spicy Archives - Sardeenz!

Casablanca Spicy Sardines with Hot Peppers

These Casablanca Spicy Sardines with Hot Peppers came from a local Middle-Eastern market. I've learned to check there regularly, as I've found several selections I haven't seen elsewhere, and they seem to get new things frequently. Moroccan sardines at $2 a tin felt like a challenge worth taking.

Initial impression upon opening the can: 4.5/5.

It's one of those stiff, scary-to-open cans with the squiggly ridges on the lid. Fortunately, I get it open without incident. It's just two huge pilchards, which I've come to expect from inexpensively-priced Moroccan sardines. Skin is a little roughed up. The oil is tinged red from peppers, I assume, but I don't see any yet. The aroma is a little fishier than I'd like. A sip of the oil, listed as sunflower, has a heat that doesn't hit until the back of the throat. I see some bones sticking out from the tail end of the loins. No scales or fins, though.

Let's Eat

Heaving them out over rice, I find two bright red peppers underneath. There's a few tablespoons of the oil left in the tin, and I poured most over the fish and rice.

I think what I like least about getting overgrown pilchards is the sense that I'm butchering a side of beef rather than enjoying some little fishes. Nonetheless, the meat is tender and moist, not mushy, and reasonably melt-in-your-mouth in texture.

The fish flavor, like the aroma, is a bit stronger, but not off-putting. The pepper flavor is low but steady, no real complaint there. They don't seem all that salty, and the carton confirms a low 200mg. sodium. I didn't feel compelled, however, to add anything salty to make up for it.

Main Takeaways

Why couldn't they be smaller
Tender, meaty fish regardless
Maybe could have used some salt

Brand: Spice N' More Corp. / Casablanca
Description: Spicy sardines in olive oil
Species: Sardina pilchardus
Country of Origin: Morocco
Source: FAO34, Eastern Central Atlantic
Skin/Bones: Yes/Yes
Net Wt: 4.375 oz.
Price Range: $2

Pollastrini Spicy Sardines Revisited

DeenLeave a comment

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

Tomé Sardines in Spicy Olive Oil with Chilli

DeenLeave a comment

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

Patagonia Provisions Spicy White Anchovies

DeenLeave a comment

These Patagonia Provisions Spicy White Anchovies came from Whole Foods, where they are a new item. Several visits were required to obtain them as the initial stock coincided with a sale, they sold out quickly, and then restocking took forever. I finally found them back in stock, but sadly, after the sale. Still, they were less expensive than the average online price. Let's try them.

I'm amazed by comments online that state, "they're not very salty", or "they're not white". These are not the anchovies you put on your pizza (although you could), nor in your Caesar salad dressing.

Initial impression upon opening the can: 5/5.

Firm and meaty looking fish. The oil (organic EVOO) is tinged red from organic Spanish paprika and cayenne. The aroma is a tangy, from the apple cider vinegar. There is no real aroma of fish, or it's masked by the spices.

Let's Eat

Pulling them from the tin, they are quite firm. A more slender fish than sardines, and I see no fins or tails. Not really any scales, either. There are six fish total.

The remaining liquid in the tin has bits of diced red bell pepper, and I poured everything over the fish and rice.

Digging in, they slightly resist being divided into bite-size pieces with a fork. The flavor of the fish is fresh. The texture is a tad dry, but not a deal breaker.

The seasonings were well-balanced and the salt level unobtrusive, even though it's listed as a moderately high 840mg. The back of the carton states, "The Heat Is On", but there's not really any heat here, the cayenne being last on the ingredient list. "Spicy" sardines are usually seasoned with piri-piri peppers. The seasoning here is more akin to an escabeche style pickled sauce.

White anchovies make for an interesting alternative to sardines. I'd certainly have no problem getting these again, especially if they're on sale.

Main Takeaways

Fresh, meaty fish
Well-balanced seasoning
Not too salty

Brand: Patagonia Provisions
Description: Spicy White Anchovies in EVOO
Species: Engraulis encrasicolus
Country of Origin: Spain
Source: FAO27, Northeast Atlantic
Skin/Bones: Yes/Yes
Net Wt: 4.2 oz.
Price Range: $7

Sea Tales Sardines in Spicy Tomato Sauce

DeenLeave a comment

These Sea Tales Sardines in Spicy Tomato Sauce were on sale at Whole Foods. I had to go twice, as they often don't have sale items stocked ahead of time in support of the ad. My recent interest in sardines in tomato sauce, in addition to the fact these are also spicy, made me eager to try them. Let's see how they were.

Initial impression upon opening the can: 4.9/5.

Some nice-looking pilchards. It appears to be a five count. There are the pepper and pickle right on top. So far, so good. The aroma is vegetal, tomato-y. A sip of the red-tinged olive oil is similar, with a moderate hit of heat at the back of the throat. I see no fins or scales.

Time To Eat

I was ready this time. I knew from previous tins packed in tomato sauce that there is a tendency for the oil to separate. After I placed the fish and spicy bits over rice, I used a plastic fork to whisk the remaining liquid in the tin back together before pouring it over everything.

The fish are meaty and tender, with no impression of dryness. The tomato sauce as reconstituted is milder than anticipated. There is a sweetness to it, plus a little tang from cider vinegar. There is still enough flavor to it that I wouldn't characterize it as over-cooked.

I tasted the pickle (a real pickle), and the pepper, which still had some heat to it. There was also a fragment of bay leaf, but it didn't stand out in the flavor profile. I didn't find things overly salty, the sodium was a relatively low 290mg.

All in all, I liked these and am glad I bought two cans. I'll get them again, hopefully on sale. Regularly $5.49, the sale and Amazon Prime member benefit brought them down to $4.25.

Main Takeaways

Tender, meaty pilchards
Well-balanced seasonings
Could have been a little spicier

Brand: Sea Tales
Description: Sardines in spicy tomato sauce
Species: Sardina pilchardus
Country of Origin: Portugal
Source: FAO27, Northeast Atlantic
Skin/Bones: Yes/Yes
Net Wt: 4.2 oz.
Price Range: $5-6

Espinaler Sardines in Spicy Vegetable Oil 3/5

DeenLeave a comment

These Espinaler Sardines in Spicy Vegetable Oil 3/5 came with a Caputo's order from a few weeks ago. I'd had their baby sardines in spicy olive oil and their regular 3/5 sardines in olive oil, and found them both OK. I may have just added these to make the order a little bigger. They ship tinned fish orders for free, and I always like to get at least 6 or more cans at a time, out of a sense of fairness to the vendor.

Initial impression upon opening the can: 4.9/5.

The 3/5 means you should expect 3 to 5 fish. Here we have four. It's a deep can, so they're a large four. Nicely packed silver belly side-up, but I can see a few things I would rather had been cleaned out better during processing. There are no scales evident, but there are a couple tails. There are also a few bits of what looks like grass. The Espinaler in the blue cartons are their "classic" line, so they're not expensive as imported Spanish sardines go, but my previous experience with them has been of cleaner-looking fish.

The aroma doesn't reveal much. A sip of the mostly clear (sunflower) oil is neutral. I thought for a moment I detected a modicum of heat, but a second sip was confirmedly bland. The applied US label covering the back panel of the carton lists "sweet chili flavour", which I thought was odd for a tin labeled "picantes" (hot).

Let's Eat

Heaving them out over rice, they remained largely intact. I removed and set aside some things from the cavities that were visually unappealing. Don't get me wrong, I live in a part of the country with abundant, fresh seafood, and I eat some things folks from elsewhere probably wouldn't touch. It's not that I thought whatever these parts were was harmful, I just chose not to let them get in the way of my enjoyment, if you get my meaning.

Anyway, the fish are tender and moist. I wouldn't call them juicy, and honestly, I don't think I've ever had a sardine I'd characterize as juicy that wasn't really just mushy. These do have a good sardine flavor, though.

They're a bit on the salty side, even though the carton lists only 390mg. sodium. It's not a deal breaker.

The problem here is that there's no heat or spice. There's no physical pepper in the can, so I don't know if they just forgot to squirt whatever "flavour" makes them "picantes" into the can or what.

Main Takeaways

Tender, moist fish, but some visually unappealing bits I could have done without
A little salty
Where's the heat?

I've liked the other Espinaler tins I've had so far, so it's a bit disappointing this one didn't deliver as promised.

Brand: Espinaler
Description: Sardines in spicy vegetable oil
Species: Sardina pilchardus
Country of Origin: Spain
Source: FAO27, Northeast Atlantic
Skin/Bones: Yes/Yes
Net Wt: 4.05 oz.
Price Range: $5

Pollastrini Spicy Sardines in Olive Oil

DeenLeave a comment

It's unusual that the opportunity arises to compare two closely-related cans back-to-back such as these Pollastrini Spicy Sardines in Olive Oil 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

Update: And I did try these again. See what I thought in Pollastrini Spicy Sardines Revisited.

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