smoked Archives - Sardeenz!

MW Polar Fancy Whole Smoked Oysters

I picked these MW Polar Fancy Whole Smoked Oysters up at a local supermarket months ago. I bought them mainly for two reasons: I hadn't tried this brand's smoked oysters yet, and they were relatively cheap. I've always been satisfied with MW Polar tinned seafood products, having had their kipper snacks and smoked sprats. At $1.79, I could afford to be curious.

Initial impression upon opening the can: 4.8/5.

The aroma when cracking the lid was about as expected: a typical but light smokiness. They appear nicely packed, and whole, as noted on the carton. The "fancy" is just marketing. Size-wise, they are about average. There appears to be about twenty in there. A sip of the oil, cottonseed as is typical of Chinese smoked oysters, doesn't really echo anything in the way of smokiness.

Snack Time

I'd already had a small lunch, but was still a little hungry, so having these as a snack seemed like a good way to solve that.

Texturally, they are pretty much the usual: half meaty/half mealy. The flavor is not really any different from a half dozen similar others I've tried. If anything, they are less smoky-tasting, even though the carton touts them as being naturally wood smoked. A little more salt might have been welcome, as they contained a moderately low 230mg. sodium.

Main Takeaways

Typical canned smoked oysters
Subtle level of smoke

I'll continue my search for a relatively inexpensive tin of smoked oysters that makes me forget about the rest. Thankfully, it's a good thing I'm not in a hurry.

Brand: MW Polar
Description: Smoked oysters in cottonseed oil
Species: N/S
Country of Origin: China
Source: Farmed
Skin/Bones: N/A
Net Wt: 3.0 oz.
Price Range: $1-2

Wildfish Cannery Smoked Herring

DeenLeave a comment

This Wildfish Cannery Smoked Herring came from Caputo's. My experience with herring to date has largely been confined to kipper snacks and a few tins where herring is sold as sardines. This herring is expensive by comparison to those. But a take on smoked herring from a small cannery piqued my interest.

Initial impression upon opening the can: 4.5/5.

Compared to smoked salmon from this and similar sources, the visual is kind of unappealing. There is some skin, as well as visible spines and soft bones. Rather than a rich mahogany, the smoke has only reinforced the dull brown hue of the herring.

The aroma of smoke is pleasant enough. A sip of the packing liquid (no oil is listed) is reminiscent of a smoky seafood broth. The ingredients list includes sea salt, brown sugar, garlic, black pepper and alderwood smoke.

Digging In

The fish is in small chunks which tend to fall apart as they are picked out of the tin. From what I've read, the loins are cut into smaller chunks before smoking, I assume in order to maximize the smoke exposure.

The bones and spines are easy enough to overlook as they are soft enough to be relatively undetectable on the palate.

The fish doesn't seem overly salty. The sodium level is listed as a surprisingly low 170mg. But then I note the can is considered two servings, so per can it lands somewhat near average.

I expected the brown sugar to play a bigger part in the flavor profile, but the smoke predominated. Not overwhelmingly, just the most forward of anything listed.

Main Takeaways

Visually kind of blah
Smoke level forward but not cloying
Other seasonings overshadowed by the smoke

I'm glad I gave this a try, but all things considered I'd have to say I prefer smoked herring in the kipper snacks style, which also has the benefit of being comparatively quite inexpensive. Oh, well.

Some Random Thoughts on Marketing

You've probably noticed by now the use of eye-catching graphics by some smaller (and not so small) boutique canneries, two from Alaska come to mind.

I find puzzling the phenomenon of taking an already premium-priced product and making it even more costly by printing extensive graphics on the inside of the carton.

In this particular case, the ingredients, already noted three times on the outside, are repeated on four panels inside. Two company logos are printed on bottom flaps that will never be seen unless the carton is completely disassembled, something most people doubtfully ever do. That the fish are packed by hand is noted no less than ten times on both outer and inner panels.

I guess, once you've decided to print on both sides of something, the only added cost is the ink.

Brand: Wildfish Cannery
Description: Smoked Herring
Species: Alaska Herring
Country of Origin: USA
Source: FAO67, Northeast Pacific
Skin/Bones: Yes/Yes
Net Wt: 3.5 oz.
Price Range: $8

Fishwife Smoked Trout with Red Chimichurri

DeenLeave a comment

Another tin I picked up from that new local gourmet shop, this Fishwife Smoked Trout with Red Chimichurri sounded quite appetizing. It's a selection not stocked by either of the other two places I've purchased Fishwife products before. A little spendy at $13, but not out of the ballpark for Fishwife tins that incorporate some kind of additional premium preparation like their Sichuan chili crisp smoked salmon.

Initial impression upon opening the can: 5/5.

The aroma hits you immediately. Smoke, vinegar, oregano, cumin. It's almost like the lid just opened on a loaded barbecue pit. The chimichurri looks kind of sparse, though. A sip of the oil (olive) is also smoky and seasoned.

The single filet is firm enough to lift out of the tin intact. Underneath, there is a copious amount of the chimichurri, and I poured all of it over the trout and rice.

An added plus was that there was enough of the sauce to coat the fish as well as season the majority of the rice.

Picking off bites of fish, I note it is firm but tender enough. The smoking process has flavored it but not made it tough. I didn't check to see if there was skin on the bottom of it, but didn't notice any as I ate.

The seasoning includes grilled red pepper, vinegar, parsley, garlic, oregano, paprika, cumin, chili and salt. The pepper and herbs have been reduced to a coarse grind, and everything is well-integrated.

Main Takeaways

Complex aroma and flavor
Tender, meaty trout
Everything well-balanced

About the only thing that could make this tin any better would be a lower price.

Attractively priced in lots of three at Amazon, though. I just ordered three if that tells you anything. Or use the link and code below and get some directly from Fishwife.

Brand: Fishwife
Description: Smoked trout with red chimichurri
Species: Trout
Country of Origin: Denmark
Source: FAO N/S Farm raised
Skin/Bones: No/No
Net Wt: 3.7 oz.
Price Range: $11-13

Use code WELCOME10 for 10% off sitewide.

Affiliate link, earns commissions

Ekone Habanero Hots Smoked Oysters

DeenLeave a comment

I always look at these Ekone Habanero Hots Smoked Oysters at Whole Foods and wonder how good they might be. But the $13 price tag for a 3 oz. can makes me pass them up. Last trip, I noticed they were tagged "last chance" and the price marked down to just over $8. Seemed like now or never.

Initial OOBE

Even before opening the can, I noticed it was a bit sticky on the outside. And I observed what appeared to be some organic material peeking out from under the top rim on the outside. The best by date on the bottom was unclear, and I thought it might say July 2024 (It is currently December 2025). My expectation, however, is that Whole Foods' inventory, even that of unpopular items, turns over fast enough to keep product from expiring on the shelf.

There was no staining of the inside of the carton, so whatever happened occurred long before packaging. The can was not swollen or dented, and the sound of vacuum breaking when the ring was lifted was reassuring. I wrote the stickiness and the other off to small cannery operational oversight, and pressed ahead.

Initial impression upon opening the can: 4.8/5.

Better quality smoked tinned seafood is usually packed with less liquid than the average mass market stuff. There was a bit more headroom here than I was expecting, the steep regular price considered. Some nice looking oysters, though. Much larger than the pedestrian supermarket variety. Far fewer, too. Ultimately, I counted three whole, large oysters and two either partial or smaller ones.

The aroma is smoky and sweet. A sip of the liquid is similar, but has a steady, low level of heat from the habanero. The sauce ingredients, mostly organic, include sunflower oil, tomatoes, habanero peppers, garlic, hot sauce, cane sugar, garlic powder, onion powder, citric acid (flavor enhancer) and natural smoke.

Extracting oysters from the can, I attempted to get as much as the sauce as I could on each. I found it quite flavorful and complex. If they could bottle it as a barbecue sauce, it might sell.

Main Takeaways

Large, meaty oysters, albeit few in number
Complex, flavorful sauce with smoky, moderate heat
QC needs to pay closer attention

Update: I went back to Whole Foods for something else, but took the opportunity to inspect the remaining few cans on the shelf. Most of the "best by" dates on the lids were distorted by the ridges in them, but it appears to be 2029, not 2024. Those cans were a bit sticky as well.

Brand: Ekone Oyster Co.
Description: Smoked Oysters with habanero hot sauce
Species: Pacific oysters
Country of Origin: USA
Source: Farm raised
Skin/Bones: N/A
Net Wt: 3.0 oz.
Price Range: $12-13

Matiz Lightly Smoked Sardines in Spanish Olive Oil

DeenLeave a comment

These Matiz Lightly Smoked Sardines in Spanish Olive Oil came from World Market about three months ago. To be honest, I kind of lost track of them in my tinned fish stash. It's starting to get out of hand. Some recently reviewed plain sardines made me want to continue on that path for a while, even though I'll probably find some spiced ones and try them next. Let's see how these were.

Initial impression upon opening the can: 4.8/5.

Nice looking fish, photogenically packed silver belly side up. The aroma from the just-opened can is neutral, not really imparting any smokiness. A sip of the oil is also neutral, but I think I detect a subtle note of spice that shouldn't be there. There look to be five husky pilchards.

A taste of the fish is promising, though. The meat has a soft, melt-in-your-mouth texture. No scales to speak of, nor fins. A couple of partial tails, though.

Let's Eat

Extracting them from the can to put out over rice, they are firm enough not to fall apart. There is also the five fish, a welcome portion. About a half inch of oil is left in the can and I pour half of it over everything.

Working my way through the first couple, I find the meat consistently tender and moist. The fish flavor is mild, but I thought it could have used a touch more salt.

Still not getting any smoke, though. The ingredients list only "smoked aroma", which tells me there is room for inconsistency can-to-can. I find it to be the case, more often than not, that the promise of "lightly smoked" is rarely fulfilled, especially when natural smoke is not involved.

A Moment of Weakness

OK, I admit I'm a flavor junkie. These were some really nice plain sardines, lack of smoke and dearth of salt aside. But after confirming my assessment of them unadorned, I just couldn't resist adding a little kick.

I topped the remaining few fish with a dash of Trader Joe's Crunchy Chili Onion. It's very onion/garlic forward, not too salty. It has a steady heat that borders on excessive, but stops just short of discomfort. Really good, and a bargain at under $5 a jar.

Main Takeaways

Tender, moist fish with mild, fresh flavor
Lacked smoke and salt
Generous portion of five pilchards

Brand: Connorsa / Matiz
Description: Lightly Smoked Sardines in Spanish olive oil
Species: Pilchards
Country of Origin: Spain
Source: FAO27, Northeast Atlantic
Skin/Bones: Yes/Yes
Net Wt: 4.2 oz.
Price Range: $5-6

Wild Planet Sardines in EVOO with Lemon, Part 2

DeenLeave a comment

A recent review of Natural Catch Sardines in Organic EVOO got me thinking about these Wild Planet Sardines in EVOO with Lemon again. The Natural Catch are sourced from Viet Nam, and are not true pilchards, but rather another species endemic to that part of the world. These Wild Planet are, as well, and are processed in Thailand. Let's see what I think this time.

Initial impression upon opening the can: 4.5/5.

The first time around, 7 months ago, I wasn't too impressed, overall. I really didn't get any sense of smoke, and very little lemon. This time, a sip of the oil revealed a subtle hint of smoke, so being labeled lightly smoked is apropos. Again, I'm moved to comment there should be a labeling requirement to say "with oil" when it's apparent the packing liquid is only partly oil. I note that water is included as an ingredient here, listed just after the EVOO.

The appearance and aroma are about the same as last time. They are scale-free as touted, but there are some pelvic fins still attached. The aroma is neutral, not smelling of fish or smoke. This time there are four fish as opposed to three, a plus in my book.

I put them out over rice, fished out the lemon and "artfully" arranged it over the fish.

As last time, the lemon has had most of its flavor cooked out by the canning process. But I am getting more of an impression of it from the fish this time.

The fish are meaty and reasonably tender. I don't find them dry at all. The salt level is a little on the low side, but adequate. I sprinkled a little furikake over the last fish, and its additional salt I deemed an improvement. It may have even enhanced the lemon flavor somewhat.

Part of my reason for wanting to revisit these was to reassess the Northwestern Pacific variety of sardine. To date, the only brand available to me has been the Wild Planet. Until I can obtain selections of another brand containing them in single quantities, these will have to be the basis for my judgement of the species.

Main Takeaways

Meaty, tender fish
A little saltier might have been better
More smoke flavor this time, but the lemon still needs improvement

If you prefer these Northwestern Pacific sardines, at the price, these are still a good value.

Brand: Wild Planet
Description: Sardines in Extra Virgin Olive Oil with Lemon
Species: Sardinops sagax or melanostictus
Country of Origin: Thailand
Source: FAO61, Northwest Pacific
Skin/Bones: Yes/Yes
Net Wt: 4.4 oz.
Price Range: $3

Wildfish Cannery Smoked Coho Salmon

DeenLeave a comment

I've been sitting on this can of Wildfish Cannery Smoked Coho Salmon for almost three months now. I like to mix things up, and it seemed like time to revisit salmon. It came with my second order from Caputo's, who stocks a nice selection of Wildfish Cannery at good prices. Let's try it.

Initial impression upon opening the can: 4.8/5.

C'mon, now. There's room for a little more salmon in there. It's a typical premium smoked salmon packing style. Filets are cut cross-wise into 1" wide strips, smoked, and then coiled up in a small round can.

The aroma is quite smoky, courtesy of natural alderwood smoke. A sip of the can liquid is similarly smoky. There's also a sweet molasses smell to it.

Seasonings include brown sugar, garlic, black pepper and salt. Quite a bit of salt. It's listed as 220 mg. per serving, and the can is two servings. I'd say it tastes like quite a bit more than 440 mg. A very salt-forward profile seems to be common with smoked salmon. And hey, get your own can.

Bland rice has a way of tempering the saltiness, so I was in luck. I poured everything including the can juices out over it.

The texture is firm, but the meat flakes without much effort. The skin, which usually adds a fatty element to the mouth feel wasn't doing all that much here.

Briefly, I had thoughts of what I might embellish this with, but decided to leave well enough alone. I found myself thinking maybe this is too smoky or too salty, but neither stopped me finishing the whole thing

If I were to add something, it would have to bring a sweeter element to help offset the overt smoke and salt. Maybe Fly By Jing Sweet + Spicy.

Main Takeaways

Good natural alderwood smoke
Tastes saltier than advertised
Good price point for premium smoked salmon

Brand: Wildfish Cannery
Description: Smoked Coho Salmon
Species: Alaskan Coho salmon
Country of Origin: USA
Source: FAO67, Northeast Pacific
Skin/Bones: Yes/No
Net Wt: 3.5 oz.
Price Range: $9