TRADER JOE'S: IN HARISSA
APPEARANCE:
NUTRITION:
Calories- 220
Total Fat- 7g
Sat Fat- 2g
Cholesterol- 35mg
Sodium- 190mg
Protein-15g
PRODUCT OF:
Tunisia
INGREDIENTS:
Soy Oil, Harissa
PRICE:
OVERALL:
Pepper oil aroma upon opening. Four medium fish to the tin. A meaty fish; a very subtle heat is present, almost unnoticeable. No strong taste or after. The sauce is a tad on the watery side, and the consistency and taste. Not a spiny fish. I would eat again. "With hot sauce or pepper" 3 Sardines.
TRADER JOE'S: IN SPRING WATER
APPEARANCE:
Calories- 130
Fat. Cal- 70
Total Fat- 7g
Sat Fat- 1.5g
Cholesterol- 90mg
Sodium- 200mg
Protein-17g
PRODUCT OF:
Canda
INGREDIENTS:
Sardines, Spring Water
PRICE:
OVERALL:
A delightful, faint sardine aroma upon opening. Four fish to the tin. A plain tasting fish, spines are noticeable; no strong taste or after. A soft textured fish. I would eat again. "not alone."
3 1/2 sardines.
TRADER JOE'S: LIGHTLY SMOKED SARDINES IN OLIVE OIL
APPEARANCE:
NUTRITION:
Calories- 120
Fat. Cal- 70
Total Fat- 7g
Sat Fat- 1.5g
Cholesterol- 30mg
Sodium- 130mg
Protein-13g
PRODUCT OF:
Portugal
INGREDIENTS:
Sardines, Olive Oil, Salt, Natural Smoke Flavor
PRICE:
OVERALL:
Three large fish to the tin, nice aroma upon popping. In the Portuguese style, all possessed their scales. Packed full of roe. A mild-tasting fish, the texture is a tad on the chewy side. The crap line is still inside the fish. An ok tin, would not eat again. 1 1/2 Sardines
TRADER JOE'S: SKINLESS & BONELESS SARDINES IN OLIVE OIL
APPEARANCE:
NUTRITION:
Calories- 120
Fat Cal- 60
Total Fat- 7g
Sat fat- 1.5g
Cholesterol- 10mg
Sodium- 160mg
Protein- 15g
PRODUCT OF:
Morocco
INGREDIENTS:
Sardines, Olive Oil, Salt
PRICE:
OVERALL:
Four loosely packed fish to the tin, no really noticeable aroma upon opening. A tad dry, not as clean tasting of tin as I had expected. A little oil after taste. Definitely needs to be used in a dish or the sort. (But that's not how I rate them, only on their own) Would eat again, just not alone. 3 Sardines
well - I wouldn't have believed this website existed but I got the information I was looking for!
ReplyDeleteI'm glad it could help.
Deletevery informative blog... got here from someone at chowhound linking..
ReplyDelete"Crap line still inside the fish." .. what do you do with that? cook with it or remove it before/after cooking? thnx
You can remove it. The bitter taste it gives the sardine, is the give away. Many people just eat it.
DeleteI have recently discovered sardines and instantly became addicted. That's not to say I am all that crazy about the taste (however I do enjoy them). I'd describe my situation as more of a *craving.* Maybe I am sorely lacking in sardine vitamins and my body KNOWS it.
ReplyDeleteSo anyway, I have been experimenting around for several months and I gotta say that the hands-down winner is TRADER JOE'S: SKINLESS & BONELESS SARDINES IN OLIVE OIL. I eat them for lunch at my desk right out of the can. My coworkers are horrified. Sardines go together very nicely with oranges, btw.
I am amazed and thrilled that this blog exists. Thanks so much for a font of useful information! I will be visiting often. Well done.
That's great, finding a brand to eat on a regular basis is always a good thing. Sardines and Oranges, I've never tried that.
DeleteThank you.
Sardines and Oranges: Short Stories from North Africa : Algeria, Egypt, Morocco, Sudan, Tunisia. Front Cover. Peter Clark. Banipal Books, 2005
Delete"I've never tried that" or read it. Ha Ha!
They both sound interesting!
DeleteMash your sardines with a little chopped onion, a spoonful of mayo, maybe a little chopped parsley and spread on baguette with thin-sliced tomato...fabulous!
DeleteYou are right about the lightly smoked in olive oil. The first Trader Joes product I haven't liked. I will try the skinless, boneless though.
ReplyDeleteI haven't tried the second one, but the smoked sardines (pink can) are the best sardines I've had yet. Granted, I am fairly newly introduced to this canned fish, but my wife and I couldn't believe how tasty they were all by themselves. Now we hesitate to have them any other way. Every time I go, I get at least four cans of the smoked sardines, and four green cans of the smoked herring.
ReplyDeleteThank you for the info! I find the lightly smoked in olive oil from Trader Joes to be one of the best I have ever tasted especially for the price. Giving it one and a half stars is a surprise. Maybe you should revisit soon! Thank you again.
ReplyDeleteDoes anyone else worry about soy oil being GMO? I always skip the soy oil sardines for olive oil. Also, the lightly smoked with olive oil from Trader Joes are one of the best I have tasted especially for the price. Maybe you can revisit soon? Thank you for the info. Great site!!
ReplyDeleteNext time I'm at a Trader Joe's I may pick up a tin for a revisit.
DeleteNext time I'm at a Trader Joe's I may pick up a tin for a revisit.
DeleteSeems the burgundy tin is packed for TJ by Bela. Similar enough quality too. Look at the can stamps.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the blog & letting all us sardine lovers comment!
good eye there, Lewis. Majority of tions are canned at same canneries. Keep popping those tins!
DeleteMaybe I just got lucky, but I picked up a few tins of the Trader Joes's lightly smoked sardines in olive oil, and loved them. I had a can of these at the same time as a can of Gallego in olive oil, and the quality and flavor was very similar - for the price, I'll stick with Trader Joe's.
ReplyDeleteI may need to do a revisit, perhaps I just got a off tin. Great to hear that you enjoy them! Keep popping those tins!
DeleteLet me add my voice to the chorus asking for a recount on the Trader Joe's lightly smoked. Above average texture and flavor, at a reasonable price.
ReplyDeleteI'm also a fan of their Harissa sardines. Granted, the sauce itself is exceedingly mild, but it allows the true taste of the fish to come through. Thanks
Just picked up a tin of Trader Joe's lightly smoked. Contents did not reflect what you had. Smaller fish, about 5-7 per tin. Meaty, a little dry, and slight smoked flavor. Had with pita bread and tomato basil soup. Top notch. Until I can get some Riga gold again these will be my to-go tin.
ReplyDeleteThat's great to hear! I may need to do a revisit. Keep popping those tins!
Delete