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.
Minatogawa Man (verified owner) –
Great for the price. We did not find them to have as much spice as others have suggested although the kick is certainly discernable. Comparisons with Nuri falvor are not far off, but the Nuri ‘deens we’ve tried present as picture-perfect Platonic ideals of what delectable sardines should look like. The Flower tins are great value, just don’t expect to wax lyrical over their appearance. We liked them on toasted flatbread with minced parsley.
Benjamin W (verified owner) –
Added these to an order in better search of a daily driver sardine, something that I could eat every day and not break the bank. Upon opening the can, the sardines were surprisingly well packed, the fish were a little beat up but nothing bad. Upon fishing them out, the sardines were very firm, about the firmness of a Nuri sardine. They are a pretty standard size, and I only saw a couple scales. The oil is pretty good for the price. The spice is very present, which is pleasing to see, and the texture was a little inconsistent, with some fish softer than the others. The flavor of the fish is nice and a “pickled” note comes through strong. Overall, if you enjoy the taste of a nuri spiced sardine, you will enjoy this, but the flavor and oil quality are where the price difference shows.
emosberger (verified owner) –
As many of the other reviewers mentioned, this is “Nuri on a budget”. Cracking open the tin I was presented with a familiar clove spice essence. The oil had an orange hue but not quite as pronounced as the Nuri spiced. Had four firm pilchards packed in tightly. They were a bit more scaly then was I’m used to but wasn’t bothered by it. The spice profile is reminiscent of Nuri Spiced, perhaps a bit less “complex” on the palate.
In conclusion if you love Nuri Spiced but they’re too expensive as a daily driver, Flower is an acceptable substitute for a lower cost. Perhaps the best of the Moroccan sardines I’ve had to date.
Savoury Snacks With Catz (verified owner) –
I love these! They are both spicy and spiced, with medium heat and a nice amount of clove. Yes, there are some scales, but that doesn’t bother me. Scales look cool and they’re basically edible glitter. I had three sardines in my tin. I tried them several ways, and my favorite pairings were over greens and with Ritz-y buttery round crackers.