Description
Additional info:
aka: fangst brisling no. 1 – baltic sea sprat smoked w/ heather & chamomile
Species (Latin): Sprattus sprattus
Water: Baltic Sea, FAO 27.III.d
Net weight/Nettovægt: 100g
Ingredients: Smoked sprats (70%), cold pressed rapeseed oil, salt, chamomile (0,25%), heather (0,1%)
Ingredienser: Røgede brislinger (70%), koldpresset rapsolie, salt, kamille (0,25%), lyng (0,1%)
Check out the Mouth Full of Sardines blog post about this tin.
Learn a little about sprats and sardines while @daywithmei opens and enjoys this tin.
See what Matthew Carlson has to say about these sprats.
nickbaileyradio (verified owner) –
My tinned fish budget is pretty modest so I don’t get to buy these as often as I’d like but when I do: whew boy. The smoke, the texture, the bronze skin, all working together for a great bite.
Hream McDan (verified owner) –
EXCEPTIONAL. This is what you hope for when you splurge for that upgrade over your everyday tins. From the first bite, this was ‘whoa.’ The texture is velvet and the fish is absolutely beautiful. Shimmery skin, holds together but perfectly soft and delicate. If you’re a sprat person, if you like just a bit of smoke on your tiny fish, you owe it to yourself to try this.
What does heather & chamomile taste like? Well … I don’t know. I’m not sure how to truly identify those flavors, I would say that there’s a faint hint of something extra in the oil and there’s little bits of flowery-looking things in there too … are those why this is so dang good? Mayyybe? But it doesn’t matter what heather tastes like, all I care about is that this Fangst tin is pure decadence. If you have a few extra dollars to treat yourself today, BUY THIS.
twa101 (verified owner) –
To be honest, I was a bit hesitant to try these as were the first tin of sardines or sprats that I’ve tried that was over four dollars, coming in at $8.50. A hefty waft of smoke hit me when I popped the top and you could tell by their golden color that there is some serious smoke on these puppies. They were tightly packed but very easy to extract from the can intact. There were twenty fish in the tin, ranging from 2.25 inches to 3.75 long and these were the skinniest sardines that I’ve ever seen. As the smell and color suggested, these were heavily smoked. Sprattus baconus. They were moist and soft, but with just enough texture so you know you are still eating whole fish. I was concerned that the tails might be tough, but they were soft, like the texture of a celery leaf, and did not bother me at all. The chamomile & heather provide a mild floral undertone, just barely noticeable over the smoke. These are some special sprats. The only downside is that they are very heavy on the palate and would probably be best shared as part of an appetizer tray than eaten in one sitting by yourself. They are a bit pricey, but definately worth the splurge.
Greg L (verified owner) –
High quality tin of fish. The flavor is outstanding. A rich and deep flavor. I ate the whole tin in a sitting and it felt very decadent. I was impressed that, despite the fish being quite thin, they had beautiful skin and held together when extracted with chop sticks. The texture is velvety-smooth. Overall I was really impressed by the quality of the fish.
I’m afraid I didn’t sense much of the smoke as referenced in other reviews. The smoke was very similar to other brands of “lightly smoked” fish that I’ve tried. However, the quality of the fish was head-and-shoulders above those other brands. I would say if you’re looking for a smokey flavor profile, these may not be the thing. I did enjoy the floral undertones, though. It provided a brightness that is really nice given how rich this tin was.
Definitely will keep these in “the lineup”.
annesha (verified owner) –
This was my favorite tin out of the very good tins I ordered from RTG! I ate these at 1AM while absolutely starving and they felt like a gift from heaven. There’s something really satisfying about how they melt in your mouth with just a slight amount of crunch from the bones (crunch doesn’t even feel like the right word, but I can’t think of another one too). It has a smoky taste but doesn’t taste smoked, the heather and chamomile add a very light herbal taste to the palate. It was rich and I soaked up the rest of the oil with toast. 10/10.
Max D (verified owner) –
Remarkably good, one of my favorite tins.
I hadn’t had sprats before, but now I’ve tried a number of different tins and vendors, and this is my favorite– very lightly smoked, rich flavor, and the heather/chamomile isn’t too intense. I’ll sometimes just have these mixed into a bowl of hot rice as a lunch when working from home (easy with a rice cooker on a timer)– I do think they’re even better when warm.
megan.k.solomon (verified owner) –
This was one of the first cans I ordered, as a tinned fish novice. From when I first opened the can – beautiful! Tightly packed, lightly golden, heather and chamomile visible throughout. Of the cans I tried, this was one of the crowd favorites! I was really pleasantly surprised by the flavor and texture. Perfect size for bites with toast and fixings (I had thinly sliced fennel for sweetness and tomato for acid, I thought this went great together).
wadematthewtroyer (verified owner) –
I always try out new tins on their own before trying to pair with food, so I had these on their own right of the can. They were quite tasty, with a light smoked flavor and a *je ne sais quoi* flavor provided ostensibly by the heather and chamomile. I say ostensibly because I did not detect anything overtly floral or herbal from those flowers, but there was a taste not usually found with fish and they were packed in neutral oil so it must from them. It was a slightly fruity, very subtly sweet flavor, and I mean very subtle.
I was ready to be underwhelmed by this tin based on the ranking on the worldsbestfish.com, but they lived up to the hype in my opinion. Definitely ordering these again and are well worth the price in my opinion. The unique flavor, while not decidedly chamomile or heather, was different enough to stand on their own among the other tins I have tried.
Matt Wells (verified owner) –
These were fabulous. Nice light smoke and saltiness. Like other reviewers I did not get strong heather and chamomile, but at the same time you can tell there is something unique about the flavor.
If I had not had another tin of straight fish open at the same time I would have just enjoyed them but would not have had the same experience of picking out the difference.
Either way I will definitely order these again. Wonderful!
Peter Kupchick (verified owner) –
Another great tin! Could have eaten them all straight from the tin and enjoyed every bite without any additional seasoning needed. Did enjoy some with some naan crackers and pickled onions with a squeeze of lemon. The oil was amazing also.
Kristine (verified owner) –
This is another one that I will continue to order. After opening, first thing I noticed was the brisling/sprats neatly packed and covered with golden hued oil. The fish was delicate in texture and maintained it’s shape save for the few that I mangled while picking up with chopsticks.
Based on other reviews and color of the oil, I was expecting this to be super smoky taste but that was not the case. I found these to be lightly smoked with a subtle hint of floral notes from the chamomile and heather which differentiates this from other canned sprats I’ve had. I ate these straight from the tin, and also had with sunflower bread/cream cheese/capers.
Lawrence Kalinowski (verified owner) –
delicate fish of varying size, laid out symmetrically tail to tail. soft texture, easily spread, lightly bronzed and shimmering.
very lightly smoked, hint of chamomile, hint of heather. the taste follows the nose. chamomile & heather are more obvious in the after taste. a little lime seemed to work well with it.
delicate, light, whimsical, delicious – I wanted to enjoy this tin & I did.
Mike Turpie (verified owner) –
I ate these straight from the tin with chopsticks. These are my favorite little fishies so far! Delicious smoked fish flavor with a yielding texture. Not the least bit dry. They hold together well, but offer little resistance in a great way. I found the smoke to be just right – not covering up the other flavors, but also not subtle. You are clearly eating smoked fish. Like other reviewers, it is hard for me to put a finger on exactly which elements of the deliciousness are specific to the heather and chamomile, but they must be doing something good here. These are my first sprats, but I will be hard pressed to try a different tin next.
newsletteracct (verified owner) –
As soon as I saw these on the website I had an idea of how to pair them and an inkling they would be a phenomenal tin – but wow, did these little fish exceed expectations. The flavor and texture were both exceptional, and were complimented by a thin smear of mayo on some rye crackers with lemon-soaked shaved fennel. I’m excited to try the full lineup.
Fisheye (verified owner) –
These were my first smoked sprats, and I strongly suspect that they set the bar very high for all smoked sprats to follow. The fish are absolutely beautiful and golden, with a firm texture that’s not too dry. Flavor profile – rich, smokey, and complimentary herbal notes from the chamomile and heather. I ate them on crostini with half a slice of tomato for each fish, and it was the perfect afternoon snack.
I’ll be buying more of these!
deenzandgreenz (verified owner) –
This is one of the tins I will forever save the oil from. The sprats are smoky, meaty, herbal, and generally pleasing overall. I like these over a traditional sardine when I want the dish to be more filled with a fish presence, compared to a few large dines. Must try!
Benjamin W (verified owner) –
These are stunningly delicious, with a nice amount of smoke flavor and a lovely floral note to the oil, and a very good looking layout of beautfiul sprats. they hold up in the chopsticks quite nicely for being such a soft fish, and while i wish they had a little more bite, i fear that would ruin the delicate nature. It is a little heavy on the tongue, i noticed myself beginning to feel full after half the tin, but boy am i glad i ate them. If I had to compare the flavor to something, I would almost call it a cross between yellowtail and smoked eel. Will be ordering again, and recommend whoever is reading this to do the same.
Yousif Al-amin (verified owner) –
These sprats were meaty, smokey, incredibly flavorful and tender, and overall a really pleasant treat. I paired them with a cold smashed potatoes, scallions, lemon juice & zest, and each bite was really indulgent and delicious. The fish shimmer beautifully upon opening the tin and are delicate without compromising the consistency. They tasted perfectly saturated and were not dry whatsoever, and I enjoyed them on their own right as well. Perhaps I don’t have the finest palate/appreciation for smokey flavors but I found the sprats to have a lightly smoky flavor, not too in your face and without an unappealing aftertaste. I will certainly be purchasing these again for a nice treat in the future!
emosberger (verified owner) –
This was the finest tin of smoked sprats that I’ve had the pleasure of sampling to date. Cracking open the tin revealed a noticeable smoked fish smell and the contents were beautifully packed sprats with a deep bronze hue. Tried one by itself and and for the first few seconds I thought “OK these are smoked sprats what’s the big deal” then the other complexities arrived. I’m not sure what heather and chamomile are supposed to taste like but it imparted an essence to the oil that elevates them above your typical KO or Latvian smoked sprats. And the entire fish was nice and tender, none of that stiff tail shenanigans going on. Had the remainder on sourdough toast and drizzled the oil on top, what a fabulous breakfast!
My only drawback is the price – it was a fabulous tin of sprats but is it worth the premium? I’ll have to relegate these to a specialty tin to crack open several times a year but I would like to have a tin in my collection at all times if the mood strikes.
UncleOscar (verified owner) –
The heather and chamomile flavors were definitely present. There were even little pieces of chamomile flower in the tin. Slightly smokey. Excellent flavor overall. Texture was soft like other sprats often are. The price is the major drawback here. I’d say they’re worth a try, probably not a daily driver, though.
luke (verified owner) –
Absolutely delicious flavor in these tiny fish.
They are softer than many other brands, but not unpleasantly so. The softness, in my
Opinion, comes more from the rich fattiness of the fish and oil, and not from the fish flesh itself being soft or mushy. They still have a very nice texture., just one that plays more to the creamier side of things. Lovely on toasted bread.
Emma Armstrong (verified owner) –
Honestly, one of the best sardines I’ve had. I couldn’t stop exclaiming how good they were. This one will be a staple in every one of my orders!
Meg White (verified owner) –
This tin absolutely deserves the accolades it’s getting. I draped a few fillets over a heirloom tomato salad with feta, cucumber and bell pepper, and I totally snuck back into the kitchen to throw a few more on before I finished my lunch. Great texture eaten whole with a delicate flavor that still stood up to the rest of the ingredients I matched it up against. Will definitely be buying this again.
Keith Meyers (verified owner) –
Fangst continues to make my favorite tins of fish. These were so wonderful, flavorful, and almost creamy. Will absolutely be a staple in my pantry.
Mattie Ewald (verified owner) –
These were great! I wasn’t noticing as heavy of a smoke as some of the other reviews were, and the heather and chamomile flavor was very mild, but paired with some toasted dill rye, pickled red onion, sour cream, and a couple dabs of Tabasco this made for a wonderful evening snack.
aniriuil (verified owner) –
These were great, and the perfect size to eat with crackers on a typical charcuterie spread! It wasn’t until I tried these that I realized I have no idea what heather tastes like, but I enjoyed them nonetheless. They had a slightly floral, herbaceous flavor without tasting like soap, and it complemented the light smokiness very well. They were very tender and could be “cut” with chopsticks with minimal effort, but didn’t fall apart when I tried to pick them up.
jslaton009 (verified owner) –
Whoa, these are phenomenal. The fish was super tender and moist, very melt in your mouth. Loved the spice mixture with the heather and chamomile, these are easily in my top 3 and will be on constant re-order anytime I place them.
I generally eat half out of the tin and half with some type of “vehicle”…I couldnt stop eating these though and didnt have the opportunity to test them with anything else.
Keith Meyers (verified owner) –
Unbelievably good. Any day that I can eat a Fangst sprat is a good day. The texture, flavor, and portion are all exactly what I desire them to be when I open a tin of sprats. I don’t believe there’s anything you could do to make these better. Phenomenal
Joseph Egan (verified owner) –
Sardines aren’t my go-to fish but these are great. Usually I prefer mackerel because I like texture their oiliness creates. These are amazingly delicate, moist, and smokey. Each is small, which I prefer to large sardines, and the tin is tightly packed.
A bit of a con for me is the lack of excess oil in the tin. I enjoy my fish over toast, so I would enjoy more. I didn’t love the floral aftertaste either, but it cuts the sometimes lingering fishiness.
I can see why this tin is so highly ranked and I would recommend them and will be trying more Fangst products, but I didn’t love them enough to where they’ll be in my next order.
TinnedFishStoner (verified owner) –
These were really delicious and savory, and are exactly how you’d expect these to taste. These have a strong smoky flavor, and the way they just melt in your mouth with every bite is just pure bliss. These are like a umami bomb with every bite and the blend of spices along with the smoking process makes for a very delicious, meaty flavor with hints of floral. These are definitely really good if you’re looking to treat yourself or try something new.
Ben (verified owner) –
These are special and done very well. On opening my tin it looked exactly like the marketing pictures. The fish hold together well but can easily be parted. The flavor of the smoke and herb is in the fish and the oil, which makes dropping some cracker pieces in the tin a bit of a treat. Very well balanced and savory flavors. This could easily be a thoughtful gift to someone who enjoys preserved foods or a special treat to yourself.
romaisa (verified owner) –
Oh my goodness?? These have absolutely stunned me. I didn’t even finish eating and I rushed to leave a review because they’re way too good. Where can I even begin. The first thing I noticed was how SOFT these are. They truly melt in your mouth. I don’t detect any bones or tail fins or anything. There is no dryness at all either. Moving on to the flavor — there is a beautifully complex flavor here. Lightly smoky but not in an overpowering way, some floral notes, and barely any fishiness. I set up a whole plate with lavender honey mascarpone, spicy cheese, cornichons, & rosemary sea salt crackers, but honestly I could just eat the tin by itself. Definitely a favorite and it was my first time trying sprats too and these have me hooked!
kelsey blanks (verified owner) –
surprisingly delicious. now i kinda have texture issues with some tin fish and as a newbie to tin fish i was cautious about sprats especially since they have a tail but this tin is on the one of the world’s best fish for a good and solid reason. i ate it with two pieces of toast with some butter and it perfectly balanced the flavor of the tin, and the incredibly tender fish is just perfect. 100% will get again and would recommend