tomato sauce Archives

Mabuti Sardines in Pure Olive Oil and Tomato Sauce

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

Casablanca Sardines in Tomato Sauce

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These Casablanca Sardines in Tomato Sauce came from the same market as the Casablanca Spicy Sardines with Hot Peppers. I guess they were also $1.99 as, for some reason I recorded that I had purchased two tins of those instead of one of each. Then I apparently stashed these way, and forgot about them until just now.

Initial impression upon opening the can: 4.8/5.

More huge pilchards. Nicely packed, though, not roughed up at all. At least this time it wasn't one of those stiff, hard-to-open tins. Which also makes me wonder how many canneries Casablanca uses. Closer inspection shows these with a BB date of only six months away, odd for a product that had just been stocked by the market.

The aroma is fresh, and a taste of the tomato sauce reveals a brightness of flavor. The sauce is a basic one, being only water, tomato paste and sunflower oil.

Let's Eat

Lifting them out of the tin, they want to break in two. Stuffed under one of the two really large pilchards is one smallish one, also a bit "fall-apart-y".

I noted a few scales in the transfer to the bowl, but nothing major. After whisking it up a bit, I poured the sauce remaining in the can over everything.

The fish are incredibly tender, with melt-in-your-mouth level texture. Nice and moist as well, with a good sardine flavor.

Not really salty at all, only 210mg. sodium for the entire tin. But I didn't feel compelled to take any measures to address it.

I think the age on these has proven that vintage sardines are a valid concept. If kept at moderate ambient temperature, tins with a couple years on them can be a premium experience. Even better when the tin is only $2.

Main Takeaways

Tender, moist fish
Just okay tomato sauce
Bargain price

Brand: Spice N' More Corp. / Casablanca
Description: Sardines in tomato sauce
Species: Sardina pilchardus
Country of Origin: Morocco
Source: FAO34, Eastern Central Atlantic
Skin/Bones: Yes/Yes
Net Wt: 4.4 oz.
Price Range: $2

Pollastrini Sardines in Tomato Sauce

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These Pollastrini Sardines in Tomato Sauce came from International Loft. I've tried a couple of Pollastrini selections before, and this tin was one of a few unfamiliar ones from them that I ordered during a recent sale.

Before I even opened the tin, I was a bit confused. Pollastrini is an Italian brand, reportedly one of, if not the last remaining producers of Mediterranean sardines. What struck me as odd was the label applied by the US importer, which had a cannery code indicating product of Croatia. Also perplexing was the ingredient list on the applied label contradicted the ingredients underneath it on the tin itself. This gave me pause, as the tin listing includes olive oil, celery and spices whereas the label specified sunflower oil, potato starch and sugar.

Initial impression upon opening the can: 4.9/5.

The initial aroma is of tomato. The sauce looks homogenous, the oil not having separated as is often the case. A sip of it has a certain brightness to it. The fish themselves are mostly intact with little roughed up skin. The "bars" across them must be some artifact of the canning process.

The tin is 3.5 oz, a little light as compared to the average. But although shallower, it is also wider than normal, and in this case capable of accommodating six fish.

Time To Eat

The fish are firm, and come out of the can intact. There are a few scales, but no tails or fins. They are mostly uniform in size with one larger exception.

I poured most of the sauce remaining in the tin over everything. In a bit of a departure from normal, I'm using a brown and wild rice combo instead of my usual basmati. The sauce is nothing special, but at least does not have an overcooked taste.

Digging in, the meat is firm, with no dryness on the palate. They have a good, fresh flavor. Mediterranean sardines sometimes have a different mouthfeel from those harvested from other regions. I have seen elsewhere the texture of the fish in this same tin referred to as anchovy-like. Having recently tried the Patagonia Provisions Spicy White Anchovies, I can see where that impression comes from.

I found the salt level acceptable. Depending on whether you go by the tin or by the applied label, sodium is either a moderately high 620mg. or a moderately low 240mg. My impression is of the latter.

Main Takeaways

Fresh-tasting, meaty sardines
Smaller net weight than average, but six fish a plus
Tomato sauce just OK

Brand: Pollastrini
Description: Sardines in 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

Nuri Sardines in Tomato Sauce

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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