Tag: Pollastrini

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

It's unusual that the opportunity arises to compare two closely-related cans back-to-back such as these Pollastrini Spicy Sardines and their vintage counterpart. By all accounts, the vintage version should have provided a superior experience. Let's take a look at what I found.

Initial impression upon opening the can: 4.8/5.

They appear very much the same as the vintage version, with one exception: There are a few small peppers. As before, they still retain their tails. There are seven fish in the can. There's a clean, fresh fish aroma. A sip of the oil, like the vintage version, has only the most subtle amount of heat.

Extracting fish from the can, they are tender, wanting to break in half somewhat easily. I note a few scales, but nothing major. I tried a pepper to see how hot it was. Not very.

Now for the real test. How do they compare to their vintage cousins? A bite consisting of half a fish is satisfyingly tender. The pepper hasn't substantially translated to the fish. As I continue through the can, I find myself wishing they were a tad saltier. Not that they were bland.

As sardines go, these were great flavor-wise and texturally. Not dry at all. Tails aside, I really liked the fact that there were seven in the can, as opposed to four or three. Or sometimes even two. Nine out of ten times, smaller pilchards translates to more tender and flavorful fish.

The date code on the tin indicates these were canned in late 2024. All things considered, the time between canning and consumption wasn't terribly different from the vintage version, about a year. Did it make a difference? To my palate, not really. Three cans of the regular version can be had for the less than the price of two cans of the vintage. I think I'd be happier going that way, if I'm being honest.

Main Takeaways

• Good quality, flavorful fish
• The "spicy" is again underrepresented
• I'd buy these again, and they made me want to try other Pollastrini regular tins

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