Martin Purefoods- 128

MARTIN PUREFOODS: IN TOMATO SAUCE & OLIVE OIL

APPEARANCE:

NUTRITION:
Serving:1/4 cup - 2 servings
Calories- 100
Total Fat- 7g
Protein- 9g
Sodium- 255mg
Cholesterol- 20mg
Fat Cal- 60

PRODUCT OF:
Spain


INGREDIENTS:
Sardines, Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Tomato, Salt

PRICE:
2.79

OVERALL:
A faint tomato aroma upon opening. Three fish to the tin. A very soft textured fish; A roe-filled, meaty fish; Not spiny. No strong taste or after. The fish does not hold its shape at all while removing from tin; I ended up just stirring the fish into a spread to finish off the tin. A flavorful tin of fish; not an 'on the go tin". I would eat again. 4 1/2 sardines

MARTIN PUREFOODS: SPICY IN TOMATO SAUCE & OLIVE OIL

APPEARANCE:

NUTRITION:
Serving:1/4 cup - 2 servings
Calories- 100
Total Fat- 7g
Protein- 9g
Sodium- 255mg
Cholesterol- 20mg
Fat Cal- 60

PRODUCT OF:
Spain


INGREDIENTS:
Sardines, Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Tomato, Red Hot Chili Pepper, Salt

PRICE:
2.79

OVERALL:
A nice peppery tomato aroma upon opening. Three plump fish to the tin. A soft textured fish. A very flavorful, semi-thick tomato sauce to the tin. Two chili pods are present. The heat from the chili hits you on the first bite; A "good strong" heat. Adds a wonderful flavor. (The chili pods have been cracked open, either by accident or on purpose. very nice) Not a spiny fish; no strong taste or after. I believe I have found a good staple tin to keep in my work locker. If spicy is your thing, you will love these; if not, stay away. I would and will be eating again. 5 Sardines

MARTIN PUREFOODS: SPICY

APPEARANCE:

NUTRITION:
Serving:1/4 cup - 2 servings
Calories- 130
Total Fat- 7g
Protein- 11g
Sodium- 255mg
Cholesterol- 20mg
Fat Cal- 80

PRODUCT OF:
Spain


INGREDIENTS:
Sardines, Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Carrot, Gherkin, Red Hot Chili Pepper, Salt

PRICE:
2.79

OVERALL:
A peppery oil aroma upon opening. Three plump fish to the tin. A soft textured fish. A very mild tasting fish, the heat of the chillis slowly creeps up on you. Two chili pods to the tin; a nice even heat throughout the fish that lingers after the tin is gone. No fishy taste or after. A clean-tasting tin of fish. I would and will eat again. (Not a tin on the go tin) 5 Sardines.

Nuri- 127

NURI: IN TOMATO SAUCE & PURE OLIVE OIL

APPEARANCE:

NUTRITION:
Serving:1
Calories- 130
Total Fat- 9g
Protein- 10g
Sodium- 400mg
Cholesterol- 50mg
Fat Cal- 80

PRODUCT OF:
Portugal


INGREDIENTS:
Sardines, Tomato Sauce, Olive Oil, Salt

PRICE:


OVERALL:
A very faint tomato aroma upon opening. Four, scaled fish to the tin. Not a spiny fish. A colorful tin of fish, the sauce does not overpower the fish, nor is it a tangy sauce. The fish texture is slightly below medium, with no strong taste or after. I would eat again. 4 Sardines.

NURI: IN TOMATO SAUCE

APPEARANCE:

NUTRITION:
Serving:1
Calories- 130
Total Fat- 9g
Protein- 10g
Sodium- 400mg
Cholesterol- 50mg
Fat Cal- 80

PRODUCT OF:
Portugal


INGREDIENTS:
Sardines, Tomato Sauce, Olive Oil,( Hot Sauce), Chile Pepper, (piri-piri), Cucumber, Salt

PRICE:


OVERALL:
A spiced, peppery tomato aroma upon opening. Four meaty fish to the tin. The flavor of the chili really stands out. A mild tomato sauce, a nice size chili pod, is present in the tin, a cucumber slice. A good textured fish, no fishy taste or after. A clean flavor and after-taste. Not a spiny fish. Heat is very subtle. But still an excellent tin. I would and will eat again. 5 Sardines.

NURI: SPICED

APPEARANCE:

NUTRITION:
Serving:1
Calories- 170
Total Fat- 16g
Protein- 9g
Sodium- 380mg
Cholesterol- 25mg
Fat Cal- 140

PRODUCT OF:
Portugal


INGREDIENTS:
Sardines, Olive Oil, Chile Pepper, Carrot, Cucumber, Laurel, Clove, Pepper, Corn,  Salt

PRICE:


OVERALL:
A sweet aroma hits you upon opening. Four tightly, pretty packed fish to the tin. A soft textured fish. The sweetness of the clove stands out. Salt is very detectable—a roe-filled fish—no fishy taste or after. Heat is very subtle. The texture of the fish next to the tin sides is slightly chewy. I would eat again. 4 Sardines.

NURI: EXTRA SPICED IN OLIVE OIL

Mascato-126

MASCATO: IN TOMATO SAUCE AND PURE OLIVE OIL

APPEARANCE:

NUTRITION:
Serving:1
Calories- 130
Total Fat- 9g
Protein- 10g
Sodium- 400mg
Cholesterol- 50mg
Fat Cal- 80

PRODUCT OF:
Portugal


INGREDIENTS:
Sardines, Tomato Sauce, Olive Oil, Salt

PRICE:


OVERALL:
A slight fish, tomato aroma upon opening. Five plump fish to the tin. A medium-textured fish barely holds its shape while removing from tin. Tomato sauce is very subtle; scales are not noticeable. Not a spiny fish, a neutral-tasting fish. An ok tin. I would eat again, not alone. 3 1/2 sardines

Mabuti-125

MABUTI: IN PURE OLIVE OIL AND TOMATO SAUCE

APPEARANCE:

NUTRITION:
Serving:1
Calories- 130
Total Fat- 9g
Protein- 10g
Sodium- 400mg
Cholesterol- 50mg
Fat Cal- 80

PRODUCT OF:
Portugal


INGREDIENTS:
Sardines, Tomato Sauce, Olive Oil, Salt

PRICE:


OVERALL:
A sweet tomato aroma upon opening. Five medium fish to the tin. A tart-tasting sauce. A firm-textured fish, no strong taste or after. Not a spiny fishy. Holds its shape. I would eat again. 4 sardines.

Master-124

MASTER: IN VEGETABLE OIL

APPEARANCE:

NUTRITION:
Serving:2
Calories- 160
Total Fat- 10g
Protein- 17g
Sodium- 460mg
Cholesterol- 40mg
Fat Cal- 90

PRODUCT OF:
Philippines


INGREDIENTS:
Sardines, Soya Oil, Iodized Salt, Spices, Chili, Bay Leaf, Black Peppercorn

PRICE:
1.49

OVERALL:
A spicy oil aroma upon opening. Nine little, round sardines to the tin. One chili pod present; bay leaf, a slice of carrot, and cucumber present. A good textured fish holds its shape very well. A nice spice hits you on the first bite, followed by a floral after a taste. Not a spiny fish; patches of scales present. (not noticeable) Salt is very detectable. I would and will eat again. 5 Sardines

Lisbos Sardine Festival

Sardine traditions always carry such great backstories. With the Lisbos annual sardine festival in full swing, let's take a brief look at some of that story. Lisbos Sardine festival, also known as St. Anthony Festival, Feast of St. Anthony,  popular Saint's festival. It is a three-day festival of grilling sardines on the streets, parades, and festivities, as well as love; St. Anthony is the Saint of match-making. Love, sardines, and did I mention the Fado music? Those make for a great combination. (Fado is played throughout the festival.)

(click play below, and listen to some Fado as you browse)

Legend has it that Saint Anthony ( Before Sainthood) was in Rimini, Italy, trying to give a sermon to some 13th-century heretics. Well, those heretics were not going to have any of that. Since they were not interested in his sermons, St. Anthony took off to the coastline in a holy tantrum of frustration, doing what those holy men did in those times, swearing (they may have sworn) he'd be better off preaching to the fish. It is said that thousands upon thousands of fish started popping their heads up from the water, lining up (mostly sardines) with their mouths open, swaying back and forth, doing little fin waves, and even bowing their heads at the Saint's sermon. ( A bowing Sardine? Hey, it's the 13th century; fish were their own fish back then.) This miracle was witnessed by the town's folks. Here's where I must scratch my head... In honor of this "miracle," sardines are grilled and feasted upon for three days. So the sardine's reward for coming to the Saint's sermon was to be caught and grilled in honor of the Saint. (No wonder the heretics didn't want to listen to his sermons.) 

As with most sardine traditions, I like to add a Mouth Full of Sardines style to it. Not being in Lisbon, and wanting to give their tradition due respect, I went in search of a St. Anthony figurine or the like. I wanted to have this fish whisperer present while I ate sardines. To much dismay, I was unable to locate anything with Saint Anthony. I went to several religious stores and ethnic stores. A couple of the Christian stores did not even know who Saint Anthony was. I enlightened them of his talking to sardines and how great sardines are. (Maybe I've become a sardine disciple?) With no St. Anthony representation and no fresh Sardines to grill,

I will be feasting on some Portuguese tinned sardines I recently picked up while listing to some Fado in the background (I have really grown to like Fado music, almost addicted actually) while washing it down with some type of cold spirits. 

For some great artwork, and more visuals for St. Anthony, type in Temptations of St. Anthony into an Image search. Here are two from another painting. 

Flying through the air on a giant sardine!?

 Sardines' revenge!?

After viewing some of these images, I may never open another tin of sardines in the dark again...

I shall leave you with a trio of clips to check out. Enjoy St. Anthony's feast. 

YOUNG SARDINES

I received this package from Tokyo. All I was told was  "Traditional Japanese food, kelp and young sardines with Japanese pepper" The package pic is very appealing. ( as most package photo's of content are)

They are sealed in a pouch within the box, some nice fisherman art on the pouch.

There was no strong odor upon opening. This burrito-shaped, wet, black mass slides out of the pouch. My first thought a wad of chewing tobacco. I'm thinking a sardine burrito; they must be inside the mass of kelp...

No hidden succulent baby sardines as I had imagined, just these little wiry-looking pieces of fish? And peppercorn. 
A very deep, sweet-tasting mixture, almost a brandy licorice combo; no dead ocean taste. Fish is hardly even detectable. A good textured product, smooth. After eating a bit of it, the dry sweetness becomes a tad much. Left my mouth very dry. Cooked up some rice to finish this dish off. 

(Public Service Announcement)

wooden chopsticks are hard on salamanders by destroying their habitats. Please use reusable chopsticks. Check out this site for more details.   Chopsticks for salamanders

This was very different from the sardines we have grown up loving in a tin. I would eat these again, should I ever cross paths with a supplier.