Patagonia Provisions Archives

Patagonia Provisions Smoked Wild Pink Salmon

This Patagonia Provisions Smoked Wild Pink Salmon was found on sale at Whole Foods at the same time as their smoked salmon with pastrami spice. The only difference appears to be the pastrami part. Let's see how this one compares.

Initial impression upon opening the can: 4.8/5.

Again a fraction of a point deducted for that empty space in the can. The aroma is smoky and sweet, courtesy of natural wood smoke and organic brown sugar. A sip of the broth echoes both.

Let's Eat

Out of the tin, you can better appreciate the bronze color from the natural smoke. There's still some skin attached, and some drops of fat exuding here and there. Both will contribute to a more unctuous mouth feel.

There were a couple of tablespoons of broth left in the tin, and I poured it over everything.

The meat is al dente, as expected, but flakes readily. On the palate, the smoke and brown sugar are well-balanced. Salt is a reasonable 510mg., maybe a little low for this type of product.

Absent other flavor embellishments such as the one from Fishwife, this one compares reasonably well to similar competition from Wildfish Cannery.

Main Takeaways

Firm, meaty salmon
Well-balanced smoke and seasoning

If there's any complaint to air, it's that another half ounce or so could have fit in the tin. The $7.64 Whole Foods/Amazon Prime sale price made it more than reasonable, though.

Brand: Patagonia Provisions
Description: Smoked Wild Pink Salmon
Species: Pink salmon
Country of Origin: WA, USA
Source: FAO67, Northeast Pacific
Skin/Bones: Yes/No
Net Wt: 3 oz.
Price Range: $10

Patagonia Provisions Spicy White Anchovies

DeenLeave a comment

These Patagonia Provisions Spicy White Anchovies came from Whole Foods, where they are a new item. Several visits were required to obtain them as the initial stock coincided with a sale, they sold out quickly, and then restocking took forever. I finally found them back in stock, but sadly, after the sale. Still, they were less expensive than the average online price. Let's try them.

I'm amazed by comments online that state, "they're not very salty", or "they're not white". These are not the anchovies you put on your pizza (although you could), nor in your Caesar salad dressing.

Initial impression upon opening the can: 5/5.

Firm and meaty looking fish. The oil (organic EVOO) is tinged red from organic Spanish paprika and cayenne. The aroma is a tangy, from the apple cider vinegar. There is no real aroma of fish, or it's masked by the spices.

Let's Eat

Pulling them from the tin, they are quite firm. A more slender fish than sardines, and I see no fins or tails. Not really any scales, either. There are six fish total.

The remaining liquid in the tin has bits of diced red bell pepper, and I poured everything over the fish and rice.

Digging in, they slightly resist being divided into bite-size pieces with a fork. The flavor of the fish is fresh. The texture is a tad dry, but not a deal breaker.

The seasonings were well-balanced and the salt level unobtrusive, even though it's listed as a moderately high 840mg. The back of the carton states, "The Heat Is On", but there's not really any heat here, the cayenne being last on the ingredient list. "Spicy" sardines are usually seasoned with piri-piri peppers. The seasoning here is more akin to an escabeche style pickled sauce.

White anchovies make for an interesting alternative to sardines. I'd certainly have no problem getting these again, especially if they're on sale.

Main Takeaways

Fresh, meaty fish
Well-balanced seasoning
Not too salty

Brand: Patagonia Provisions
Description: Spicy White Anchovies in EVOO
Species: Engraulis encrasicolus
Country of Origin: Spain
Source: FAO27, Northeast Atlantic
Skin/Bones: Yes/Yes
Net Wt: 4.2 oz.
Price Range: $7

Patagonia Provisions Smoked Jack Mackerel

DeenLeave a comment

This Patagonia Provisions Smoked Jack Mackerel is a new item for the company. They already had a smoked mackerel, but this one comes with a story. You may have read recently (early 2026) about the ongoing issue in North Atlantic waters regarding the potential overfishing of mackerel. Global warming has driven stocks of the fish northward to cooler waters, leaving fishermen off the EU and the UK with difficulty making quotas. As a result, Patagonia has moved to sourcing their mackerel from Chile, where the species of mackerel there has managed to rebound from overfishing in the 1990s. Let's try this new offering.

Initial impression upon opening the can: 5/5.

Some beautiful fillets. The initial aroma is tuna-like, but dissipates quickly. The oil, organic EVOO, is a light golden color. A sip of the oil initially tastes like there might be some spice involved, but the ingredients list none. On the finish, it reveals the subtle undertone of the wood smoke.

Time To Eat

It takes a bit of effort to pry the fish from the tin, it's packed in tightly. It looks like three substantial fillets. There's a couple of tablespoons of oil left in the tin, and I'm not letting it go to waste.

An initial bite is somewhat reminiscent of tuna, but with a more satisfying, meatier chew. The package says "use like tuna", but I'm thinking "use like chicken, too". And that's probably because the smoke and texture are giving me charcoal-grilled chicken vibes. I'm impressed by the level of restraint on the smoke, it's just as much as it needs to be, and not one bit more.

The meat is quite rich, and I could agree with the carton calling it two servings. But, of course, I ate the whole thing myself. The good news is that, compared to the old smoked mackerel, for the same serving size, this one has 50 fewer calories (170 vs. 220) and 7 gm. less total fat. So, other than a higher price, this one's a win, nutritionally speaking.

I got this tin from Whole Foods. My usual online sources don't seem to have it stocked yet. Once this one gets fully established in the marketplace, I'm hoping we'll see it on sale from time to time. I'll be going back for more.

Main Takeaways

Rich, meaty fish
Subtle level of smoke
Generous portion

Brand: Patagonia Provisions
Description: Smoked jack mackerel
Species: N/S (Trachurus sp?)
Country of Origin: Chile (processed in Spain)
Source: FAO87, Southeast Pacific
Skin/Bones: No/No
Net Wt: 4.2 oz.
Price Range: $8-9

Patagonia Provisions Smoked Wild Pink Salmon With Pastrami Spice

DeenLeave a comment

I went to Whole Foods looking for some sale items, and was pleased to find this new, unadvertised Patagonia Provisions Smoked Wild Pink Salmon With Pastrami Spice in stock. So new, in fact, it's not even listed on the Whole Foods website yet. And it was on sale!

Initial impression upon opening the can: 4.8/5.

The pastrami spice aroma hits you immediately, along with a distinct smokiness. There is a modest amount of liquid in the can, typical of smoked salmon in this format. At an even 3 oz. it's a fraction of an ounce lighter than similar entries from competitors Fishwife and Wildfish Cannery. I could see some room in the can for a little more fish.

Let's Try It

My bad. I should have checked the photo before I ate. It's a little fuzzy.

Anyway, there's some nice bronze skin, and I detected no bones. The meat is firm, but flakes readily.

The flavor of the pastrami spice is just right, It could have been overwrought and overpowered the flavor of the fish, but thankfully no.

The ingredients list: Wild pink salmon, organic brown sugar, salt, organic pastrami spice blend (black pepper, coriander, caraway, garlic, onion, mustard), natural wood smoke. As I ate, there was an impression of tanginess I thought might be from vinegar, but as you can see it's not included.

I was pleased the salt level was not as high as might be anticipated, clocking in at a reasonable 530mg.

Main Takeaways

Well-seasoned slow smoked salmon
Pastrami spice well-balanced
Not overly salty

The Whole Foods list price was a competitive $9.99, but the sale brought it down to $7.64 for Amazon Prime members. There was also a "slow smoked with brown sugar" version. I bought a can of it, too, and will review it shortly. By comparison, the only difference between the two ingredient-wise is the pastrami spice.

More On Marketing

I had to check out the Patagonia Provisions website to see if this was truly new or something I had just overlooked. It appears to be new, as of this writing. I found it odd the cartons didn't match, the website showing packaging more in keeping with the rest of the current line. You can see the carton I purchased above is leaning in to the whole eye-catching graphics trend for tinned fish cartons. They've forgone the unnecessary printing of the inside of the box, though. The whole package has a recycled content feel, for which they are to be commended.

Brand: Patagonia Provisions
Description: Smoked Wild Pink Salmon With Pastrami Spice
Species: Pink salmon
Country of Origin: WA, USA
Source: FAO67, Northeast Pacific
Skin/Bones: Yes/No
Net Wt: 3 oz.
Price Range: $10

Patagonia Provisions Smoked Mussels in EVOO

DeenLeave a comment

This can of Patagonia Provisions Smoked Mussels has been lingering on my shelf for a while. I got them at Whole Foods a couple of months ago when they were on sale. I really liked their spicy mussels, and hoped these would be as good.

Initial impression upon opening the can: 4.9/5.

These look good. Smell good, too. The aroma of the sea and smoke combined. They look like they're in some kind of golden sauce. The ingredients say mussels, mussel broth, EVOO, water, salt, natural wood smoke.

Contrary to package direction, I ate them straight from the can. I counted twelve mussels, give or take one. They are firm and meaty.

Now for the taste. The non-mussel ingredients have somehow combined into this velvety, salty, buttery goodness that the smoke complements but doesn't overpower. It's almost like a New England style chowder in a can. I want to open another can right now, but don't have one.

Main Takeaways

A taste of the sea in a can
Nice meaty mussels
Flavor combination greater than the sum of its parts

See it at Amazon. The price there isn't too bad right now. The sale at WF put the Prime member price under $6.

Brand: Patagonia Provisions
Description: Patagonia Provisions Smoked Mussels in EVOO
Species: N/S
Country of Origin: Spain
Source: FAO27, Northeast Atlantic
Skin/Bones: No/No
Net Wt: 4.2 oz.
Price Range: $7-8

Patagonia Provisions Lemon Herb Mussels

DeenLeave a comment

I got these Patagonia Provisions Lemon Herb Mussels on sale last month at Whole Foods, at the same time as the Spicy Mussels and some other PP selections. So far, I've been happy with all of the Patagonia cans I've tried, so I was hopeful these would not disappoint.

Initial impression upon opening the can: 4.8/5.

Lots going on in there. Bits of onion and flecks of herbs. Nice shellfish aroma. Ingredients say lemon juice, onion, garlic, spices. The banner on the carton says "bright, zesty, savory", but I found all the seasonings to be subtle and not overpowering of the intrinsic flavor of the mussels. Kind of hard to say what all of the spices are. The carton doesn't specify what the other "organic spices" consist of. The description on Amazon says thyme, but I wouldn't have known it unless you told me. Suffice it to say they taste like what one might find in a seafood stew.

I ate these right from the can. I counted 17 mussels, mostly whole, with a few ragged ones. Overall impression was that I preferred the spicy mussels over these. But as a change of pace from other seasoned mussels, these weren't bad at all.

Main Takeaways

Good shellfish aroma
Seasonings didn't interfere with mussel flavor
Might be good in a seafood stew

See it at Amazon.

Brand: Patagonia Provisions
Description: Patagonia Provisions Lemon Herb Mussels in EVOO
Species: N/S
Country of Origin: Spain
Source: FAO27, Northeast Atlantic
Skin/Bones: No/No
Net Wt: 4.2 oz.
Price Range: $7-8

Patagonia Provisions Spicy Mussels

DeenLeave a comment

Caught them on a sale at Whole Foods, where they go for normally about $8 a can. Mussels are always a nice break from sardines, mackerel, etc. And they're typically a cut above the usually pedestrian smoked oysters, as these Patagonia Provisions Spicy Mussels in Extra-Virgin Olive Oil definitely are.

Initial impression upon opening the can: 4.9/5.

These look nice, and the can is full. I counted 20 or 21 whole mussels. The banner on the box says "Hot, Tangy, Sweet", and that's about right. Not too hot, though. Tangy as well, and I guess the sweet really comes from the mussels themselves. Really tasty.

The box urges you to "flip can onto a plate so seasonings flow evenly over mussels." I dumped them over some rice for a quick lunch. The image on the Patagonia website oversells the red bell pepper content a bit. Maybe chalk that up to food-styling photography. If these were plain, I'd put a few dashes of Salsa Espinaler on them, but that's not necessary. I think the same sensibility was used when concocting this flavor profile, though.

This is the first can of mussels I've noticed that honestly lists mussel broth as the primary liquid, with the EVOO being sixth on the list of ingredients.

Main Takeaways

Visually appealing
Seasoned as advertised
Plenty of mussels

Recommended. I'd buy these again. Hopefully on sale.

See it at Amazon.

Brand: Patagonia Provisions
Description: Patagonia Provisions Spicy Mussels in EVOO
Species: N/S
Country of Origin: Spain, Chile
Source: FAO27, Northeast Atlantic; FAO87, Southeast Pacific
Skin/Bones: No/No
Net Wt: 4.2 oz.
Price Range: $7-8