Victorias -156

VICTORIAS- IN TOMATO SAUCE, CHILI ADDED

APPEARANCE:

NUTRITION:
Calories- 50
Total fat- 2g
Cholesterol- 21mg
Sodium- 300mg
Sugar- 1g
Protein- 6g

PRODUCT OF:
Philippines


INGREDIENTS:
Sardines, Tomato Paste, Iodized Salt, Spices, Chili


PRICE:
.89


OVERALL:
Tomato aroma upon opening. Excess amount of sauce in comparison to the fish. Small fish, with bits and pieces of former fish. A soft textured fish, a bitter, sour taste hits you on the first bite. The fish dissolves in your mouth, heat attempts to make itself known, only to be knocked backed by a flavor I've only ever tasted exiting my mouth, not entering it, Would not eat again. No Sardines.








VICTORIAS-  SPANISH STYLE 

APPEARANCE:

NUTRITION:
Calories- 50
Total fat- 2g
Cholesterol- 21mg
Sodium- 300mg
Sugar- 1g
Protein- 6g

PRODUCT OF:
Philippines


INGREDIENTS:
Sardines, Tomato Paste, Iodized Salt, Spices, Chili


PRICE:
.89


OVERALL:
A spicy oil aroma upon opening. Seven medium fish to the tin. A dry fish, a crash of flavors hits you all at once. A bitter taste is left lingering afterward. No fishy taste, a hair is present (I'm guessing from a prepper). I would have to say no sardines for this tin.

Saupiquet -155

SAUPIQUET: IN OLIVE OIL 

APPEARANCE:

NUTRITION:
Energy- 901kj/216 kcal
Protein- 21g



PRODUCT OF:
France


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


PRICE:
Thanks to Sardine Eater Eric G for this tin!


OVERALL:
Several fillets to the tin. No aroma upon opening. Fillets are not dry; olive oil and Olives add a good balance of flavor to the fillets. A medium-textured fish. I ate the entire tin with no side items. A good tin. I would eat again. 5 Sardines A nice bit of history- CLICK HERE.

Mega -154

MEGA: IN TOMATO SAUCE WITH CHILI

APPEARANCE:

NUTRITION:
Calories- 50
Total fat- 2g
Cholesterol- 21mg
Sodium- 300mg
Sugar- 1g
Protein- 6g

PRODUCT OF:
Philippines


INGREDIENTS:
Sardines, Tomato Paste, Iodized Salt, Spices, Chili


PRICE:
.89


OVERALL:
A sweet tomato aroma upon opening. Three plump fish to the can. A firm-textured fish, a nice heat is present, heat is impressive. Sardines do have a fish taste and after. Tomato sauce is a bit thin but does not lack flavor. I may eat again. not alone. 1 1/2 Sardines.

MEGA: HOT, SPANISH STYLE

APPEARANCE:

NUTRITION:
Calories- 90
Total fat- 4g
Cholesterol- 25mg
Sodium- 320mg
Sugar- 1g
Protein- 11g

PRODUCT OF:
Philippines


INGREDIENTS:
Sardines, Vegetable Oil, Carrot, Iodized Salt, Spices




PRICE:
.89

OVERALL:
No aroma upon opening. Seven fish to the tin. a medium-textured fish, a flavorful fish. No strong taste or after. Not a spiny fish. Has almost a sweet undertones to it. I would eat again. 2 sardines.

La Gondola- 153

LA GONDOLA: SMALL IN OLIVE OIL

APPEARANCE:

NUTRITION:
Energy- 714kj/170kcal
Fat- 15g
Protein- 25g
Salt- 1g


PRODUCT OF:
Portugal


INGREDIENTS:
Sardines, Olive Oil, salt




PRICE:
Thanks to Happiness is Portuguese Made for these tins.

OVERALL:
A pleasant oil and a faint sardine aroma upon opening. A tightly packed tin of fish; twelve little fish to the tin. A fresh-tasting fish with no strong fish taste or after. A delicate textured fish almost falls apart while removing from tin. The oil leaves no after taste, not a spiny fish. I would eat again. 5 Sardines

LA GONDOLA: IN ORGANIC OLIVE OIL

APPEARANCE:

NUTRITION:
Energy-
Fat-
Protein-
Salt-


PRODUCT OF:
Portugal


INGREDIENTS:




PRICE:
Thanks to Happiness is Portuguese Made for these tins.

OVERALL:
No noticeable aroma upon opening. A beautiful golden hue to the oil. Four, plump, tightly packed fish to the tin. Oil really compliments the fish. A great-tasting fish, the fish, taste as if they jumped straight from the ocean to the tin. No strong flavors or after-taste. A roe-filled fish, roe is not noticeable while eating. An even medium texture throughout the fish. Not a spiny fish. Would and will eat again. 5 sardines.

LA GONDOLA: IN  OLIVE OIL

APPEARANCE:

NUTRITION:
Energy- 1008kj/240kcal
Fat- 17g
Protein- 24g
Salt- 0,94g


PRODUCT OF:
Portugal


INGREDIENTS:
Sardines,  Olive Oil, lemon, Salt



PRICE:
Thanks to Happiness is Portuguese Made for these tins.

OVERALL:
No aroma upon opening. Seven fish to the tin, a flavorful tin of fish. A medium-textured fish. Fish have a skinless and boneless likeness to them, without the dryness and denseness S&B sometimes have. No strong flavors; oil does not over-power the fish. This is a perfect tin of fish; tin leaves you wanting more. I will eat again. 5 Sardines

LA GONDOLA: IN OLIVE OIL WITH LEMON

APPEARANCE:

NUTRITION:
Energy- 852kj/204kcal
Fat- 12g
Protein- 24g
Salt- 0,50g


PRODUCT OF:
Portugal


INGREDIENTS:

Sardines, Olive Oil, Salt


PRICE:
Thanks to Happiness is Portuguese Made for these tins.

OVERALL:
A faint, almost undetectable aroma of lemon upon opening. Four plump, tightly packed fish to the tin. The oil possesses a lovely amber hue. A soft textured fish, a fresh-tasting fish; no strong or overpowering flavors. The lemon flavor is subtle, with no after-taste. Not a spiny fish; scales are present, not noticeable. A refreshing tin of fish. I would and will eat again. ( could easily be a favorite)  5 Sardines.

LA GONDOLA:  ESCABECHADAS

APPEARANCE:

NUTRITION:
Energy- 987kj/2359kcal
Fat- 16g
Protein- 20g
Salt- 1,3g


PRODUCT OF:
Portugal


INGREDIENTS:
Sardines, Olive Oil, tomato, onion, vinegar, spices, and salt



PRICE:
Thanks to Happiness is Portuguese Made for these tins. 

OVERALL:
A brief marinade aroma is detected upon opening; it disperses as quickly as it lets itself known. A medium-textured fish. A very mild and flavorful marinade. A great blend of spices, nothing is fighting to make itself known, a very well balance of flavors. The best-marinaded sardines I've had to date leaves no strong aftertaste, a very clean-tasting fish. ( I wonder if they have a master blender for spices and marinades as the states do for bourbon?) Perhaps they kiss each sardine and pack them with love. They are that good. I would and will eat again. 5 sardines.

Conservas Pinhas- 152

CONSERVAS PINHAIS: IN TOMATO SAUCE

 APPEARANCE:

NUTRITION:
N/A


PRODUCT OF:
Portugal


INGREDIENTS:
Sardines, Pure Olive Oil, Tomato Sauce, Salt



PRICE:
Thanks to Happiness is Portuguese Made for these tins. 

OVERALL:
A faint tomato aroma upon opening. Four plump, tightly packed fish to the tin. A mild tomato sauce flavor hits you on the first bite, a flavorful sauce. A nice textured fish, the fish, holds their shape well while removing from tin. Not a spiny fish, no strong taste or after. A clean-tasting fish with good flavor. I consumed the entire tin without even bringing out any crackers. I would and will eat again. 5 sardines.

CONSERVAS PINHAIS:IN OLIVE OIL

APPEARANCE:

NUTRITION:
N/A


PRODUCT OF:
Portugal


INGREDIENTS:
Sardines, Pure Olive Oil, Salt



PRICE:
Thanks to Happiness is Portuguese Made for these tins. 

OVERALL:
I'm met with a very faint olive Oil aroma upon opening. Five meaty fish to the tin. A mild tasting fish, Olive oil leaves no strong after taste, nor are there any fish after taste. A good even texture throughout the fish, no soft spots. Not a spiny fish.
I've tasted this tin before... Then it hit me, this tin is my childhood! This tin of fish tastes exactly the same as the sardines I used to eat with my father as a boy. I would eat again. 5 sardines.

CONSERVAS PINHAIS: SPICED IN OLIVE OIL 125 GRS

APPEARANCE:

NUTRITION:
N/A


PRODUCT OF:
Portugal


INGREDIENTS:
Sardines, Pure Olive Oil, Piri-Piri, Cucumber, Cloves, Black Pepper, Carrot, Laurel, Salt



PRICE:
Thanks to Happiness is Portuguese Made for these tins. 

OVERALL:
A nice subtle peppery aroma upon opening. Six medium-sized fish to the tin, a beautiful amber hue to the oil. A medium textured fish, a faint flavor of clove makes itself known, spice is the second row that slowly creeps up, not overpowering the blend of flavors this tin possess. An extremely clean-tasting fish and oil. The flavors of this tin are superb. If you eat crackers or the sorts with this tin, you are doing an injustice to the fish. The tin leaves me craving more. I will eat again. 5 sardines.

CONSERVAS PINHAIS: SPPICED IN OLIVE OIL 90 GRS

APPEARANCE:

NUTRITION:
N/A


PRODUCT OF:
Portugal


INGREDIENTS:
Sardines,  Pure Olive Oil, Piri-Piri, Cucumber, Cloves, Black Pepper, Carrot, Laurel, Salt



PRICE:
Thanks to Happiness is Portuguese Made for these tins. 


OVERALL:
 My craving for another tin was met with this tin. Being labeled the same with identical ingredients, I was expecting an identical experience. This tin is more shallow than the one before it, with smaller-sized fish. Six small fish to the tin, spice heat does not take the 2nd row to this tin. A nice heat hits you on the first bite, followed by the balance of flavors the tin possesses. Another tin of great-tasting fish as above. This tin is my favorite to date, mouth orgasm. Not a spiny fish, a great textured fish, no after taste present; just an even spice after the tone. A great tin of fish. This must be what happy Sardines taste like. 5 strong sardines!

National Sardines Day 2015

Vintage King Oscar

King Oscar Vintage. I never knew such a thing existed other than the tin of King Oscars' that I occasionally find in the back of a cupboard. That is until this past December when King Oscar ran their annual Haiku contest. Select winners were awarded a tin of Vintage 1999 King Oscar Sardines. I was fortunate enough to win such a tin. I was also fortunate enough to receive three tins from other sardine Eaters that could not bring themselves to eat a tin of vintage sardines.  Up until then, I thought only the French aged their sardines. It seems Norwegians have their little fish secrets--at least starting in 1993, when King Oscar first started aging Sardines. From KO Facebook:

 "Every year since 1993 when the tradition began, King Oscar produces a small batch of "Vintage Bristling Sardines" from what is considered the best catch of any particular year. This short run is sold in select stores in Norway, otherwise we store small quantities for special occasions".

King Oscar Vintage Sardines come in a set of three in a gift box that includes a certificate with information about the fishing boat, along with the place and date of the catch. Only receiving one tin, I did not receive a box or certificate. I would of like to, honestly. I wonder what they did with all the empty boxes? 

Photo: Via King Oscar product page. http://www.kingoscar.no/produkt/argangssardiner/

I've always been a fan of wrapped label tinned sardines, which are more popular in Portugal. Many sardine canneries are using plastic-wrapped tins.

label from the 2013 year. Photo via King Oscar Facebook.



Only having aged sardines from France, I was curious as to what to expect from King Oscar. My first thought was how are they aging them? Setting them in a dark warehouse somewhere perhaps... are they being flipped periodically throughout the years? I'm a huge fan of aged sardines, especially French ones. 

Popping open the tin, I am met with an aroma of olive oil. In King Oscar fashion, they are a tin of two layers. All else in appearance is what you would expect from a tin of King Oscar. 

    Removing the fish from the tin, using the server, they held their shape well.  Pretty little fish.

Being a tin of "Vintage" King Oscar, I found it only suiting to break out the vintage King Oscar sardine prong. (Being made in Germany, I'm curious about the year this device was made?)

These sardines were softer in texture compared to the ones not aged. The little fish broke apart pretty easily while attempting to impale the little fish. 

It was time to go back to the Sardine Server to get these little tender fish out of the tin. 

The fish themselves had a very mild flavor. The olive oil balanced out nicely. Like wine, olive oil in any given year can make or break a can of sardines, sometimes contributing to a bitter taste or some may even call it a green taste. I took my time to consume the tin. It was a very good treat indeed. While a tin from 1999 may seem like an old tin, I've had tins much older. The quality of the these fish and tin remains great. I would like to see these offered in the States, but I'm sure it would be based on consumer wants or willingness. 

Bottom of tin: Norway



Sadly, most Americans live by that expiration date printed on food packages. A day before or after, and people trash it. Aged sardines may be a hard sale to the mass public. If you have never tried aged sardines, as I've said numerous times, "You owe it to yourself." While you may not be able to find some vintage King Oscars nearby, you should be able to locate some aged French sardines at a specialty store or even online. Or, you can age your own. I always have some tins on hand that's ageing. I flip them about every 6 months. Just store them in a dark, cool location. 

I like to keep sardines for aging in old military ammo cans. The size will determine how many tins they will hold. (Olive oil seems to be the medium of choice for aging sardines.) I use a medium-sized ammo can. Each ammo can hold 27 tins of sardines.

vintage, King Oscar, 1999. Vintage Stanley thermos around 1913.

With the Vintage Sardines, who could resist some photo ops. Sardine food porn at its finest.

For more info on King Oscars aged sardines click HERE

King Oscar offers different variety of flavors of little fish in different areas.

Check out their other sites for more info.


Click HERE to see what is offered in other countries. 


Rather it's aged sardines or a tin fresh off the shipping truck, keep popping those tins, Sardine Eaters!