MINERVA-118

MINERVA: IN TOMATO SAUCE

APPEARANCE:

NUTRITION:
Calories- 185,1
Total Fat- 10g
Sat Fat- 2,8g
Protein- 21,5g

PRODUCT OF:
Portugal


INGREDIENTS:
Sardines, Tomato, Olive Oil, Salt

PRICE:




OVERALL:
A tomato aroma upon opening. Three plump fish to the tin. A soft textured fish falls apart very easily  No strong taste or after. Tomato sauce possesses a nice flavor, not sour. The sauce flavor really blends well with the sardines. I would eat again. 5 Sardines.

MINERVA: LIGHTLY SMOKED SARDINES IN OLIVE OIL

APPEARANCE:

NUTRITION:
Calories- 218
Total Fat- 13g
Protein- 24g

PRODUCT OF:
Portugal

INGREDIENTS:
Sardines, Olive Oil, Salt, Natural Smoke Flavour

PRICE:




OVERALL:

A faint oil aroma upon opening. Five medium fish to the tin. A good textured fish, a mild-tasting fish. Fake smoke flavoring is very subtle. Not a spiny fish; no strong taste or after taste. A nice neutral-tasting fish. No overpowering oil flavor. I would eat again. 5 sardines.

MINERVA: IN OLIVE OIL

APPEARANCE:

NUTRITION:
Calories- 240
Total Fat- 16,4g
Sat Fat- 2,8g
Protein- 23,0g

PRODUCT OF:
Portugal

INGREDIENTS:
Sardines, Olive Oil, Salt

PRICE:




OVERALL:
Oil aroma upon opening, three plump fish to the tin. A mild-flavored fish, not a spiny fish. Fish does not hold its shape well while removing from the tin. (this is made up by the flavor) No strong fishy taste or after. A clean after taste, a flavorful fish, oil not green, the oil adds to the fish and does not take away from it. Not a spiny fish. A meaty fish. I would eat again. 5 Sardines

MINERVA: IN HOT TOMATO SAUCE

APPEARANCE:

NUTRITION:
Calories- 185,1
Total Fat- 10g
Sat Fat- 2,8g
Protein- 21,5g

PRODUCT OF:
Portugal

INGREDIENTS:
Sardines, Vegetable Oil, Tomato, Chili, Salt

PRICE:




OVERALL:
A peppery aroma upon opening. A very flavorful tin of fish. A nice, even, lingering heat to the tin. Pepper pods are present at the bottom of tin. The tomato sauce is very flavorful and compliments the fish. Not a spiny fish; no fishy taste or after taste. The heat really makes this tin. I will eat again. 5 sardines.

MINERVA: IN OLIVE OIL WITH CAYENNE PEPPER

APPEARANCE:

NUTRITION:
Calories- 219,6
Total Fat- 13,2g
Sat Fat- 3,0g
Protein- 24,6g

PRODUCT OF:
Portugal

INGREDIENTS:
Sardines, Olive Oil, Salt, Natural Smoke Flavour

PRICE:


OVERALL:
A faint oil aroma upon opening. Flour plump fish to the tin. Oil does not overpower the fish; the oil complements the fish; tin has a good balance of saltiness and heat, heat is subtle, and really adds to the flavor. A clean-tasting fish with no strong flavors. A nice subtle heat lingers... almost undetectable; it just makes you crave another tin. 5 Sardines.

MINERVA: IN TOMATO WITH SMOKE FLAVOR

APPEARANCE:

NUTRITION:
Calories- 140,4
Total Fat- 6,7g
Sat Fat- 2,3g
Protein- 19,2g

PRODUCT OF:
Portugal

INGREDIENTS:
Sardines, Sunflower Oil, Tomato, Natural Smoke Flavour, Salt

PRICE:


OVERALL:
A faint tomato aroma upon opening. A medium-textured fish. A mild tomato sauce; no bitterness or sourness from the sauce. No strong flavors or aftertaste. Fish is a tad on the dry side. A meaty fish. Not a spiny fish. 4 1/2 Sardines

* Warning:
As good as these are, 3 out of 6, the tabs broke off while attempting to open.

Luckily, I had my work keys to finish the job. (cleaned first)

ZOE- 117

ZOE: BABY SARDINES IN OLIVE OIL

APPEARANCE:

NUTRITION:
Calories- 209
Total Fat- 13g
Sat Fat- 2.5g
Sodium- .27mg
Protein- 23g

PRODUCT OF:
Spain

INGREDIENTS:
Baby Sardines, Olive Oil, Salt

PRICE:
5.99



OVERALL:
A very faint oil aroma upon opening. A very even textured fish, no strong taste or after taste. Not a spiny fish, bones undetectable. A very mild-tasting fish. Fish holds its shape very well. Twelve little fish to the tin. One of the cleanest-tasting fish I've had. Oil has a nice flavor, not green at all. These are genuinely office sardines (I don't work in an office, but if I did..), no fish aroma present. I would and will eat again. Should  you come across a tin of Zoe, do yourself a favor and pick up a tin. 5 strong sardines

ALSHARK- 116

ALSHARK: IN OIL

APPEARANCE:

NUTRITION:

Calories- 174
Fat Calories- 88
Total Fat- 7g
Sat Fat- 2g
Sodium- 603mg
Protein- 21g


PRODUCT OF:
Morocco

INGREDIENTS:
Lightly Smoked Sardines, Vegetable Oil, Salt

PRICE:
1.25


OVERALL:
An oil aroma hits you upon opening. Three plump scaled fish to the tin; a faint smoke flavor hits you on first bite, not an overpowering smoke flavor, it complements the fish very well. Scales are not noticeable. Not a spiny fish; bones are very visible; a roe-filled fish(roe not noticeable in taste) Salt is very detectable in this tin. A very good textured fish; holds its shape well  Oil flavor not overpowering, hardly detectable. I would eat again. 5 Sardines.

ALSHARK: IN SPICY OIL

APPEARANCE:

NUTRITION:

Calories- 174
Fat Calories- 88
Total Fat- 7g
Sat Fat- 2g
Sodium- 603mg
Protein- 21g


PRODUCT OF:
Morocco

INGREDIENTS:
Lightly Smoked Sardines, Vegetable Oil, Salt, red Pepper

PRICE:
1.25


OVERALL:
A faint chili, oil aroma upon opening. Three plump fish to the tin. The heat creeps up slowly, a nice mild heat, no chili pepper present in the tin. No strong fish taste or after taste. Scales not noticeable  A good textured, non-spiny fish. I would eat again. 5 Sardines.

ALSHARK: SKINLESS & BONELESS IN SOYA OIL

APPEARANCE:

NUTRITION:

Calories- 90
Fat Calories- 45
Total Fat- 7g
Sat Fat- 2g
Sodium- 280mg
Protein- 13g


PRODUCT OF:
Morocco

INGREDIENTS:
PRICE:
2.00


OVERALL:
Five medium fish to the tin. A faint sardine aroma upon opening. A very meaty fish. No strong fish taste or after taste. Salt is detectable in this tin. A clean-tasting fish; not to dry for a skinless & boneless tin. No patches of skin scales or bones are present. A mild-tasting fish, no strong oil flavor. Would eat again. 5 sardines

Sardines and Zombies ?

Yes, it seems when Zombies aren't occupied with eating brains, they take time to enjoy a tin. We attended the Zombie walk and food drive in Gastonia, NC. Yesterday.

Some very happy Zombies...

Even my own little Zombie princess likes Sardines...

Even Twin Zombies...
 One twin is not only a sardine-eating Zombie; she is also the infamous author, Tonia Brown!
Check out the piece she wrote for M.F.O.S  HERE.

Aberdeen Sardine Festival

Hello sardine eaters,
Today I attended the 21st sardine festival in Aberdeen, NC. The festival was a little over a three-hour trip for me. Not wanting to miss anything or get caught up in traffic, I departed around 5:45 am, arriving in Aberdeen early. I rode by the park just to locate it; tents were going up as I went by. I hit up some local shops for the chance of acquiring new sardines (no luck). I returned to the park at around 9:30, an hour and a half early. Not wanting to seem like some crazed sardine stalker, I took a short walk around this gorgeous lake directly beside the shelter where the festivities are held.

,

However, feeling like a kid at Christmas, my short walk became even shorter. I ventured on over to the place of the event and began taking pics. The sardines, crackers, and Moon Pies were still boxed up.

Condiments were making their way to the tables. Then I was discovered! A lady approached me. I knew the gig was up. I was early and was about to be asked to leave, or worse, be banned from the sardine festival! Instead, I was met with a very welcoming and warm smile. She introduced herself as Kay Moss. (I later discovered she was the reigning sardine queen. I had just met Sardine Royalty!) 

I introduced myself and explained a little about the blog. Kay Moss is the daughter of the late Randall Moss, the founder of the sardine festival. Kay took and introduced me to Dot Moss, the widow Randall Moss. Dot keeps the archives and scrapbooks of past sardine festivals' media. What a collection it is, dating all the way back to 1993, the first sardine luncheon! It's easy to get lost in these scrapbooks, reading articles and viewing pics from years past.

The late Randall Moss started what is now known as the annual International Aberdeen Sardine Festival back in 1993. What started out as a sardine luncheon between friends continued to grow over the years.
As I learned about the late Randall Moss and listened to stories, he seemed like a gentleman I would have very much liked to of been able to talk with over a tin of Sardines. Any man who loved sardines enough to start a festival is a very impressive man indeed.

Mr. Moss passed away on March 25th, 2010. The last sardine cannery in the U.S. closed on April 18th, 2010. Less than a month apart, the world lost two sardine ambassadors.

People began showing up in droves as time slowly crept closer to 11 am (starting time). Some requested and received their door prize tickets (the sardines and drinks are free, but a donation is encouraged if possible) before sardine serving commenced.

Then it began. I anxiously got in line, receiving my tin of sardines (they had two to choose from Port Clyde in water or oil), my saltines, a Moon Pie, and an ice-cold can of RC Cola.

Every table had vinegar, mustard, and hot sauce on them. I'm an "eat 'em out of the can" type of guy. So whatever they come in is how I enjoy them. 

 A patron attendee named David, who sat beside me, offered me his own personal hot sauce that he brought to the festival with him. (Where I'm from, if a man offers you hot sauce, you don't say no.) It was the Texas Pete extra hot brand. It really complimented the fish.

The festival offered music, clog dancers, and just excellent companionship. It is one of the largest gatherings of sardine eaters I've had the pleasure to witness in one sitting. I gave away loads of "Sardine Eater" decals throughout the festival. 

Non-sardine eaters showed up; some brought tins of oysters and others sandwiches. Some sardine eaters even brought their own tins of sardines to enjoy. 

You couldn't ask for a nicer bunch of people to spend the day with. I was a stranger, not knowing a soul in over a 100 miles radius, and yet, I was treated and felt as if I had always been there. The ride of 3 plus hours is a good one, but after today, I would travel double that to be there. I will definitely be there next year. If you want a great day, plan on attending next year. Dot Moss informed me that the date is in stone now, the 2nd Friday of October. Next year's event will be on October 10th, 2014. Maybe next year, Mouth Full of Sardines will create a multi-tin gift basket for one of the door prizes. I will have to get in contact with a coordinator and find out if it's acceptable.

It's amazing how a simple tin of sardines can draw such a diverse crowd of people. That is just another reason why sardines are truly great food. It's food truly enjoyed by all. 

Photo Credit: Hannah Sharpe/The Pilot

I hope to see some of you Sardine Eaters there next year. As I said as I was pulled on stage and put on the spot, "the only thing better than the sardines here is the fellowship."

Thank you, Aberdeen Sardine Festival, for a truly great and heartwarming time. See you guys next year.      

Photo Credit: Hannah Sharpe/The Pilot