What Is Your Favourite Tinned Plain Sardines Brand?

tulip99 on 20/01/2022 - 10:24

I was watching a Keto prepper video on Youtube the other day and he said that sardines in water are good to have in the pantry as they're very nutritious and have vit D (if I remember correctly). I bought a tin last year - either Brunswick or King Oscar - and I thought they were disgusting! They didn't taste at all as I remember growing up with a sharp fishy taste I used to love. Last year's sardines were faintly fishy and just yuck.

Does anyone have a sardine brand they love? I already have tinned tuna and salmon in the pantry.

Food & Grocery Sardine

Comments

  • Muzeeb on 20/01/2022 - 10:25

    JWR - John West Rejects

  • bohn on 20/01/2022 - 10:43
    +3

    My cat used to enjoy Brunswick Sardines In Springwater No Added Salt

    • RD ADL on 26/01/2022 - 07:10

      hahaha. Our dog did too. That said, so do I. :-)

  • mapax on 20/01/2022 - 10:56

    I don’t recall tinned sardines ever having a sharp fishy taste. How long ago are you talking about? Are you sure they were sardines and not something else?

    • tulip99 on 20/01/2022 - 11:23
      +1

      45 years ago!

      • mapax on 20/01/2022 - 11:37

        I haven’t tried any from that era. Perhaps you were getting sardines in brine back in the day instead of these modern ones that are in spring water?

        • tulip99 on 20/01/2022 - 12:27

          Could be. Or oil. I can't remember, just that sharp fishiness I loved, and then as I got older, I didn't like that same taste any more. But I'm trying to stock the pantry a bit to counteract food shortages so thought it wouldn't hurt to have a healthy protein in there that's not tuna or salmon.

          • Hector on 21/01/2022 - 08:36

            @tulip99: Mix with Dijon mustard

          • boxtrot19 on 21/01/2022 - 10:56
            +2

            @tulip99: Its fine enough to buy the Springwater sardines, but once you've drained off the water, drizzle decent extra virgin olive oil, some balsamic vinegar & season with salt & freshly ground black pepper. The difference will be staggering. Also, do consider buying ones you like and enjoy but in tomato sauce…..get some nice bread, ciabatta or whatever, slice, place a layer of the sardines on it & place under a grill - grilling the sardines will, again, change the flavour of the sardines very much.
            If you can find Sardines fresh…Coles sell them frequently in the deli area…wash & prep the sardines, apply a little EV Olive oil & grill, or, dust the sardines with a little cornflour with some salt mixed-in with it, shake off the excess, and lightly shallow fry - using fresh ones is the best of all, and well worth any extra effort you'll put in.
            Hope this might be useful..Enjoy!!

            • tulip99 on 25/01/2022 - 09:38

              @boxtrot19: Thanks! I haven't seen fresh sardines in Coles but haven't looked for them. I had freshly grilled sardines once in a Portugese restaurant and I liked them.

  • jimbobaus on 20/01/2022 - 11:00

    The ones that are in the bin where they belong

  • OzChick on 20/01/2022 - 11:02
    +2

    It depends. Asian here, I like the Ayam brand ones in tomato sauce. Keen to try Korean/Filipino brands if anyone had any recommendations.

    • boxtrot19 on 21/01/2022 - 11:06
      +2

      My wife is Filipina…she recommends Atami and also 555 & Family's brand - not so easy to find outside of smaller specialist Asian outlets.
      She does, though, really like buying them fresh, in Coles usually, preparing them, dusting with a little cornflour & salt and shallow frying them, for a great crispy result. Also, brushing with a little extra virgin olive oil & under a hot grill, they also come out really great.
      I will add, that it's myself, her husband, that does all this !!! It's really no problem, though, she's worth all the effort & she really loves them!! 👍👍 Hope this helps!

  • Archi on 20/01/2022 - 11:21
    +1

    i like one that is from thailand with tomato sauce in the red oval tin you get from the asian grocery shops (sumaco)

    • JimB on 20/01/2022 - 14:56

      I'm a fan too

      • Archi on 20/01/2022 - 14:59

        been eating the same brand for almost 40 years

  • tulip99 on 20/01/2022 - 11:24
    +1

    Thanks, everyone. I used to add vinegar or lemon juice to the sardines and mash them when I was growing up.

  • GrueHunter on 20/01/2022 - 11:31
    +2

    You want brisling sardines - smaller, much less of that fishy taste you're describing. King Oscar is my fave (their mackerel is great too). I think they taste better in oil too.

    Toast, some extra virgin olive oil, thinly sliced red onion, plenty of cracked black pepper, a little hot sauce or a squeeze of lemon - hells yes. Also great as a sandwich if you throw in some rocket and sliced tomato.

    EDIT: I just realised you want more fishiness, not less. Maybe you bought brisling sardines after all, in which case, don't buy brisling sardines!

    • tulip99 on 20/01/2022 - 12:25
      +1

      Thanks. I don't know if I bought brisling sardines - I hadn't bought any in years but remembered King Oscar and Brunswick brands. I'll buy a tin that aren't brisling and add a bit of vinegar. Hopefully they'll be edible.

  • animasoIa on 20/01/2022 - 11:35
    +5

    My wife and I love the Seacrown Sardines from Coles, i think they are from Vietnam. Really cheap, but we do get the tomato and oil variants and cook them up with garlic, onions & chilli. We tried the same with the Aldi ones and hated it.

    We eat it with rice, and kinda looks like this: https://www.cookmeindonesian.com/tumis-sardines-sauteed-cann…

    • tulip99 on 20/01/2022 - 12:26

      Thanks :-) They look yummy :-)

  • Baysew on 20/01/2022 - 11:49

    Acme.

  • Stopback on 20/01/2022 - 11:54

    Add sardines to instant noodles or soup.

    Less smell. I buy the cheap aldi ones. Tomatoes.

    You get less. But doesn't stink as much.

    Don't put it in an omelete

    • tulip99 on 20/01/2022 - 12:24

      Thanks :-)

  • iamherenow on 20/01/2022 - 12:36

    I find the main difference with sardine quality is bone size. Can't stand crunchy sardines.

    • tulip99 on 20/01/2022 - 12:46

      Me either :-(

      • tonyjzx on 07/02/2022 - 05:13

        calcium

        but yes, they can boil it harder to dissolve the bones.

  • Hithere on 20/01/2022 - 15:17

    They used to taste good and were a lot smaller. I think they were in oil.

    I smother mine in salt and pepper and a generous amount of vinegar.

  • carwashhair on 20/01/2022 - 15:48
    +1

    Santamaria Portuguese sardines in Hot Sauce (in Oil with Chilli) are my go-to. Not as easy to find any more. Don't think the brand does a springwater version but may be wrong.

  • sharkyoz on 20/01/2022 - 17:19

    Brunswick

    • jv on 20/01/2022 - 17:23
      +2

      Coburg is a bit cheaper, but close enough.

  • Catullus on 20/01/2022 - 18:58

    Very interesting about sardines - notice the good ones,King Oscar and Brunswick used to come from Canada or USA
    are all labelled, 'packed in Poland." ?

    • ffhound on 03/02/2022 - 17:40

      There's something fishy about their country of origin labelling.

  • subydooby on 21/01/2022 - 07:56
    -1

    Sardines are super gross….

  • [Deactivated] on 21/01/2022 - 07:58

    My fussy cat will no longer eat King Oscar sardines.

  • kasi on 21/01/2022 - 11:32
    +1

    When I used to eat sardines more for taste, I got King Oscar in tomato sauce or extra virgin olive oil. They are smoked and have salt added, so have a stronger taste. "Packed in Poland". I then switched to often having King Oscar mackerel as I preferred it. Smoked and "Made in Poland".

    Now that I have changed my diet to eat less added oil, carbohydrates and salt I get John West Wild Scottish sardines in spring water. They are very small ones and have salt added. Like most sardines in springwater that aren't smoked they have relatively little flavour. "Made in Scotland".

    More recently I also get Brunswick in springwater with no added salt. "Made in Poland." These are quite large ones. With no added salt they have almost no flavour at all. You can add herbs, lemon juice or other low/no salt flavourings if you wish.

    Before I was eating more for health, I would have probably considered those Brunswick sardines to be horrible.

    Assuming that price isn't important, your choice depends on which aspects you which to emphasize, lower additives and salt or greater flavour. People have different dietary needs and beliefs due to medical issues, sports training or weight loss/fitness goals.

    Many people are used to the taste of salt added to cooked food and in condiments, sometimes quite a lot. So any that has no salt added may taste bland to them.

    If you are searching to replicate the taste of King Oscar sardines from many years ago, I think that will not be possible. The reason is they used to be packed in sild sardine oil. Sardines in sardine oil was a double whammy of sardine flavour. They had a beautiful strong flavour, I used to have them on toast with tomato and cheese, melted under the griller.

    After fish oil capsules became much more popular as a health product, they removed the sild sardine oil and started packing them in other oils. I don't think the omega 3 content of those sardines was shown back then, it would have possibly been sky high.

    • JimB on 24/01/2022 - 14:50

      Isn't the olive oil in King Oscar's extra virgin olive oil healthy for you?

    • tulip99 on 25/01/2022 - 09:41

      Thanks. That makes a lot of sense :-) I don't add salt to my food and I try not to eat a lot of processed/packet stuff, but I do like using Dolmio pasta sauce or Spice Tailor Indian kits when I make my meals. But I get 5-6 serves out of one jar of sauce/kit.

  • suzley on 21/01/2022 - 11:33

    Deep Cove Wild Caught Sardines in Oil. 85c at Woolworths. My dogs like them.

  • patchydog on 21/01/2022 - 15:47

    many years ago i used to love Rob Roy Scottish sardines in tomato sauce but don't know if you can still buy them?.

  • Jared17 on 21/01/2022 - 15:53

    I had the Portuguese branded one from Harris farm before and they are best I ever had. Would eat them everyday if they weren’t so expensive

    • tulip99 on 21/01/2022 - 18:25
      +1

      UPDATE: Today I bought 1 tin of John West Scottish sardines in spring water, and 1 tin of Solemare sardines in extra virgin olive oil. Both cost $2.80 each. Fingers crossed I like them!

  • skillet on 23/01/2022 - 17:48

    As far as I know KingOscar taste the same 28 years ago when I first tried it.

  • tonyjzx on 07/02/2022 - 05:12

    I would say IGA black and gold. But since I dont have an IGA near me I havent had it for ages.

    I dont like just about any other generic brand.

    The nice brands I dont think taste that much better than IGA.

    I also used to use get it in oil. Not a fan of water and would tolerate tomato.

  • Enuffstuff on 16/02/2022 - 19:55
    +1

    I remember being fed tinned pilchards as a kid, which are bigger and fishier tasting versions of the smaller fish that get labelled sardines. Haven't seen them in supermarkets for decades, or maybe I only ever had them in South Africa and my memory is failing me

  • Geekomatic on 13/10/2023 - 02:17

    Sole Mare Smoked Bristlings, on water crackers, with cream cheese, capers, and a splash of lemon. Divine!

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