tomato sauce Archives

Nuri Sardines in Tomato Sauce

These Nuri Sardines in Tomato Sauce came from International Loft, who imports them directly from Portugal. I've had several Nuri selections so far, and to date, most have not disappointed. Let's see how these are.

Initial impression upon opening the can: 4.9/5.

Bigger fish than I would prefer, but that's the nature of the game. Some rough skin and a few scales in evidence. The sauce looks moderately thick, and the oil hasn't separated much. Its color is reasonably bright. The aroma is mainly of the fish, with little if any in the way of tomato.

A sip of the sauce is encouraging. It doesn't have an overcooked taste. I can see bits of crushed tomato, also a plus.

Here We Go

There are four big fish total. I initially thought it might only be three, but this is one of those deeper tins. They extract from the can reasonably intact. There are a few scales left floating in the sauce, which I fish out and set aside before pouring everything over the fish and rice.

The first bite is very encouraging. The fish is melt-in-your-mouth tender. No dryness whatsoever. The sauce has a good flavor. Sodium is listed at 500mg, but they taste nowhere near that salty.

Checking the wrapper, I see that, rather than just the typical tomato, oil and salt, the sauce here also contains clove and laurel. They must be in powder form, as I see no solid bits of either.

Main Takeaways

Big, meaty pilchards
Incredibly tender and moist
Flavorful sauce

I was expecting typical Nuri quality, but these exceeded expectations. I usually like my pilchards smaller, but in this case, I should have bought more. Definite re-buy.

Brand: Pinhais/Nuri
Description: Sardines in tomato sauce
Species: Sardina pilchardus
Country of Origin: Portugal
Source: FAO27, Northeast Atlantic
Skin/Bones: Yes/Yes
Net Wt: 4.4 oz.
Price Range: $6

Minerva Sardines in Tomato Sauce

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These Minerva Sardines in Tomato Sauce were part of a recent order from International Loft. Ever since I decided to reconsider my longtime avoidance of sardines in tomato sauce, I've been on a mission to find those I think are best. Let's see if these are the ones.

Initial impression upon opening the can: 4.8/5.

Looks like three big pilchards. I would have preferred smaller, like a 5 to 6 count. The tomato sauce looks relatively homogenous, and has a bright tomato-ey color. The aroma is similar, vegetal. A sip of it has a reasonably fresh tomato flavor, and I note the only ingredients are water, tomato, olive oil and salt.

Let's Eat

Minerva Sardines in Tomato Sauce over rice

They pulled from the tin fairly easily, giving only the slightest hint that they wanted to fall apart. As noted there are three, plus some extra pieces parts for some unknown reason.

The sauce remaining in the can was relatively unbroken, so I poured the majority directly over the fish and rice. It's reasonably thick, and clings well to the fish.

The fish are tender enough, and not at all what I would consider dry. No tails, no scales, no fins. All good. Meaty Portugese pilchards.

Sodium is listed as 600mg., a little above average, but they don't taste that salty.

75% of the way through, I was finding the sauce a little bland and boring, so I tried a few drops of Texas Pete Hot Sauce on the rest. It made an improvement.

Main Takeaways

Tender, meaty fish
Not dry
Tomato sauce a little bland

All in all, I'm not disappointed in having tried these. They're not the holy grail of sardines in tomato sauce by any means, but they weren't bad at all. I just wish they'd been smaller fish. Can't have everything, I suppose.

Brand: A Poveira/MInerva
Description: Sardines in tomato sauce
Species: Pilchards
Country of Origin: Portugal
Source: FAO27, Northeast Atlantic
Skin/Bones: Yes/Yes
Net Wt: 4.25 oz.
Price Range: $6

Conchita Sardines in Tomato Sauce

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A heretofore unknown brand to me, I got these Conchita Sardines in Tomato Sauce at my local supermarket, where they appeared as a new item. Sourced from Spain, I was confident they would be pilchards, so the main question was, how would the tomato sauce stand up? Let's find out.

Initial impression upon opening the can: 4.8/5.

The carton is bilingual. If you flip it over, everything's in Spanish. I note they've opted to avoid the Prop 65 issue altogether by not being for sale in California. The tin is one of those stiff, hard-to-open types, but I remove the lid without incident.

Not bad looking at all. A couple still have tails, and I see some pelvic fins. But the skin looks silvery and bright. A sip of the red-tinged oil is a bit bland and vegetal. The aroma is of tomato and it overrides any scent of fish.

Digging In

I got ahead of myself and took a bite of fish before taking the photo. What initially looked like three fish turned out to be four. The skin has an irridescent shine through the tomato sauce clinging to it. I see no scales, but would eventually find one or two.

From prior experience, I used a fork to whisk the remaining separated oil and tomato component back together before pouring it all over the fish. There are some small bits of tomato in it, which is encouraging. The ingredients list onion and spices in addition to tomato and salt. The sauce being warmed by the hot rice has bloomed those flavors a bit. It doesn't seem too salty, even with the sodium clocking in at 472mg.

I find the meat reasonably tender and moist enough. But the sauce was still uninspiring, so I added a few drops of Valentina to spice up the last fish. As I've noted previously, I think a lot of vendors are missing the boat by not marketing a spicy tomato version.

Main Takeaways

Meaty and moist pilchards
Bland tomato sauce
Decent value

For $3.29, I didn't come away too disappointed. These were worth the try and the price, IMO.

Brand: Conchita Foods
Description: Sardines in tomato sauce
Species: Pilchards
Country of Origin: Spain
Source: FAO27, Northeast Atlantic
Skin/Bones: Yes/Yes
Net Wt: 4 oz.
Price Range: $3

Sunlee Sardines in Tomato Sauce

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These Sunlee Sardines in Tomato Sauce came from one of a handful of Asian markets I've been patronizing recently, in search of both tinned fish and chili crisps. They appear to be among a trio of brands commonly sold in Asian markets, at least the ones around here, that includes Sumaco and Marock. These Sunlee differ in that they are sourced from Thailand, and are a Western Pacific variety of sardine, Sardinops sagax. Of the three, these were the cheapest at $1.39.

Initial impression upon opening the can: 4.6/5.

It looks like there's some room for another fish in there. I see no scales nor tails, but that's common with these Western Pacific sardines. There's not much in the way of aroma. The sauce has a pallid caste to it, and a very homogenous texture. No oil has separated. A sip of it is unsurprisingly bland.

Here We Go

Digging them out, they are tender enough to start to break when lifted with a fork. I'm surprised to find there are actually five fish in there. This type is more slender than a pilchard, so they're apparently easier to fit in this deeper tin. I still think one more could have squeezed in.

There was quite a bit of sauce left in the tin, and I poured about half over the fish and rice. It's thin and watery.

The meat yields easily to the fork, and is moist and tender. I can't say if the strange flavor note I'm getting is from the fish or the sauce. Probably the latter. The salt level is a moderate 340mg. sodium, and isn't adding anything to the mix.

A look at the ingredients reveals no oil used in the packing sauce. "Thickening agents" including modified tapioca starch and sodium carboxymethylcellulose are responsible for any body it might have. Tomato paste, sugar, salt and paprika as a coloring agent provide the main flavor and appearance. All in all, just kind of blah.

I finished three fish before hauling out some Mishima Chef Troy's Recipe Crunchy Garlic Chili Sauce. It, like this fish, is also from Thailand, so I hoped for some type of synergy. At the least, it perked up some otherwise blandly seasoned sardines.

Main Takeaways

No scales or tails
Tender, moist fish
Uninspired tomato sauce

I tend to think these inexpensive sardines in tomato sauce could easily up their game and their sales numbers by simply packing in a spicy tomato sauce instead, as other more premium brands have done successfully. If it added another ten cents to the cost, I don't think anyone would care.

Brand: Thai Lee Foods / Sunlee
Description: Sardines in tomato sauce
Species: Sardinops sagax
Country of Origin: Thailand
Source: FAO71, Western Central Pacific
Skin/Bones: Yes/Yes
Net Wt: 4.4 oz.
Price Range: <$2

Marock Sardines in Tomato Sauce

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These Marock Sardines in Tomato Sauce were purchased at the same time and place as the Sumaco that I found quite disappointing. These were ten cents cheaper, but I'm holding out hope that these will be better. Let's see if they are.

The package color scheme and graphics are eerily similar to the Sumaco. Despite that, there is no outward indication of commonality of sourcing.

Initial impression upon opening the can: 4.8/5.

There is only a little tomato aroma. A taste of the sauce is expectedly bland. The ingredients list only fish, tomato sauce, salt. What oil the sauce is based upon is not specified.

The initial appearance is also similar to the Sumaco. Probing with a fork, I don't find anything near to the Sumaco in the way of scales, even though it looks like it. The can's best by date is 12.31.28, just 22 months away, so I'm thinking that what I'm seeing is skin breaking down in a can that's probably been lingering in a warehouse or stock room for quite some time. Maybe the tomato sauce has exacerbated that.

Diving In

Pulling them from the tin, the fish are tender enough to want to break apart somewhat. There are five fish total.

The sauce remaining in the can has bits of grey floating around in it, which I've already identified as skin, not scales. Still, I use a spoon to avoid pouring that part over the fish and rice. The color of it is kind of deep, like it might have additional seasoning in it, but it does not.

From the initial bite, I get a perception of an earthiness I can't explain. It waned as I continued. The fish are moist enough, with a tender texture I attribute to the extra time spent in the tin.

They're not that salty, but I didn't find myself wishing they were any saltier. Sodium is listed at 400mg.

Main Takeaways

Most, tender fish
Vintage quality, if only by happenstance
Disintegrating skin, but at least no scales

All in all, these beat the Sumaco, maybe not hands-down, but enough to warrant a second can.

Brand: AH USA Group / An Hing / Marock
Description: Sardines in tomato sauce
Species: Sardina pilchardus
Country of Origin: Morocco
Source: FAO34, Eastern Central Atlantic
Skin/Bones: Yes/Yes
Net Wt: 4.37 oz.
Price Range: <$2

Sumaco Sardines in Tomato Sauce

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I got these Sumaco Sardines in Tomato Sauce on a trip to a large Asian market across town. I was actually looking for some different chili crisps to try, but found some unfamiliar sardines instead. The back of the tin calls these "Sumaco Super Sardines in Tomato Sauce". They're Moroccan, so I figured, even at only $1.79, they couldn't be all that bad.

Initial impression upon opening the can: 4.8/5.

There's a hint of tomato aroma. The sauce appears thick and the oil hasn't separated. I see some scales and maybe some fins, but can't say for sure, as the sauce obscures a lot.

A taste of the sauce is bland, a little sweet, but apparently only from the tomato paste in the sauce. There are no other seasonings listed besides salt. The sauce is made with soybean oil.

Let's See What We've Got Here

Pulling them from the can, the fish are tender enough to want to break in two. I'm seeing more scales than I'd like. There are four fish total, one a little larger than the others.

There was about two tablespoons of sauce left in the tin, and I poured most of it over everything, trying to leave the scales floating in it behind.

The meat is tender enough, giving easily to the fork. They could have used a little more salt, even though the tin listed a reasonably moderate 480mg. of sodium.

The scales, however, are a persistent problem, numerous enough to peel off in swatches of multiple scales. Patches of them were sticking to the roof of my mouth. By the time I finished, I had a line of scales perched along the rim of the bowl. I had expected better from them simply by being Moroccan sardines, but I guess not at a $1.79 price point. I'm now regretting having bought a second can only because of how cheap they were.

At least I found a new chili oil to try.

Main Takeaways

Tender enough, but the amount of scales is a deal breaker
Bland tomato sauce
Needed some salt or other seasoning to liven things up

Further Investigation

I thought it was odd that there was an add-on label with nutritional information on a can already printed entirely in English. That's usually only seen in cases where the package is in some other language. I couldn't find a best by date, not even under the label, but verbiage on the can says, "To be consumed preferably before the date on the tin." As you can see, all that was under the label was a logo for "L.A. Lucky Brand", but nothing about them. The only real info was about the Moroccan source, "Packed by Conserval UE 3147".

Edit: I did manage to figure out that some numbers separated by colons weren't a timestamp, but rather the best by date, "31:12:28".

Brand: Sumaco / L.A. Lucky / Conserval UE
Description: Sardines in tomato sauce
Species: Sardina pilchardus
Country of Origin: Morocco
Source: FAO34, Eastern Central Atlantic
Skin/Bones: Yes/Yes
Net Wt: 4.37 oz.
Price Range: <$2

Sea Tales Sardines in Spicy Tomato Sauce

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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