sardines Archives - Sardeenz!

Sultan Moroccan Sardines Boneless/Skinless in Olive Oil

These Sultan Moroccan Sardines Boneless/Skinless in Olive Oil came from a Middle Eastern market from which I had previously obtained other Sultan varieties. Supply chain issues had briefly impacted their ability to stock the variety of tinned fish I'm used to finding there. As such, these were the only "new to me" selection available. Let's see how they are.

Initial impression upon opening the can: 4.9/5.

They look about the same as most boneless skinless sardines, sort of a drab, pale color. There's a bit of a sulfurous odor, but it quickly dissipates. The oil, what there is of it, is similarly pale, almost clear. Unusual for olive oil. A sip of it has a subtle flinty, mineral note.

Let's Dig In

And by "dig in", I mean literally. They are packed in there tight, so much so I can't even get a count. I had to pry them out of the tin in chunks. There was so much fish in the can, there was barely any oil left after I got them all out.

The first bite was a disappointment. The fish is dry and a bit mealy. Perhaps some more oil and some less fish would have prevented this, I don't know. Continuing on, the flavor is bland and needs salt badly. Sodium is listed at a relatively low 240mg.

I was able to improve things a bit with some hot chili oil. It added flavor, salt and some needed moisture. So, not a total loss. Having said that, I think I will go back and get some more. They were quite the bargain at under $3 for a generous 4.41oz. portion that was 95% fish. That's a lot of protein for the money, tinned fish-wise. If the next can isn't any better on its own merits, I'll know how to deal with it.

Main Takeaways

Dry and a bit mealy
Bland and needed salt
Generous portion

Brand: Sultan
Description: Sardines boneless/skinless in olive oil
Species: Pilchards
Country of Origin: Morocco
Source: FAO34, Eastern Central Atlantic
Skin/Bones: No/No
Net Wt: 4.41 oz.
Price Range: $3

Nice Cans Smoked Sardines in Organic Olive Oil

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These Nice Cans Smoked Sardines in Organic Olive Oil were found, surprisingly, at a local chain supermarket location. Surprising in that they are considered a boutique label under the JOSE Gourmet brand, both under the umbrella of 100 Misterios. Their offerings consist of only three variations, these, a rosemary fennel and a tomato and pepper version. I already tried those and although the seasonings didn't blow me away, the sardines themselves were top notch. Let's see how these are.

Initial impression upon opening the can: 4.9/5.

Skin is in reasonably decent shape. No scales or tails, but some pelvic fins. The oil is an amber color, perhaps darker than expected due to whatever process applied the smoke.

The aroma is smoky, masking any scent of the fish. A sip of the oil is similarly smoky.

Let's Eat

There are four medium-size pilchards total. They lifted from the tin intact and felt somewhat firm while doing so. Of the three or so tablespoons of oil remaining in the tin, I poured about half over everything.

The fish are nice and meaty. Not juicy by any means, but tender enough. The smoke flavor is pervasive but not overpowering. I didn't find it fatiguing on the palate as smoking sometimes can be. Nothing I could find on the carton specified how the smoke was applied.

Saltiness is just above average at 480mg. The full name of the product includes "and sea salt" so I suppose it's intentional. I didn't find it excessive.

These have crept up in price in the last 12 months from $10 to $11 or more online. It was therefore a both a shock and a welcome surprise to find them where I did for only $8. I should go back for more.

Main Takeaways

Firm, meaty fish
Flavorful smoke

Brand: 100 Misterios / Nice Cans
Description: Smoked sardines in organic olive oil and sea salt
Species: Pilchards
Country of Origin: Portugal
Source: FAO27, Northeast Atlantic
Skin/Bones: Yes/Yes
Net Wt: 4.2 oz.
Price Range: $8

Porthos Sardines in Hot Vegetable Oil

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These Porthos Sardines in Hot Vegetable Oil came with a recent order from International Loft. I've had other Porthos selections before, including a spiced variation I recall being quite pleased with. Let's try these.

Initial impression upon opening the can: 4.9/5.

It's been a while since I opened a tin to find sardines this nice looking. The skin is in perfect shape, and I see no scales. The aroma is fresh, but I note nothing in the way of spice on the nose. A sip of the oil is clean tasting, but no chili heat to speak of. The oil has a coloration more like olive oil, but it is sunflower.

Let's Eat

We have four medium to large fish. There is sufficient headroom in the tin to lift them all out mostly intact. Probably four tablespoons of the oil remain in the can, and I poured about half over everything. There is one small, lone piri pepper.

Digging in, the fish are beautifully tender and moist, while at the same time satisfyingly meaty. They are devoid of scales, always a plus.

Still not getting anything in the way of heat, I guess the small pepper wasn't up to the task. The ingredients also list chili pepper flavoring, but I could see no visual evidence of it in the oil.

I also thought they lacked salt. Sodium is listed at an average 340mg. for the tin.

This would have been an outstanding tin of fish if not for the lack of promised pepper heat. Not sorry I tried them, but I think I'll stick to the spicy in olive oil version in the future.

Main Takeaways

Tender, moist, meaty fish
Chili heat AWOL
Needed some salt

Brand: Conservas Portugal Norte / Porthos
Description: Sardines in hot vegetable oil
Species: Sardina pilchardus
Country of Origin: Portugal
Source: FAO27, Northeast Atlantic
Skin/Bones: Yes/Yes
Net Wt: 4.4 oz.
Price Range: $6

Mabuti Sardines in Pure Olive Oil and Tomato Sauce

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These Mabuti Sardines in Pure Olive Oil and Tomato Sauce also came from International Loft. Based upon my experience with the spiced variety, I am hoping these will be as impressive, but there's an unexpected aspect to this tin I'm curious about. Time to find out.

Initial impression upon opening the can: 4.8/5.

I'll cut right to the chase. The unusual thing about this tin is its date codes. The spiced variety I received at the same time was imprinted 145/25 and DEC/31/32. I took that to mean canned on the 145th day of 2025 (over a year ago) and an expiration date 7-ish years thereafter. But this tin had 014/22 and DEC/31/29. Again, a 7-plus year gap, but why are these more than three years older than the other? I decided to be optimistic and hope what I had in hand was potentially a vintage sardine experience.

Out of the unblemished wrapper, the tin was not rusty nor did it appear compromised in any way I could see. I forged ahead, and opened it. There was no suspicious aroma or appearance of degradation. In fact, they were not much different looking than almost any other tin of sardines in tomato sauce I've tried. Some loose skin like the other tin, but to a lesser extent. No scales apparent.

Let's See What We've Got Here

The sauce has a good bright color, with the appearance of crushed tomato in olive oil. A sip of it is somewhat bland, there being no additional seasoning to it other than salt.

In this case we have 6 fish as opposed to the 8 in the other tin, only mildly disappointing. Lifting them from the tin, they are not the "fall-apart-y" tender I was anticipating from the extra time in the can. I poured the remaining sauce over everything.

Digging in, they are still firm and have quite good sardine flavor that shines through the just-serviceable tomato sauce. I wouldn't characterize them as dry, but the moisture level I rate as acceptable. They're not too salty, despite the stated 500mg. sodium.

These pale in head-to-head comparison with the spiced version I received. That may or may not, however, have more to do with the three year difference in harvest and packing. Not the vintage experience the age might have implied, but then I wasn't paying for vintage sardines, either. My advice, if you order some, is stock up on the spiced and maybe try one can of these.

Main Takeaways

Good sardine flavor
Unremarkable tomato sauce
Not the vintage sardine experience cans of this age often exhibit

Brand: Pinhais/Mabuti
Description: Sardines in olive oil and tomato sauce
Species: Sardina pilchardus
Country of Origin: Portugal
Source: FAO27, Northeast Atlantic
Skin/Bones: Yes/Yes
Net Wt: 3.17 oz.
Price Range: $6

Safe Catch Wild Sardines in Water

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Yep, I did it again. Bought sardines in water. Not paying attention to the small print right there on the carton: Safe Catch Wild Sardines in Water. Oh, well, let's see how they are.

Initial impression upon opening the can: 4.2/5.

I thought the version on olive oil with lemon were OK, so I hoped these wouldn't be a total disappointment.

They have that pallid look I think sardines in water often have. At first there appear to be only two huge pilchards, another minus. The aroma is a bit fishy. A cautious sip of the packing liquid tastes like a salty broth.

Digging In

Pulling the fish from the can, there are three more smaller ones hiding under the large pair. I'm not used to seeing this much inconsistency in size, fish-to-fish, in a single can. They are a bit "fall-apart-y" as I lift them out. There are a couple of tails and some scales here and there. For reasons I'm not quite sure, I poured a couple of tablespoons-worth of the liquid over the fish and rice,

Some of the first bites have a good sardine flavor, but there's a dryness to the meat. Continuing on, the rest of the tin I can only characterize as unremarkable. I briefly considered adding something to liven things up a bit, but ended up not doing so.

The fish are not as salty as the liquid tasted, the listed sodium being a lower than average 280mg.

Once again, it was impossible to find these or any sardines on Safe Catch's own website. They've been around long enough to have had a packaging redesign, so I'm not sure what the story is.

Main Takeaways

Inconsistent fish size
Tender, but dry
Really need to read labels

Brand: Safe Catch
Description: Sardines in water
Species: Sardina pilchardus
Country of Origin: Morocco
Source: FAO34, Eastern Central Atlantic
Skin/Bones: Yes/Yes
Net Wt: 4.4 oz.
Price Range: $4-5

Mabuti Spiced Sardines in Pure Olive Oil

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These Mabuti Spiced Sardines in Pure Olive Oil came from International Loft, where they had been out of stock for quite some time, apparently long enough that their page had been removed from the website's menu. The brand is produced by Pinhais, the cannery who also brings you Nuri and the less frequently-seen (in the US) flagship Pinhais label. These are a bit unusual in that the tin is only 3.17oz, whereas most hover in the 4oz. range.

Initial impression upon opening the can: 4.8/5.

Well, there's a surprise. Small can, but also small fish, which is a good thing. I count 8 sardines, intentionally packed in an interlaced arrangement. The skin roughed up on most, and they're really wedged in there. No fins or tails. What may be scales, I hope is only some loose skin.

The aroma is of the usual spice items, which I expect to find underneath the fish. A sip of the oil is similar.

Let's Eat

Beneath the fish I found the usual suspects: two small piri peppers, a pickle slice, a paper thin piece of carrot, a fragment of bay leaf, one clove and a lone peppercorn. I strained the oil remaining in the tin over everything.

Digging in, the fish are incredibly tender, and the chili pepper and spice flavors have infused them quite well. So well, in fact, that I wish I'd bought more than the one tin.

Thankfully, no scales. Apparently it was just loose skin. I didn't dissect any of the fish, but I assume there were bones, which were soft enough as to be undetected.

The salt level is just right, the label listing an average 360mg. sodium.

The wrapper indicates these were canned on the 145th day of 2025 (late May), if I'm reading it right. Makes me wonder what took this tin so long (over a year) to get over here to the US.

Main Takeaways

Small pilchards a plus
Incredibly tender
Spicy seasoning spot on

Honestly, I'm not really sure what this sub-brand is supposed to represent. The tin is small, but the price is on par (until recently) with Nuri. Certainly not the prettiest tin of fish, but the size and count are both plusses for which others charge a premium. Then, there is the seasoning, every bit as good as the best spiced sardines out there. I recommend trying some before they disappear again.

Brand: Pinhais/Mabuti
Description: Spiced Sardines in olive oil
Species: Sardina pilchardus
Country of Origin: Portugal
Source: FAO27, Northeast Atlantic
Skin/Bones: Yes/Yes
Net Wt: 3.17 oz.
Price Range: $6

Pollastrini Sardines in Spiced Tomato Sauce

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These Pollastrini Sardines in Spiced Tomato Sauce came from International Loft, and they round out the four varieties of Pollastrini tinned sardines they currently stock.

Initial impression upon opening the can: 4.9/5.

Reasonably nice looking, with skin only slightly roughed up. There are two small peppers. The sauce appears thick and has not separated from the olive oil as sometimes happens. The aroma is of tomato and fresh sardine. A taste of the sauce is encouraging.

Let's Eat

I just dumped the can directly over the rice. Only a little sauce was left in the tin, owing to how tightly the fish were packed in there and how the viscosity of the sauce made it cling to them. There are six fish total, with one being smaller than the rest.

The first bite caught me off guard, as it made a squishy sound when I pierced the fish with the fork. I quickly realized it was one of the peppers underneath.

The fish are quite tender, and only maybe slightly what you could characterize as dry. The sauce made up for it however, and its spiciness was spot on. One of the better representations of spicy tomato sauce, in fact.

Saltiness was about right, the label listing 240mg. sodium.

Country of Origin

You may have noted the tan piece of tape on the image above. It's part of a label covering the bottom area of the lid and there to obscure the designation "Product of Italy". For reasons not quite certain, Pollastrini has for some time been sourcing sardines from and processing them in Croatia, Italy's neighbor across the Adriatic Sea. What's under the black part doesn't appear to differ from the label covering it.

An add-on label on the bottom of the tin also revises the sourcing, but peeling it back reveals a more interesting difference. The label says "sardines, tomato concentrate, sunflower oil, chili, water, sugar, potato starch, salt". Behind it, the can says "sardines, tomato sauce, olive oil, celery, hot pepper, natural flavours, spices and salt". So, a little more going on here than just country of origin. The International Loft website listing still claims olive oil.

Main Takeaways

Tender sardines
Spicy tomato flavor well-represented
Substitution of sunflower oil puzzling

Brand: Pollastrini
Description: Sardines in spiced tomato sauce
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