smoked Archives - Page 2 of 5

Ekone Habanero Hots Smoked Oysters

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 always 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

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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

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A recent review elsewhere 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

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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

Fishwife Smoked Rainbow Trout

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I've tried a few different tinned trout recently, some smoked, with mix results. I hoped this Fishwife Smoked Rainbow Trout would be the breakthrough I was looking for.

Initial impression upon opening the can: 4.5/5.

Examples of this product I've seen before had a more impressive look. Authentically smoked fish, particularly that with a darker flesh, usually exhibits a mahogany hue after smoking. (See Fishwife Slow Smoked Mackerel.) This one looks a little pale by comparison. The initial aroma is smoky, and I find it neither too subtle nor overpowering. A sip of the oil has a similar note.

The can is packed reasonably full. The pieces of fillet appear to be skinless. We'll have to wait until it's out of the can to see what's on the other side.

A nibble of fish is promising. The smoke flavor seems spot on, and so does the salt level. I'm having trouble not just eating it all right from the can.

Let's Do Lunch

I flipped the can contents out, liquid and all, over some hot rice. I was expecting to maybe see skin, but no. There are a lot of what look like grate marks, so apparently the skin had been removed before it was smoked. Or perhaps they're the result of some automated skin removal process.

As I worked my way through the bowl, the saltiness was becoming increasingly more noticeable, even though the package lists a reasonably low to moderate 180mg. The smoke, by contrast, continued to remain pleasant on the palate.

Don't get me wrong, the salt level wasn't terrible. But, if I were to put some kind of condiment on it, or use it in a dish, I'd have to make a conscious effort to minimize any additional salt. Otherwise, it would just blow away any flavor of the fish.

Final Thoughts

Not the prettiest can of smoked fish, but the flavor quality is there
Nice smoke level stays in its lane, lets the flavor of the fish show through
A little spendy, but smoked trout at half the price is usually less than half the quality

$10 at Amazon was the best price available among my usual sources.

Brand: Fishwife
Description: Smoked rainbow trout
Species: Rainbow trout
Country of Origin: Denmark
Source: FAO N/S Farm raised
Skin/Bones: No/No
Net Wt: 3.7 oz.
Price Range: $10-12

Use code WELCOME10 for 10% off sitewide.

Affiliate link, earns commissions

Cole’s Patagonian Smoked Salmon

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I grabbed this can of Cole's Patagonian Smoked Salmon in Extra Virgin Olive Oil during a trip to Walmart a couple of months ago, and am just now getting around to trying it. It was a little spendier than even their smoked rainbow trout, so I hoped I wouldn't be disappointed.

Initial impression upon opening the can: Disappointing.

I didn't know quite what to expect, but had hoped it would look better than this. The appearance is of an amorphous, pink hunk of something that might be fish. A sip of the oil provides a hint of smokiness. Again, as with their smoked trout, it promises "an aromatic Applewood blend". I wasn't getting it.

I broke off a small bit to give an initial taste. It had a hint of smoke, a mild taste and a soft texture. I thought it needed a bit more salt. Blindfolded, I'm not sure I could have told you what kind of fish it was. Don't get me wrong, at this price point I don't expect Wildfish Cannery or Fishwife levels of smoked salmon, but maybe something a little closer in taste and appearance to a fresh salmon fillet.

Diving In

Plopped out over rice, it barely broke apart. The milky white stuff is apparently fat that had exuded out into the bottom of the can. I'm used to this from cooking fresh salmon.

Soldiering on, it didn't improve much, so it was time to make the best of it and experiment.

I had just obtained a jar of S&B Crunchy Garlic in Chili Oil, the spicy version, as part of my deep dive into comparing chili crisp toppings.

I tried to be fair to the fish and not overpower it with this new, higher octane condiment. To that end, I applied it only very sparingly. It did make a minor improvement, I think more from the added salt and umami, which the fish by itself was lacking.

Anyway, another one taken for the team. I wish it had been better news.

Main Takeaways

Visually unappealing
Promised premium-quality smoke flavor undelivered
Lacked salt

Brand: Cole's Seafood
Description: Patagonian Smoked Salmon in EVOO
Species: Farm-raised salmon
Country of Origin: Chile
Source: FAO N/A
Skin/Bones: No/No
Net Wt: 3.2 oz.
Price Range: $5-6

Wildfish Cannery Smoked Sockeye Salmon

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This Wildfish Cannery Smoked Sockeye Salmon was included in a recent haul from Caputo's. I had a temporary tinned fish budget increase, and decided to splurge and get a few of the spendier items.

Initial impression upon opening the can: 5/5.

The smoky aroma hits you immediately, even before you get the lid completely off. Inside, two fillets are curled up, nestled in snuggly. The color is really remarkable. A sip of the can juice (oil is not listed as an ingredient) is a smoky preview of coming attractions. A nibble of the fish is smoky, salty, savory and mildly sweet. The texture is al dente, as expected with genuinely smoked salmon.

I thought I might be able to pry the fillets out whole from the can, but to no avail. The meat was flaky enough to make them fall apart.

Digging In

I got everything out over some hot rice, and poured the remaining can juices over it all.

The bites with skin added an extra dimension to the texture, softening it somewhat. The smoke, while prominent, didn't overpower or fatigue the palate.

The salt level was up front in the flavor profile. I thought the carton listing it at 330mg. seemed low, until I noted the can is considered two servings. Still, it was not off-putting.

I again found myself dividing the meat into successively smaller pieces, in order to prolong the gustatory experience. Authentically-smoked and well-seasoned salmon can have that effect.

I couldn't resist experimenting, and topped the last couple of bites with some Fly By Jing Original Chili Crisp. In retrospect, I'm glad I didn't put it on the whole thing. There wasn't enough sweetness to mitigate the heat, so it was a bit overpowering.

Main Takeaways

A superior example of tinned smoked salmon.
A premium selection from Wildfish Cannery, although not their most expensive.
While very good, their Smoked Coho Salmon and Habanero Smoked Coho are both very similarly satisfying selections, and can be had for about 20% to 25% less.

Brand: Wildfish Cannery
Description: Smoked Sockeye Salmon
Species: Alaskan Sockeye salmon
Country of Origin: USA
Source: FAO67, Northeast Pacific
Skin/Bones: Yes/No
Net Wt: 3.5 oz.
Price Range: $12