These sounded good, so I picked up a couple of cans. At only $2, the risk of disappointment was small. Fully described, they are Trader Joe's Wild Caught Boneless Grilled Sardines in Olive Oil. Whew...
Initial impression upon opening the can: Confused.
When I opened the can, I had to look at the lid to make sure I hadn't somehow bought mackerel. It smelled like sardines. And after tasting a bite, I still wasn't sure, The can says "Ingredients: sardine, olive oil, salt, natural flavor." and "Contains sardine." Yeah, but what species? It's not herring.
The can also says "Product of Tunisia", so I'm really at a loss to say what it is other than slices of a fish with some skin left on the back side and grill marks on the top. It wasn't really possible to determine if there were grill marks elsewhere than the top layer of fish, nor if they were real grill marks at all. I'll have to investigate further with the next can.
The fish does have the subtle taste I would associate with having seen some time on a back yard grill, but maybe less "char-grilled" and more "one that needs its grates cleaned". The "slightly smoky" on the lid is apt. The packing oil was neutral enough to not interfere. I think at $2 these warrant a re-buy, even if I don't know what fish this is. Sourced from Tunisia, I can only assume it's from the Mediterranean.
Follow up: A revisit of these 10 days later revealed a troubling inconsistency. The "spent some time on a well-used back yard charcoal grill" flavor was absent, as was any evidence of seasoning, even saltiness. What wasn't absent were bones, albeit very fine and soft ones, but bones nonetheless. These are cheap enough to perhaps overlook the incongruity. Caveat emptor.
Third and final assessment a week later: I think "spineless" is really what these are, as there are indeed some very fine rib bones that remain after processing. The back yard grill taste was there again, but I have to say, overall, I won't be revisiting these after I decide how to dispose of the two cans I have left. The $2 is better spent elsewhere.
Main Takeaways
- Mystery fish species
- Unappetizing grill flavor
- Inconsistent, can to can
Brand: Trader Joe's
Description: Wild Caught Boneless(?) Grilled Sardines in Olive Oil
Species: Unspecified
Country of Origin: Tunisia
Source: FAO37 Mediterranean Sea(?)
Skin/Bones: Yes/No(Maybe?)
Net Wt: 3.88 oz.
Price Range: $2