Combo Pack: Vintage Sardines, Is There a Difference?

It is at the beginning of spring that sardines appear on the Breton coast. We do not have our own fleet but we work with the Concarnois purse seiners in order to respect the freshness of the fish.

These sardines are covered with extra virgin olive oil, first cold pressing, renowned and recognized for its superior quality and for its dietetic virtues.

Ranked #85 on the worldbestfish.com Overall list.

115g tin

Pictured on short grain rice with wakame and furikake seasoning.

Vintage sardines from the 2020 season. If you're going to store these or collect vintage sardines, make sure to flip the cans at least once a year. The science is in agreement that sardines aged a year or more are better than just-canned sardines. The "use by" dates on these are 10 years from manufacture. The jury is still out on whether they continue to improve for that long. More research required.

The Vintage sardines from Les Mouettes d'Arvor Ranked #72 on the worldbestfish.com Overall list.

115g tin

Pictured on toasted pumpernickel with horseradish butter and celery root slaw.

This is a deceptive tin of fish. Upon opening they smell delicious, but they look a bit rough. But they taste exactly like what you were hoping for. These are midnight snack champions.

100g (3.5 oz) tin

Pictured pan fried with panko and mayo.

Vintage tinned sardines are made from the best sardines of the season, in limited numbers, harvested when the fish are at their fattiest. These Pollastrini di Anzio Millesimate (Vintage) Sardines in Olive Oil are from the 2020 season, and are ready to eat now, but will continue to improve for years to come.

100g (3.5 oz) tin

Pictured on toasted cheddar guindilla bread with dressed zucchini.

It was in the 1950s, when Joan Tapias was at the forefront of the Espinaler company, when his wife, Ventureta Roldós, created a sauce to dress the Galician shellfish preserves that were served in the ‘Taberna’.

Ventureta, well-known in the village as a great lover of cuisine, gathered together the best ingredients to make Espinaler sauce: top-quality wine vinegar, black pepper, red pepper and a selection of spices that she never reveals.

The result: an unique sauce that some people have tried to copy but none have achieved. With this product, Espinaler has become an icon around Catalonia.

This is not a "hot" sauce in any sense. It is without heat.

92 ml or 750ml (that's the size of a wine bottle, you probably don't want this size until you've gone through a couple of the small ones).