Description
Ingredients: Sardines, Olive Oil, Spices (Chile Pepper (Piri-piri), Bay, Clove, Peppercorn), Carrot, Gherkin, Salt.
The terms “spiced” and “spicy” are used pretty much interchangeably in the tinned fish world, to mean two different things: with a hot pepper (or hot pepper flavor), and with cloves/bay/carrot/hot pepper. There are many examples of both terms being used to mean both things.
We are so frustrated by how widespread this confusing inconsistent usage is that we’ve gone through our entire product line to correct the incorrect ones such that our description of “spiced” or “spicy” will always indicate which it really is, regardless of the packaging. “Spicy” = with hot pepper flavor. “Spiced” = with the cloves/bay/carrot/hot pepper flavors.
Check out these sardines in an onigiri snack.
fibersides (verified owner) –
You’ve had your Nuri’s, you may prefer Porthos or some other Portuguese pilchard, but let me tell you, Flower is where it’s at!
This is the standard “Portuguese piri piri style,” with the pickle, pepper, carrot, bay leaf (or laurel), and clove in the can, but to me, these are every bit as good… And for half the price. You might get an extra scale or two, or maybe the fish is a little soft, but if you want a daily deen driver, then you’ve found it here.
Jeff (verified owner) –
Moroccan sardines, in my experience, tend to be a bit scaly, and these Flower sardines are no exception. That said, I’ve sampled two tins of these thus far in both cases there were scales, but not many – just enough to add a bit of interesting texture without being a bother, but enough about scales… These are absolutely delicious.
If you love Nuri spiced sardines, but don’t love blowing through your sardine budget (you do have a sardine budget, right?) you can get a similar experience for nearly half the price. Yes, these Flower sardines are a bit less refined, maybe with a sharper spicy note and a bit of inconsistency in texture, but dropped on top of a slice of toast, a cracker, a bowl of warm rice, or mixed into some noodles, you’ll finish up with a smile on your face all the same.
Is there a better tin of sardines out there? Yes. Is there a better tin of sardines out there at this price? Probably not.
Patrick Hachey (verified owner) –
For starters, these are not the prettiest sardines I’ve seen so far. They are packed in somewhat haphazardly and have visible scales. What I’m most pleasantly surprised by, upon first bite, is the spice level. That seems to be what these sardines do best. Its not like the La Croix of sardines where the spice was in another room when they were canned. These actually have a kick to them. As far as the rest of the seasonings go, they are rather salty and the clove sometimes overpowers the other aspects. Texturally they are firm, not too dry, and pretty consistent throughout, with the occasional errant scale here and there.
Anne Martin (verified owner) –
Added these to my order without any high hopes. Opened them and they did not smell strongly of fish or spice. Not the prettiest, four sardines with skin that was scuffed up. However, they were firm and very pleasantly flavorful. There is actual heat in the sardine itself, not just the sauce. The carrot, bay leaf, hot pepper, pickle, all easy to see and I enjoyed the edible pieces. Left the bay leaf and pepper behind. The clove flavor was a background note. I enjoyed each one of these. Will definitely buy again. These were not overly hot, they left a little tingle and the heat was never unpleasant.
If you are even slightly interested in this, order a can, at this price it is not a great risk!
Morgan Hoyt (verified owner) –
Wow! What an incredibly delicious sardine – the flavor was absolutely lovely with a moderate to heavy “spiced” flavor profile. Pronounced clove, bay, and peppercorn with subtle hints of gherkin. The fish was mostly firm, though I did have some scales. They did not bother me and the flavor certainly made up for any misgivings introduced by the scales. I have found myself craving more of this tin on more than one occasion. The other reviews are spot on as well – a must try.
fishday (verified owner) –
Three giant sardines packed in the tin. I feel like they are spicier than Nuri but if you gave me a blind taste test, I’m not sure if I’d be able to distinguish. I honestly think they’re comparable. I dumped the tin and all the contents over some plain spaghetti and enjoyed them.