pilchards Archives

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

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

Porthos Portuguese Sardines in Tomato Sauce

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These Porthos Portuguese Sardines in Tomato Sauce came from International Loft. I've tried a few Porthos selections before, but wanted to see how these in plain tomato sauce were. The ones in hot tomato sauce weren't that hot (the sauce not the fish), so I'm hopeful these don't underdeliver.

Initial impression upon opening the can: 4.9/5.

Nice appearance, silvery belly-side up. Carefully packed, no torn-up skin. Only a few noticeable scales. The tomato sauce looks viscous enough, but has separated from the oil somewhat.

The aroma is of tomato and sardine, both fresh. A sip of the sauce/oil has a tomato-y brightness to it. No overcooked tomato flavor here.

Let's Eat

There are five fish total, and of a welcome size for my preference. They are firm and lift out of the tin virtually intact. There is a tablespoon or so of liquid left in the tin, and I whisked the oil and tomato back together before pouring most of it over the fish.

The fish are firm and meaty, resisting the pierce of the fork somewhat. They have a fresh sardine flavor, and are moist enough.

The tomato sauce has a fresh flavor, and I'm surprised to see it's nothing more than tomato, sunflower oil and salt.

The salt level is low, 230mg. sodium, but it didn't feel deficient.

Main Takeaways

Firm, meaty sardines
Nice 5 count size
Fresh tasting, minimal tomato sauce

At $6, I'd have no problem recommending these.

Brand: Conservas Portugal Norte / Porthos
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

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

Tomé Sardines in Spicy Olive Oil with Chilli

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I found these Tomé Sardines in Spicy Olive Oil with Chilli as a new item at one of my local Asian markets. What intrigued me most was that an Asian importer out of New York was distributing Portugese sardines, packed by Ramirez & Cia, no less. At $3.29, it seemed I couldn't go wrong. Or could I?

Initial impression upon opening the can: 4.6/5.

They're not the prettiest. Packed dark dorsal side up, with a fair amount of broken skin. The olive oil is only slightly tinged amber from the pepper. You can see it peeking out from the far side of the tin. I see no fins, tails nor scales.

There's not much of an aroma, of fish, spice or otherwise. A sip of the oil is unrevealing except for the tiniest hit of heat at the back of the throat.

Let's Dig In

There are four fish total, one slightly truncated at the tail end. They are firm as they lift from the can, and have a certain heft to them. They are not inclined to fall apart during the transfer to the rice bowl.

There were about four tablespoons of oil left in the tin, and I poured about half over the fish. I wasn't expecting much from it, and ultimately didn't get much.

The fish resist yielding to the stab of a fork, but are reasonably tender on the palate. They are not dry, but there isn't a lot of sardine flavor to them. I tasted the pepper, and it was only a tad more spicy than the oil, which isn't saying much.

I noted they weren't salty at all, and I thought they could have benefitted by a little more. The carton confirms an unusually low 190mg. sodium.

Main Takeaways

A little rough looking
Tender enough, but lacked sardine flavor
Needed salt

These didn't blow me away, and I now question having bought a second can solely on the reputation of Ramirez & Cia. They produce the Berthe brand, of which I was highly impressed. As far as spiciness goes, I was far happier with similar from Angelo Parodi, which cost only a little more.

Brand: Ramirez & Cia. / Tomé
Description: Sardines in spicy olive oil with chilli
Species: Sardina pilchardus
Country of Origin: Portugal (dist. by United Foods of Asia, Ltd. NY, USA)
Source: FAO27, Northeast Atlantic
Skin/Bones: Yes/Yes
Net Wt: 4.4 oz.
Price Range: $3

Minerva Sardines in Tomato Sauce

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These Minerva Sardines in Tomato Sauce were part of a recent order from International Loft. Ever since I decided to reconsider my longtime avoidance of sardines in tomato sauce, I've been on a mission to find those I think are best. Let's see if these are the ones.

Initial impression upon opening the can: 4.8/5.

Looks like three big pilchards. I would have preferred smaller, like a 5 to 6 count. The tomato sauce looks relatively homogenous, and has a bright tomato-ey color. The aroma is similar, vegetal. A sip of it has a reasonably fresh tomato flavor, and I note the only ingredients are water, tomato, olive oil and salt.

Let's Eat

Minerva Sardines in Tomato Sauce over rice

They pulled from the tin fairly easily, giving only the slightest hint that they wanted to fall apart. As noted there are three, plus some extra pieces parts for some unknown reason.

The sauce remaining in the can was relatively unbroken, so I poured the majority directly over the fish and rice. It's reasonably thick, and clings well to the fish.

The fish are tender enough, and not at all what I would consider dry. No tails, no scales, no fins. All good. Meaty Portugese pilchards.

Sodium is listed as 600mg., a little above average, but they don't taste that salty.

75% of the way through, I was finding the sauce a little bland and boring, so I tried a few drops of Texas Pete Hot Sauce on the rest. It made an improvement.

Main Takeaways

Tender, meaty fish
Not dry
Tomato sauce a little bland

All in all, I'm not disappointed in having tried these. They're not the holy grail of sardines in tomato sauce by any means, but they weren't bad at all. I just wish they'd been smaller fish. Can't have everything, I suppose.

Brand: A Poveira/MInerva
Description: Sardines in tomato sauce
Species: Pilchards
Country of Origin: Portugal
Source: FAO27, Northeast Atlantic
Skin/Bones: Yes/Yes
Net Wt: 4.25 oz.
Price Range: $6

Conchita Sardines in Tomato Sauce

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A heretofore unknown brand to me, I got these Conchita Sardines in Tomato Sauce at my local supermarket, where they appeared as a new item. Sourced from Spain, I was confident they would be pilchards, so the main question was, how would the tomato sauce stand up? Let's find out.

Initial impression upon opening the can: 4.8/5.

The carton is bilingual. If you flip it over, everything's in Spanish. I note they've opted to avoid the Prop 65 issue altogether by not being for sale in California. The tin is one of those stiff, hard-to-open types, but I remove the lid without incident.

Not bad looking at all. A couple still have tails, and I see some pelvic fins. But the skin looks silvery and bright. A sip of the red-tinged oil is a bit bland and vegetal. The aroma is of tomato and it overrides any scent of fish.

Digging In

I got ahead of myself and took a bite of fish before taking the photo. What initially looked like three fish turned out to be four. The skin has an irridescent shine through the tomato sauce clinging to it. I see no scales, but would eventually find one or two.

From prior experience, I used a fork to whisk the remaining separated oil and tomato component back together before pouring it all over the fish. There are some small bits of tomato in it, which is encouraging. The ingredients list onion and spices in addition to tomato and salt. The sauce being warmed by the hot rice has bloomed those flavors a bit. It doesn't seem too salty, even with the sodium clocking in at 472mg.

I find the meat reasonably tender and moist enough. But the sauce was still uninspiring, so I added a few drops of Valentina to spice up the last fish. As I've noted previously, I think a lot of vendors are missing the boat by not marketing a spicy tomato version.

Main Takeaways

Meaty and moist pilchards
Bland tomato sauce
Decent value

For $3.29, I didn't come away too disappointed. These were worth the try and the price, IMO.

Brand: Conchita Foods
Description: Sardines in tomato sauce
Species: Pilchards
Country of Origin: Spain
Source: FAO27, Northeast Atlantic
Skin/Bones: Yes/Yes
Net Wt: 4 oz.
Price Range: $3