The Great Sardine Taste-off best canned sardines Next 7
After trying 30 types of canned sardines here are my thoughts:
- Sardines caught near Portugal or Spain are the best with a meaty tuna flavor
- Italian grocery stores carry the best brands of Portuguese sardines (in my area anyway)
- Olive oil is the best medium for sardines
- Really skip those flavored with tomato sauce or mustard
- Read that ingredient list there is no reason for anything but fish, oil/water or salt
Here are the next 7 canned sardines, in order of preference:
Rankings
1. Matiz Gallego sardines in olive oil - Spain - $2. 99
2. Idamar Portuguese Sardines in olive oil - Portugal - $2. 25
3. Gonsalves Sardines in olive oil Portugal - $1.99
4. Da Morgada Sardines in Pure Olive Oil - Portugal - $3. 99
5. BELA-Olhão lightly smoked sardines in cayenne pepper-flavored extra virgin olive oil. - Portugal - $1. 75
6. Crown Prince One Layer Sardines in soy bean oil no Salt - Scotland - $1. 85
7. Brand: BUMBLE BEE Sardines in Water Poland - $.89
The top four sardines were almost equally delicious. Appearance or price was the deciding factor. If a $4 and a $2 can tastes similar, the less expensive option was ranked higher.
After thirty cans of sardines, Angelo Parodi Sardine Portoghesi allolio di olivo, still is the clear winner. My can of French sardine is in the mail.
Full ranking and link to previous post at end.
THE DETAILS
Size my casual grading:
Large = length of can
Small = ½ length of can or smaller
Medium = anything in between
Brand: BELA-Olhão lightly smoked sardines in cayenne pepper-flavored extra virgin olive oil.
Calories per can: 260
Ingredients: Sardines, extra virgin olive oil, cayenne pepper-flavor, salt, natural smoke flavor
Taste: Nice meaty texture and held their shape nicely. Did not have the more assertive tuna flavor of other Portuguese sardines but were less fishy. Caynenne was barely noticeable, a little after tingle. Flavor is in the oil. Not like some spicy sardines where the spice takes over. You taste the sardine first, then the oil. Neutral olive oil. While these were good, they didnt have the flavor punch of some of the other sardines or an olive oil that had any special deliciousness. I wouldnt go out of my way to seek these out.
Brand: BUMBLE BEE Sardines in Water Poland - $.89
Calories per can: 120
Ingredients: SARDINES, WATER, SALT
Country of origin: Poland
Taste: 5 large uniform size sardines that held their shape with not too much spine. They were a mild sardine with a touch of bitterness. Would not buy again.
Brand: Crown Prince One Layer Sardines in soy bean oil no Salt
Calories per can: 230
Ingredients: Brisling sardines, soy bean oil
Taste: Eight medium sardines that looked really nice in the can very silvery skin with few nicks. Fell apart easily. Very nice delicate texture. Classic sardine taste (not the tuna taste of Portuguese sardines). Lovely smoke flavor that was prominent but not overwhelming. A little bit of bitterness. Naturally wood-smoked. Probably wouldnt seek them out, but might try other Crown Prince varieties.
Brand: Da Morgada Sardines in Pure Olive Oil
Calories per can: some sort of European measurement I couldnt figure out.
Ingredients: Sardines, olive oil, salt
Taste: four large sardines, skin intact. Saltier than most. Excellent tuna flavor without being too fishy. Nice mild olive oil. Fresh taste.
The website says these are Pilchardus Walbaum are collected from the waters just off the shore of Portugal. They are caught between May and November, when sardines are at their best. Only fresh fish is allowed. The process involves manual cleaning and very careful handling, followed by the traditional cooking in a grill oven before being canned
Might buy again. For the price they were not significantly better and I would have to make special trip to buy them. Do like the attention to quality.
Brand: Gonsalves Sardines in olive oil
Calories per can: 260
Ingredients: sardines, olive oil, salt
Taste: Three large sardines which held their shape nicely and had a tuna taste to them. Mild olive oil, A few points off for shabbiness of skin. Not overly spiny. Would buy again.
Brand: Idamar Portuguese Sardines in olive oil
Calories per can: 235
Ingredients: Sardines, olive oil, salt
Taste: Three fat sardines. Presented in can with the black backs, so it was alarming to see the dark fish in the can instead of the silvery skin that sardines have on the side and belly.
Tuna flavor, not as assertive as most. Good balance of oil and sardines. Nice rich olive oil. Would buy again.
Brand: Matiz Gallego sardines in olive oil
Calories per can: 228
Ingredients: Sardines, olive oil, salt
Taste: Three VERY plump sardines. Medium fish smell. Italian tuna taste.& mild olive oil. Nice balance. Would buy again
OVERALL RANKINGS
1. Angelo Parodi Sardine Portoghesi allolio di olivo Portugal/Italy - $1.99
2. Gallego sardines in olive oil - Spain - $2. 99
3. Idamar Portuguese Sardines in olive oil - Portugal - $2. 25
4. Gonsalves Sardines in olive oil Portugal - $1.99
5. Da Morgada Sardines in Pure Olive Oil - Portugal - $3. 99
6. Albo Sardines in Olive oil Spain - $4.99
7. King Oscar Sardines Mediterranean style Norway, packed in Poland - $2.99
8. Yankee Clipper lightly smoked sardines in soybean oil Morocco - $2.49
9. King Oscar Extra Small Sardines in fish oil 2 layers Norway - $2.99
10. Brand: BELA-Olhão lightly smoked sardines in cayenne pepper-flavored extra virgin olive oil. - Portugal - $1. 75
11. Beach Cliff Sardines in soybean oil USA / Canada - $.69
12. Brunswick Sardines in Spring Water No Salt Added Canada - $1.19
13. Madrigal spiced sardines in vegetable oil Morocco - $1.59
14. Brunswick Sardines in Olive Oil Canada - $1.19
15. King Oscar Extra Small Brisling Sardines in purest virgin olive oil Norway - $2.99
16. King Oscar tiny tots Sardines in olive oil two layers Norway - $2.99
17. Crown Prince One Layer Sardines in soy bean oil no Salt - Scotland - $1. 85
18. Palacio Real Small Sardines in Olive oil (slightly smoked) Spain - $2.99
19. King Oscar Sardines in pure spring water Norway - $2.99
20. BUMBLE BEE Sardines in Water Poland - $.89
21. Mega Sardines in tomato sauce with chili The Philippines - $.79
22. Brunswick Sardines in Mustard Sauce Canada - $1.19
23. Bumble Bee Sardines in Mustard Poland - $.89
24. Yankee Clipper lightly smoked sardines in tomato sauce Morocco - $2.49
25. Yankee Clipper lightly smoked sardines in mustard sauce Morocco - $2.49
26. King Oscar Sardines in tomato Norway - $2.99
27. Brunswick Sardines in Mustard and Dill Sauce Canada - $1.19
28. King Oscar Skinless & boneless Sardines in olive oil Morocco - $2.99
29. Gourmet Award lightly smoked sardines in tomato sauce Morocco - $1.89
30. Brunswick Sardines in tomato & basil Sauce Canada - $1.19
THE NEW BRANDS SAMPLED
Brand: BELA-Olhão
Manufacturer: Blue Galleon, Inc.
http://www.mybela.com/
Brand: Crown Prince
Manufacturer: Crown Prince, Inc
http://www.crownprince.com/index.html
Brand: Da Morgada
Manufacturer: Tradifoods
www.tradifoods.pt
Brand: Gonsalves
Manufacturer: The Henry Gonsalves Co
Brand: Idamar
Manufacturer: Idama
Brand: Matiz Gallego
Manufacturer: Matiz Gallego
http://www.psimports.net/
http://www.matizespana.com/
rworange
Mar 22, 2006 12:16AM
This and previous post---so welcome. My favorite is the mighty, meaty As Do Mar in the yellow box.
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Your brilliant piece impelled me to go downstairs and open a can of some sardines I'd bought from Trader Joe's and hadn't tried yet: the brand name is "Nuri" (in quotes like that), they're spiced Portuguese sardines in olive oil with piri-piri peppers, carrot, cucumber, laurel, clove, peppercorn and salt. Two great big meaty guys, nice firm texture, and WOWSIE! good. The spice flavors have a definite effect on the fish, but the overall result pleases me very much. I even ate up the vegetables (one tiny slice each of carrot and cucumber - NOT the pepper).
Imported by Food International Supply Corp. (FISCO) of Fremont, CA. Packed by Pinhais & Co. Lda., Matosinmos, Portugal. As I said, I got'em at TJ's some time ago and don't remember the price, but I'll definitely be going back for more!
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Wow, those sound great. My local TJ's just sells King Oscar. Maybe it is not in the sardine section. I'll keep my eyes open.
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Ahh, yes, THIS is the Chowhound post I've been waiting for...since I've been known to slide down a few cans (or a dozen fresh-charcoal-grilleds) now and again!
The reality is this: My personal collection of Sardine cans and labels and openers and paraphernalia and some ephemera goes back to the '70s - way before King Oscar was Bumbled by the Bee and the packing was done on-site at the shores of Norway (Stavanger, Bergen, etc.). Many great sardine memories.
Anyway, I'm looking forward to hearing more - and, in a much more recent (not seen since 2004) phenomenon, King Oscar had a standout product: NORWEGIAN SARDINES IN PESTO SAUCE.
Keep the a-fishy-anados informed!
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WHOA - Missed the boat at first but I just read your K.O. "Pesto" review on the "Original-23"...are you absolutely, positively sure about that?
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You know, I may have unjustly dumped on King Oscar sardines in pesto sauce. I had some brand in pesto sauce that was awful. I saw some King Oscar's when I wrote that first report and guessed that was the brand in pesto. However, I saw something like Bumblebee or that type of brand in pesto, so I'll have to revisit this. King Oscar has usually been reliably good.
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I'm not certain the pesto K.O.'s are being sold any longer...shame. Anyway, look closely at the various styles under the King Oscar brand...not all the brisling are packed in Poland.
To be sure, there's been a migration of the catch (for packing purposes) from the ports of Olhao, Matosinhos, Portimao and other Portuguese sardine centers of excellence over to the Moroccan coast.
Furthermore, brands that were formerly Norwegian and Danish product have shifted to Scotland.
The perfect example of a "lost sardine" is the fabled, beloved MOOSEABEC SARDINES, original lightly-spiced Norwegian in a moose-adorned red box - in its last days they were Port Clyde's fish from Maine and were a shadow of their former selves. I never fully understood this move or the ultimate brand demise.
You just can't DINE without a SAR-DINE.
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Outstanding job.
Now, do you have any pull with Fairway? Apart from their gourmet French sardines, which are wonderful and expensive, the rest of their range is at the bottom of your list.
Thanks!
- Sean
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I wish. They don't sell them in the SF Bay area. I had to order a fancy can through the mail from Fresno, Ca.
Once I went through the supermarket brands (bottom of the list), I started looking for them in ethic and fancy food stores. I'm looking at the Eastern European sardines with trepidation ... you just don't think Poland and sardines, although that's where Bumblebee is from ... one of the lower rated brands.
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Am I too late? Just got back from france today. Ducked into the discount hypermarche in Carcassonne to pick up some French sardines for you to try. The shelf space devoted to sardines was a wonder to behold---so stunning that I forgot to shop for foie gras. I didn't have time to look at every sardine brand and just scanned the shelves to find the most expensive ones and picked from those. One can is marked "preparation a l'ancienne" with an expiration date of 01/2011 and the other one is filets but I picked it because it's labelled with the fishing date, name of the boat and the expiration date is 23/08/2009. I suspect it may be infanticide to taste them so young.
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So cool ... it is never too late ... I suspect this will be some sort of lifetime pursuit ... there's always a new can on some grocery shelf.
I haven't got my can yet, but the only French sardine I could find locally was one brand from a place in Fresno. I'll know I've gone over the top in this little crawl when I buy a ticket to Paris for sardines ... with a stop in New York to check out Fairway.
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A quick drop-in to DEAN & DELUCA (Broadway & Prince Street - SOHO) might also be helpful...they've been known to carry a healthy selection of French.
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Here's the info on the filets. The other, sardines de Bretagne a l'huile d'olive are the same brand, but I don't see the exact packaging and contents on the website. Maybe it's a special pack for Leclerc.
Link: http://www.connetable.com/nos_produits/detail.asp?pid=22
Image: http://www.connetable.com/upload/prod...
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You are just so great.
I mail-ordered the red can of Connetable from the Modesto place. That was the only one they had. I bought 2 cans ... one to eat and one to age ... heh. Maybe if they are any good I'll buy a bunch and open them periodically.
For anyone in the Bay Area, here's where I bought my sardines
Link: http://www.chowhound.com/topics/show/...
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I believe that France has six or seven brands of exceptional sardines: Rodel, the Saint Georges brand of La Belle Illoise, Albert Menes, Les Dieux from ST Gilles Croix de Vie, Les Mouettes d'Arvor (not my favourites), La Quiberonnaise (not my favourite).
I prefer the St Georges brand and the Rodel brand.
Plrase note that sardines prepared with an other oil than olive oil are definitely not as good as the ones prepared with a good quality olive oil.
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should not use the word "infanticide" to describe your sardine tasting ventures. but if you must "infanticidal" is a better choice.
Help. Is the date on the can the expiration date or the packing date? I bought an Imported by Food International Supply Corp. (FISCO) of Fremont, CA. Packed by Pinhais & Co. Lda., Matosinmos, Portugal sardines but don't know if it's still good.
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Somewhere in all of this is the fact that people, especially the French, age sardines for years like fine wine. So they should not only be good, they should be better.
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Wonderful post!
Back in the 70's we used to scarf sardines--Beach Cliff, the only brand we could find in our area then--on Sierra backpacking trips. Nothing like Stoned Wheat Thins and sardines with chilis at 10,000 feet!
Also glad to learn I've been aging sardines--thought I was just hoarding them! Who knew....
thanks so much for a very entertaining and enlightening post. A labor of love....I'll be on the lookout for Angelo's.
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Please tell me where I can find the Matiz Gallego Sardines in olive oil for $2.99 a can? I love these sardines and agree that they are one of the best. I live in San Francisco.
Thank you,
Irma
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Not in SF, but at the Spanish Table in Berkeley or Marin.
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my favorite, fortunately for me, is King Oscar brisling sardines in water without added salt. The reason a say "fortunately" is that I am on a salt resticted diet.
Does anyone know a good source in Orange County, Ca or a good web supplier?
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RWOrange, Not that you haven't been deligent, but there is one more canned fish option you should try: Salazones Serrano Filetes De Boqueron Al Ajillo. These are imported from Spain
(available at www.spanishtable.com) These are not as far in the Sardine family as they are in the Norwegian herring family. They taste bright and fresh like pickled herring yet have the oil\seasoning of sardines. These could be exceptional over warm, fresh pasta with parsley and olive oil. Worth seeking out to complete your culinary journey.
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Thanks Leper, I've added this to my tips file and will pick up a can when I'm next at Spanish Table. Will report back in a future sardine post.
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Thanks. I'll have to try that brand. Spanish Table is in my neighborhood. I was gifted with some boquerones from Spain when butterfly visited her family in the US. They were really nice.
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When I was a kid in Chicago we used to get "Nice" brand skinless-boneless Portugese sardines. I don't see these anymore since relocating to the Southwest. Anyone know what happened to them -- I tried Google and came up with nothing useful.
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Posted on another thread, but after reading this one, I wanted to add my thoughts on one brand whose sardines are meaty, tasty, and of high quality -"Season" brand. If you don't mind just getting the pure taste of the sardine (tasted tuna-like) without any sauce, I'd recommend this brand - make sure you get the boned and skinless version. If you are lucky, you will get the one packed in olive oil. Most packages I have seen recently for this brand contain soy or soya oil. The oil is ok, but obviously not as delicious as the olive oil.
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Fairway (Long Island, NY) has these at 3 for $5 often. I make hand rolls at my desk at work with them.
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Great to know, I just bought a a can of Season yesterday ... IIRC it was at Mollie Stone's ... could have been Safeway though. Wherever had 4 varieties ... two types in olive oil ... one regular olive oil the other extra virgin olive oil ... glad to know I can look foward to them. Always like finding a new brand.
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rworange - Your description got me to look more closely at the selection at the local Giant supermarket near me, and I, too, saw the EVOO version and some others, but there was no mention of "skinless and boneless". I have found that their boneless and skinless are more desirable. I had a tin last night, and even though it was emersed in soya oil, the sardines were delicious, very meaty but tender, and a very pleasant flavor. The soya oil was ok.
I noticed that the sardines packed in EVOO and the ones in mustard sauce and other sauces originated from Portugal, I believe, not Morocco, like some of their other sardine products.
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Hi, FelafelBoy!
Season has been my favorite brand for a long time...better than any others I have tried, including the highly regarded Angelo Parodi brand. I completely agree with you that the skinless-boneless version in olive oil is their best. I am in Southern California and have had no difficulty finding the Season brand sardines in our local markets.
My favorite "recipe" is to place the sardines on a plate, crumple saltines on top (to absorb some of the oil), squeeze a lemon on that mix and then top it all with a favorite hot sauce!
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Calgirl 15 oz. tomato and chilli.
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This is one of the best CH threads ever.
Thanks. Is there any reason you left out Granadisa skinless and boneless in the green and white box? Are these only imported into the NYC area?
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Just haven't seen them yet. In the past year, there isn't a sardine brand I've snubbed including the dread Mexican 666 sardines ... or maybe that was 999. Doesn't matter ... that is another Mexican sardine brand from hell.
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Thanks! They are widely available here in NYC so I was just wondering. Skinless and boneless, though. Spelling is Granadaisa; from Morocco, imported by King Seafoods, New Jersey. Here is a photo:
http://www.foodfacts.com/public/items...
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Just tried Royal Crown with tomato and chili from Ecuador and was shocked at how fresh they tasted were even gutted too which I rarely see from cheap sardines.I smashed them on 9 grain bread.
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Thanks for your tireless research! I know you're not partial to the boneless/skinless variety, but which of those ranks highest?
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I don't have an answer. I only tried one can in the taste-off - King Oscar.Based on that and the skinless/bonless cans I've had over the years, I decided I didn't want to try any more of that type.
However, FelafelBoy's enthusiasm for those Season skinless and boneles sardines has me interested and I'll definately give those a try.
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rworange, did u taste them straight out of a can or with crackers?
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Straight from the can ... sometimes with tomatoes and lettuce
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Just wanted to report 2 things:
1) I finally got a chance to try fresh (not canned) sardines. They had some a while back at the 17th St Market here in Tucson. Just grilled them, and even thought they were a bit of a pain to eat I have to say that they were the absolute most tasty fresh fish I've ever had.
2) Although they aren't labled "sardines" the Riga Sprats (from Latvia) appear to me to be identical fish to the Brisling sardines like King Oscar, Tiny Tots, etc. They're reasonable good and relatively inexpensive. Packed in something like Canola oil instead of olive oil though, which is a bit of a turnoff.
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Yep, fresh are good. Sort of like the difference between fresh and canned tuna.
Somewhere buried in all of this I had a link about the difference between sprats and sardines. I think it is based on size. However, I agree the taste is like sardines.
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The only drawback is that few of these brands are available in this part of the world (Singapore), though I've seen the odd King Oscar around in the supermarkets. I will have to start searching in the Italian imports stores.
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When I was living in Asia , we used to buy a brand called Porthos (Portuguese) they came in a spicy sauce and also in a mustard sauce. Have never had any that tasted better
Am going to try to find some of the ones mentioned in this thread. I enjoy sardines with interesting crackers , olives , sharp cheese , and some tasty red wine
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Thinking about this, it is not so much the brand, but the origin. There's distinctive tastes from different regions. I like the taste of the Spain/Portugual/Italy sardines the best. They are different from sardines caught in Thai, Mexican, Norweigan, or North American waters. Each has its distict taste and sometimes style.
Sardines are inexpensive, so the fun thing is picking up some can you've never seen before and giving it a try. You never know what unexpected treasure you might find.
And if you do find something wonderful to you, report back. Someone else in your part of the world may be reading.
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Porthos is also my favorite brand. My parents just got back from HK yesterday and brought back a case for me that my aunt in Macau got for me. Good stuff!!! I hope my stash lasts until my parents' next HK trip in April.
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I don't have access to a large variety, but I've come across a brand I like. They are Goya skinless Spanish fillets in olive oil.
If you've tried them, where would they rate on your list?
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Haven't tried Goya yet ... not that I remember ... site is too slow for me to search my report on cans 31 - 49. Will keep an eye out for them. Thanks
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FYI, didn't find Goya in your report on cans 40-49, which is here: http://www.chowhound.com/topics/320712
PS: thanks for doing this! It has encouraged me to give all the sardines I come across a try! (and gives me a great excuse to stock up on good crackers and cheese to go with it. Mmm...cheese...*drool*)
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Excellent report. I shall follow these tips. One issue though: I've bought sardines from Angelo Parodi and usually love it. Once in a while I get a bad can. It has filled a hole in my life, with the lack of fresh sardines.
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I am surprised to see Bela so far down, in my opinion these are the best. I would definately rank them higher than King Oscar, but perhaps my palate is slightly different. Of course I cannot seem to find the top three anywhere, so my opinion of those will have to wait. This is one of the best write ups I have seen posted anywhere about sardines. They are such a healthy over looked delicacy.
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