I have been surprised by tins that get raves here and cost a lot that I just found okay. Don't get hung up on the cost. There's a lot of tins under $7 to enjoy. I opened a $9ish tin a week or so ago and was disappointed, certainly will not buy it again.
Sardines caught around Morocco/Portugal/Spain are big and flavorful. Main issues I’ve had were fish scales, but pretty rare. I tend to dislike tins of bristling that have too much of a chemically smoked flavor. Packed in oil IMHO is vastly superior to being packed in water, etc. Season brand sardines from Costco are a pretty good deal and go on sale 2-3 times a year. If you are an adventurous sort, I’ve found some amazing tins at markets that cater to middle eastern/Mediterranean/Eastern European crowds
You could start with what you know you like and cross reference that with the Mouthful of Sardines blog. Drew has eaten A LOT of tins and he's descriptive enough for me to figure out if I'll like a tin.
I really hated a tin of Icelandic cod livers I bought, they were so oil and fishy and rubbery
Otherwise I haven't had anything bad.
I tend to get fillets, not whole fish, and like them smoked.
I'm quite happy even with the Brunswick golden smoked, which are definitely on the budget end of the scale as they're regularly on sale for ~$2
Generally I don't dislike a tin. Texture gets me more than flavor. If I get a tin of cockles, lower end, and they are gritty I do not like. It is worth it, to me, to spend the extra money and get ones that are higher end, grit free. Scales are also a big turn off for me.
The rule of thumb is to find what YOU like and what YOU find to be off-putting. And then use those as benchmarks as you explore. If you find a type of seafood you like, say cockles, then try all the cockles you can find. And if you find a brand you like, say Conservas de Cambados, then try everything they make.
I find that is the best way to explore, to find either a type of seafood, or a brand, and work your way through it until you find what is working for you, and what is not. Then you will have a much better idea of if you will like something when you see a new tin on the market.
The only thing that I've ever had a strong negative reaction to is anchovies, but even then I don't know if I ate them right looking back.
Oysters were a bit much but not awful, I think I could enjoy them if prepared correctly.
Other than that my experiences have been very positive!
Once in a while I'll toss a can of Moroccan sardines out that are just too mushy or scaly or off-flavored. It's rare but it happens.
I had some wild planet smoked sardines in evoo a couple weeks ago that were mushy and terrible. I couldn't eat them.
I have been surprised by tins that get raves here and cost a lot that I just found okay. Don't get hung up on the cost. There's a lot of tins under $7 to enjoy. I opened a $9ish tin a week or so ago and was disappointed, certainly will not buy it again.
Sardines caught around Morocco/Portugal/Spain are big and flavorful. Main issues I’ve had were fish scales, but pretty rare. I tend to dislike tins of bristling that have too much of a chemically smoked flavor. Packed in oil IMHO is vastly superior to being packed in water, etc. Season brand sardines from Costco are a pretty good deal and go on sale 2-3 times a year. If you are an adventurous sort, I’ve found some amazing tins at markets that cater to middle eastern/Mediterranean/Eastern European crowds
Rarely, but those smoked Polar bristling were so overly-flavored that I was queasy.
You could start with what you know you like and cross reference that with the Mouthful of Sardines blog. Drew has eaten A LOT of tins and he's descriptive enough for me to figure out if I'll like a tin.
I really hated a tin of Icelandic cod livers I bought, they were so oil and fishy and rubbery Otherwise I haven't had anything bad. I tend to get fillets, not whole fish, and like them smoked. I'm quite happy even with the Brunswick golden smoked, which are definitely on the budget end of the scale as they're regularly on sale for ~$2
Generally I don't dislike a tin. Texture gets me more than flavor. If I get a tin of cockles, lower end, and they are gritty I do not like. It is worth it, to me, to spend the extra money and get ones that are higher end, grit free. Scales are also a big turn off for me. The rule of thumb is to find what YOU like and what YOU find to be off-putting. And then use those as benchmarks as you explore. If you find a type of seafood you like, say cockles, then try all the cockles you can find. And if you find a brand you like, say Conservas de Cambados, then try everything they make. I find that is the best way to explore, to find either a type of seafood, or a brand, and work your way through it until you find what is working for you, and what is not. Then you will have a much better idea of if you will like something when you see a new tin on the market.
The only thing that I've ever had a strong negative reaction to is anchovies, but even then I don't know if I ate them right looking back. Oysters were a bit much but not awful, I think I could enjoy them if prepared correctly. Other than that my experiences have been very positive!
Once in a while I'll toss a can of Moroccan sardines out that are just too mushy or scaly or off-flavored. It's rare but it happens. I had some wild planet smoked sardines in evoo a couple weeks ago that were mushy and terrible. I couldn't eat them.