Description
Ingredients: Mackerel (Scomber japonicus), refined olive oil, piri-piri, carrot, cucumber, salt.
Preserves of 100% Portuguese production.
The excellence of our products is a result of the elevated quality of the fish and the traditional production method.
The fish is selected and prepared manually in order to achieve a product of superior quality.
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.
This particular tin is odd, in that it has the vegetables but not the clove and bay, we’re calling it spicy.
Dana deRiancho (verified owner) –
Firm texture, less fatty than tuna. I find the little pickles to be an adorable addition, though those peppers can pack a surprising punch! I always make a mayonnaise with the oil, which tastes quite nice spread on a piece of toast with pickled pepperoncinis and mackarel. A go-to tin for sure
twa101 (verified owner) –
Mackerel is my favorite fish and this is a great can of mackerel. There were six small fillets in the can along with the peri peri pepper and slices of pickle & carrot. The fillets held up nicely from can to bowl and were absolutely delicious. Very good texture, soft but not mushy, and nice and moist from the oil. The oil was mildly spiced, with just a bit of heat finishing in the throat at the end. The remaining oil was drizzled over some kettle corn and added a nice oompf to teh popcorn. I will definitely have to try some more Minerva products down the line.
Hream McDan (verified owner) –
I had high expectations -perhaps too high- but this was just an okay tin for me. Clearly, the fish was high quality and the tin was packed nicely. Texture-wise, it was fairly dry and I’m positive that I’d identify it as canned tuna in a blind taste test. I felt like it lacked salt as well as the “spiced” flavor. I’d put this heat around 1.1 on a 5 point scale, it doesn’t really have any heat at all and the overall seasoning is very mild even apart from that. This is definitely a much different version of “spiced” than say, the Nuri “spiced” tins so you should calibrate your brain for that ahead of time.
Tried adding Tabasco and that didn’t really do much. Tried adding Espinaler sauce and it did provide a much-needed flavor and acidity boost while also not overpowering the fish. Additionally, I really enjoyed the pickles / peppers in the tin that added fun & flavor. I do like mackerel in general, I’ve had some tins that I enjoyed quite a bit … but as an “eat at room temp, directly from the tin” lunch, this one didn’t quite do enough for me.
Lawrence Kalinowski (verified owner) –
very clean. firm texture. not terribly spiced … more of a hint. more of a tuna than mackerel experience.
enjoyed it on ritz w/tobasco. felt like good quality product.
Joshua Olmsted (verified owner) –
Overall, these Minerva Mackerel Filets were a very *solid* tin of fish, but not a very exciting tin of fish. Upon opening my tin had 3 very nicely arrayed mackerel filets. All three looked identical and had a very nicely defined structure. This is particularly noteworthy as I have found skinless filets to often be a bit loose/messy. The texture is very firm but not unsatisfying, they are not overly chewy despite their firm-ness. There is a bit of a salty/briny flavor, but other than that I would say that they taste “clean” and fishy, but not too flavorful overall. Given the tag-line as “spiced” mackerel I was definitely hoping for a bit more of that Nuri spiced orange-oil, very herbaceous flavor. The oil itself while not exciting, is tasty, there’s a bit of that characteristic olive oil fruitiness when I tried a taste of it just on it’s own. I think the strongest element of this can was just the quality of the fish itself: the texture, the appearance/arrangement, flavor. If you’re someone who doesn’t care much for lots of “extras” in a tin and just wants a pure mackerel experience, you won’t be disappointed. As for me, I’ll likely stick to some of the mackerel I’ve tried in the $6-7 range (Cole’s, Nuri’s, Ferrigno). Definitely didn’t regret trying these though.
Matthew Torreano (verified owner) –
Very good, firm filets. It was not spicy but was very good. I would have preferred a spicier flavor but was pleased with the tin. My son enjoyed it and said “it’s so good.” I will likely purchase again.
Kate Burgess (verified owner) –
I ordered about 10 tins from RTG and this was the first one I tore into. The fish was firm and very tasty, but not spicy as far as I could tell. I added some vinegary hot sauce, a little Kewpie, and a slice of kosher dill pickle. It was a lovely dinner.
nrbolt (verified owner) –
As much as I love sardines, Mackerel is probably my favorite. I grew up on canned tuna and to me, mackerel is what can tuna wishes it could be. Minerva Mackerel Fillets in Spicy Olive Oil is my new favorite for canned mackerel, like most tins labeled “spicy” it isn’t too spicy in the sense that it overpowers everything else but more like a nice bit of spice. The pepper, pickle, and carrot pretty much gave up all their flavor to the mackerel, and while edible they don’t have much flavor left to them and are a bit mushy. If it was going to introduce someone to canned fish, I’d probably start them with this can for its great taste, and similarity to tuna to not freak out someone new to canned fish.
All in all, I give this can an 8/10. Definitely will be buying it again.
josephraa (verified owner) –
I thought this tin was alright, but I probably won’t get it again. There are cheaper mackerel tins that I enjoy more, so just not really worth it for me. I would have liked more pickles in the tin. I ended up eating it on a sandwich with some of my own spicy pickles and a mustard/ginger hot sauce. The fish in the tin are decent mackerel fillets, but didn’t really stand out to me amongst any of the other mackerel tins I’ve been trying lately.
newsletteracct (verified owner) –
I love mackerel and this is an enjoyable and solid tin – the filets were beautifully packed and firm without being dry. The oil was mildly spiced; the flavors were present and there was a pleasant hint of heat after a few bites. It was wonderful on crackers with some garlic aioli and cucumber.
Albert Schmidt (verified owner) –
This was a tasty, approachable can! Mildly spice that enhanced the fish flavor without overpowering it. Fish was fairly firm and not too dry. Had a fresh flavor with lots of umami. Pickles and carrots were mushy and could be skipped. We ate this straight from the can and had some on toasted rye bread., Great both ways! Very good for my first can of mackerel!
Curiouscutefish (verified owner) –
This tin was so delicious! I didn’t particularly love the spice part, but the fish itself made this tin a love for me. It looked similar to what’s pictured in the photos. The pickle and carrot didn’t taste like anything but they were very soft and easy to eat although I’m not sure they added anything. I didn’t try the pepper. The fish was softer than other mackerel that I’ve had, which I actually liked; it wasn’t mushy but seemed moist, flaky, and overall felt like a luxurious bite. The flavor was a more mild spice, I’m a wimp when it comes to spice and this was just a teeny tiny amount of lingering warmth. Overall, I liked this tin because of the fish. The spicy part was an interesting addition and was fine but for myself, it didn’t excite me. So while I won’t be buying this specific tin again, I’ll definitely be getting their plain mackerel in olive oil next. The mackerel and olive oil was so delicious I’d like to enjoy it simply without the mild spice.