Description
Ingredients: Pacific Oysters (Crassostrea gigas), Organic Sunflower Oil, Salt, Tomatoes, Habanero Peppers, Garlic, Hot Sauce (water, chili peppers, habanero peppers, tomato paste, vinegar, salt, garlic, onion spices, xanthan gum), Organic Sugar, Organic Garlic Powder, Organic Onion Powder, Citric Acid, Natural Smoke.
WARNING: CONSUMING THIS PRODUCT CAN EXPOSE YOU TO CHEMICALS INCLUDING CADMIUM, WHICH ARE KNOWN TO THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA TO CAUSE CANCER AND BIRTH DEFECTS OR OTHER REPRODUCTIVE HARM. FOR MORE INFORMATION GO TO: WWW.P65WARNINGS.CA.GOV/FOOD
See what Matthew Carlson has to say about these spicy smoked oysters in the most gourmet bloody mary we’ve ever seen.
Hream McDan (verified owner) –
Whoa. 5 stars out of 5. If you’re reading this, BUY THIS before reading further.
Disclaimer: I am not a big oyster guy. I enjoy them in gumbo, I like them fried, I can tolerate them raw (but I never seek that out). I’m always open to trying new ways to have something that I feel like I *should* like … and I’ve always felt like I should like oysters. Well, this is it. This is the best oyster experience I’ve had.
The tin seems small at first but there’s actually a LOT of oysters in there. They didn’t fill up the tin with oil or anything else, it’s all just oysters. They’re big with a perfectly moist texture, not too soft, not chewy. They aren’t beautiful to look at, but if you’re reading this then you already knew that. The habanero heat is an absolutely ideal medium / medium-hot. Each oyster has a very light coating of sauce but is by no means swimming in any liquid. Since the habanero powers so much of the flavor profile, I can’t really say I noticed smoke here but certainly would say these had a wonderful depth of flavor.
Place an oyster on a cracker, then eat. I had mine with Wheat Thins and WOW … this is the oyster experience I’ve been searching for. It’s certainly not an inexpensive can but I’m gonna tell ya, this can is worth the splurge. I’ve got to try the other Ekone oyster tins now, it’s going to be hard to beat this habanero one … I have a feeling that I’ll be every-other-month splurging on Ekone moving forward.
Greg L (verified owner) –
These were good. Great smoky habanero flavor. Not as spicy as I’d expect, but I like things rather spicy. There was very little sauce to speak of, but the oysters were coated well. I haven’t had smoked oysters from a tin before, but the texture was just about what I expected. Pretty firm, not dry, pretty meaty. Most of the oysters appeared to be cut in portions. The oyster flavor was decent. I think if you like smoked oysters, these are a great treat. I enjoyed them on some high-quality potato chips. All that being said, I probably won’t purchase these again. I far prefer raw oysters and the enjoyment vs price equation isn’t balanced for me personally. These are good, but leave me wanting the real thing. Raw and freshly shucked. If you like smoked oysters, I’m sure these will be a hit.
suzjackson (verified owner) –
As a lifelong smoked oyster fan (Santa used to fill my stocking with tins from the grocery store) I had high expectations, and these certainly hit the mark. They’re big oysters, very meaty, and in my opinion, hold a really pleasant amount of heat. They could have been spicier, sure, but I think that would have detracted from the lovely smokiness. They’re neither oily nor are they dry, and they’re packed generously.
If you’re new to smoked oysters, do know that this is a totally different experience from that of a raw, grilled, or steamed oyster (just as a raw oyster is different from a grilled oyster, and a grilled oyster from a steamed oyster, etc.) With that being said, if you aren’t a fan of other variations of oyster, hey! You just might love these.
I just ordered a batch of tinned fish to gift to my parents as an early Christmas treat, and included these without hesitation. And we’ve come full circle!
twa101 (verified owner) –
To start off, I am not an oyster fan, and I was a bit nervous to try this tin that was part of my Omakase purchase. I was pleasantly surprised upon opening the can to find that the oysters did not smell fishy at all, in fact the smell was reminiscent of a can of baked beans. I did not get any chile smell at all either. Granted, they donāt have a whole lot of visual appear but does an oyster ever have visual appeal? They looked a bit like sautĆ©ed mushrooms in barbecue sauce. Taste wise, they are fantastic. Nice smokey flavor but not overpowering and finally, a can that delivers with some heat! Just a little bit of burn from the Habs on the lips and in the throat. I was worried that it might be too acrid as is often the case with smoked hot sauces, but the flavor is well balanced. You could still get a bit of the briny flavor of the sea. The texture was very soft, but I really loved the taste, and scarfed the tin down in no time at all with some crackers and had an overall enjoyable experience.
josephraa (verified owner) –
I really really enjoyed these. Definitely pricey compared to the grocery store stuff like Crown Prince or whatever, but none of those other brands have anything flavored like this. The quality of the oysters themselves was pretty good, but imo it’s really the unique flavor that makes them worth the price as an occasional treat. I was worried they might be overly sweet as I’m typically not a fan of maple for smoking, but the sweetness was very subtle and played well with the habanero flavor. They say that they’re brined with two different habanero sauces before smoking and I think that definitely made a big difference compared to other smoked oysters. There was a delicious flavor that permeated throughout each oyster; it wasn’t just plain-tasting oysters covered in sauce.
Speaking of sauce though, the sauce they’re in is of course equally tasty. And I was very happy to see that my tin was packed full of oysters which were coated in the sauce, rather than like half packed and just swimming in excess sauce. Helped me feel better about the price knowing the small-ish tin was crammed as full as possible. Going back to the overall flavor of everything, it is a very delicious smokey habanero flavor as you’d expect, but really not super hot. Quite mild imo although I have a high tolerance (I grow/eat fresh habs regularly; def not as hot as a fresh hab or most of the hab-based hot sauces I keep around). So should be fine for those who don’t have a crazy high tolerance but want more kick than you’ll get from most other “spicy”/”hot” tins that feel like they just happened to pass a single jalapeno on the highway.
Anyways, after trying one by itself, I decided to pair the tin with a bowl of Nongshim Shin Black Ramyun. Dumped it all in, including the little bit of extra sauce. Fantastic pairing and I would 100% recommend pairing it up like this. I think it would also go great with Nissin Raoh Tonkotsu, Nissin Demae Tonkotsu w/Black Garlic Oil, Maruchan Gold Spicy Miso, or any other spicy or tonkotsu broth base that you like. Tinned oysters in general go great with those things I’ve found, but this tin adds something really special with the flavor.
Christine Stevenson (verified owner) –
Talk about an impressive tin! From the moment I opened it, I was pleased. The presentation of these is delightful: a beautifully deep burnt orange and caramelized brown color saturates these (mostly) whole oysters, teasing the nature of the smoky-spiced treat before you while a lovely, smoky ocean-brine scent fills the nostrils. The taste and texture are just as impressive. The flavor of the oysters themselves is balanced perfectly with the rich smokiness and just-assertive-enough spice. The texture is soft in some spots and firm in others, making for a pleasingly varied textural exploration. I ate these on potato chips with a garlic scape pesto cheese spread and it was a divine experience!
Christopher Therrien (verified owner) –
The tin had 6 or 7 large oysters, hard to tell as some were cut in sections to accommodate the can. There wasnāt much sauce, but the oysters were permeated with it.
I think the habanero flavor was a bit muted, I take it they use two kinds of peppers which are added to a brine, then, after the oysters have soaked in that a bit, they are then smoked. They definitely had a nice smokey flavor. Very meaty, yet tender with a medium heat.
Iād buy these again for a special occasion, but felt theyāre a bit pricey for regular consumption.
Four out of five fish. šššš
emosberger (verified owner) –
What a delectable tin this was! I must admit I am new to experiencing tinned smoked oysters and figured might as well start with this one. Nice packaging and upon opening the tin was greeted with a spicy smoky aroma. The oysters were jammed packed in there with just enough sauce to coat each individual. The flavor was a nice smoked habanero profile but not too hot – the oysters themselves had a wonderful firm texture that I wasnāt expecting as a novice but really enjoyed.
Had several on their own, then placed the remainder of the tin unto a bed of warm rice with chili crisp. One of the best lunches Iāve had in a while and I think Iāll be getting this tin again now that I know what smoked oysters are like.
Robert Brown (verified owner) –
These are the first smoked oysters I have had, and they were spectacular. The smell is not fishy, slightly smoked, with a little pepper coming through. The tin is packed with oysters. The flavor is like a hot BBQ sauce. The habanero comes through enough to feel the heat, but it is by no means hot enough to need a water break. The texture is also great. I was worried they would be soft and mushy. Some parts are soft, but not unpleasantly so. At the same time there are meaty bites that are firm, which I believe is the adductor muscle of the oyster. This provides a great contrast. What a great tin.
TinnedFishStoner (verified owner) –
I’ve never had tinned or smoked oysters before, i’ve only ever had raw oysters which i really enjoy and have had quite a few times, this but I was pleasantly surprised, the habanero was very noticeable and the oysters are really meaty, I honestly expected these to be more on the mushy side but I’m glad they’re not. I absolutely love the habanero seasoning on these oysters because it really reminds me of a seafood version of Vacadillos habanero carne seca which is something I immediately noticed upon tasting the oysters but made me love these even more because I wasn’t sure what to expect before opening it up and eating it. This tin is worth stocking up on if you enjoy spicy things, I would rate this a 5 out of 10 in spiciness because the spice is definitely there, but it’s easy to cool down from it if you have a chilled drink with you. I liked these so much that I even drank the remaining sauce in the tin after I finished the oysters.
Mike Turpie (verified owner) –
These oysters are high quality. Cooked just right – not over cooked like some supermarket smoked oyster brands. They are also actually spicy, unlike many āspicyā tinned seafood products. I like smoked oysters, and I like spicy oysters- my favorite way to eat them is raw with a drop of Tabasco. So, spicy smoked oysters should be great, right? I did enjoy these, but I neglected to realize that being smoked in a sauce with tomatoes they would of course taste like they had barbecue sauce on them. This is just not my ideal oyster flavor combo. The oysters are very large compared with the tin – note it is only 3oz. I didnāt count, but there were only 3 or 4. The small count, small tin, and highish price combined to give me a feeling that I was not getting a great value. I would be open to trying the other flavors, but at this price point, itās a tough sell.
ravg (verified owner) –
Disclaimer that I’ve never had fresh oysters before, so I’m really comparing these against other canned fish. These were delicious, but I’m also a huge fan of habanero. A lot of times “habanero” is disappointing, but these had a great spice level and smokiness, the fruitness of the pepper really comes through. The meat is large chunks, and relatively soft, I would prefer a more firm texture. Overall I would buy these again but like others said, hard to justify the price/size ratio (though there’s more than you would expect).
SK (verified owner) –
I selected this tin because I liked the pretty art on the box and I was surprised at how much I loved the oysters. The tin had maybe 3-4 large pieces and the rest were smaller chunks. The sauce was lightly coating the oysters and it gave enough bite without being overwhelmingly spicy. I will definitely get this can again
Andrew Tolston (verified owner) –
Venturing into the world of tinned and smoked oysters for the first time, I was pleasantly surprised by the Habanero-infused goodness of this tin. I was pleased to find these oysters delightfully meaty and not mushy as expected. Frankly I was blown away by the kick and deep flavor of these guys — I was planning on tasting them to figure out a dish to make, and ended up devouring the entire tin with a fork and drinking the sauce. For someone who loves spicy food, it was refreshing to see a product that actually packed the advertised kick. Also, the tin seems absolutely packed with oysters, they are fairly small but the quantity its excellent. 5/5 for me.