u/balearicbeats

Anchovies this time, with piment d’Espelette, from La Perle des Dieux. I enjoy rotating between sardines, mackerel and anchovies.

According to the tin, they’re prepared “façon sardine”. I assume that means lightly fried or cooked in oil.

5 large anchovies in the tin, and although the tin itself weighs 5 grams less than the Olasagasti anchovy tin I recently had (which also contained 5), these actually seemed slightly bigger.

They’re bathed in vibrant reddish olive oil - the piment d’Espelette was already making itself known from the first glance.

Taste: more than solid. Quite a firm bite, maybe a little drier than the Olasagasti, but definitely not throat-blocking.

The piment d’Espelette does exactly what piment d’Espelette is supposed to do: give you a warm mouthfeel, a gentle glow, not a kick in the mouth. Together with the equally well-judged salt level, it makes this a tin you devour with gusto.

Nice tin. Good stuff.

Part 4 of my Sardinha test: steamed and lightly smoked sardines in olive oil.

Previously tested: their sardines in spicy olive oil with pickle (outstanding), the small sardines in olive oil (outstanding), and the sardines in olive oil with red pepper (the red pepper added no real value, but the fish themselves were still outstanding).

Long story short: 4 tested, 4 strikes in a row.
What can I even still say that I haven’t already said? Their sardines are just. so. good. For me, the absolute perfection in terms of texture, and flawlessly canned.

A special mention as well for the smoke. As labeled, these are lightly smoked. The smoke here is a perfect servant to the fish, not the other way around. Subtly present in the background, without demanding the leading role. One plus one equals three.

I ate them with a bit of pickled onion and a pinch of pul biber. Heavenly.

Folks at Sardinha: you rock.

[I am not sponsored in any way to say this]

A quick bite with these sardines in olive oil with red pepper from Sardinha.

This is the third variety from Sardinha that I’ve opened. The previous varieties completely won me over thanks to the sheer quality of the fish and the steaming process they’ve mastered to perfection. So fresh, so pristine, so perfect in texture and bite - absolutely top-tier.

This one was the least impressive of the three so far. But simply because I couldn’t find any added value in the red pepper. I just couldn’t taste it at all (according to the label, the tin contains 0.3% red pepper). In the end, it simply tasted like sardines - which, again, were excellent on their own.

Save yourself the trouble and/or money and go for other varieties from this brand, because they are absolutely worth discovering. I’d argue that, purely in terms of fish quality and the way they are handled, very few other brands come close.

Latest snack: sprats “au piment” from L’atelier Sea Frais, my first tin from this producer from France, in the bay of Mont-Saint-Michel.

The sprats (Sprattus sprattus) are sourced from FAO zone 27.III.d. They are only caught in winter and, according to the producer, never frozen.

The tin is further filled with olive oil, carrot, a pinch of salt, and peppers, including 0.02% jalapeño.

What immediately stands out in the transparent tin is how finely diced the carrot is. Not just a slice like with many others, but true brunoise. You also immediately notice two peppers instead of the usual one.

The smell upon opening is fishier than with some other brands, but not to the point where it becomes unpleasant. You can also pick up a bit of smokiness.

Although I’m sometimes a bit wary of fish from the Baltic Sea, there was little to criticize about the quality of these sprats: no grit or other impurities to be found. The tin doesn’t explicitly mention it, but the sprats are unmistakably smoked as well. That smoke comes through clearly, but without being overpowering.

The spiciness was probably the biggest highlight for me. This tin definitely has a noticeable warmth and kick, much more than other spicy or spiced tins from other brands, but without setting your mouth on fire. In that regard, it fully delivers on its “au piment” promise.

Only minor downside: for me personally, the sprats may have been just slightly too soft. Just by a hair though, they certainly weren’t mushy.

All in all, a decent tin, especially for those who enjoy a bit of heat. I ate them on their own, but I think they would shine even more with something on the side, even if it’s just a cracker.

Very happy that I came across these and, of course, as a fan of spicy and hot food, I was very curious to see whether they could live up to their name. I think I speak for many people when I say that I usually end up somewhat underwhelmed when opening a tin of “spicy” sardines.

These “Hot Fish” sardines from La Belle-Iloise are fairly new, a collaboration with Maison Martin, who created the sauce. It’s made with habanero and promises a “9 out of 12” heat level.

When opening the tin, you’re greeted by five beautiful sardines in a slightly reddish oil (rapeseed oil, by the way, not olive oil). The smell is really good, not at all musty or overly fishy, and the habanero definitely comes through.

But then of course the big question: are these really hot fish with a 9/12 heat level?

Let me start by saying that these are absolutely not comparable to the regular “spicy sardines” from the well-known brands. They are noticeably spicier, with a warm glow in mouth and throat. But they are not blazing hot, and the heat also fades fairly quickly. The flavor and fruitiness of the habanero come through beautifully: this is genuinely a well-balanced, tasty sauce/oil. And oh yeah, the sardines themselves are also of high quality and expertly canned - as we’ve come to expect from La Belle-Iloise.

I ate the sardines on their own and happily finished the whole tin. Curious to see how they’ll pair with, for example, some rice or potatoes and some fresh cucumber.

I’ll buy these again.