Country of Origin: Portugal
Source: FAO27, Northeast Atlantic
Skin/Bones: Yes/Yes
Net Wt: 4.2 oz.
Price Range: $11