Description
Ingredients: Sardines (Sardina pilchardus), olive oil, salt, and hot pepper.
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.
emosberger –
What a spendid tin of sardinillas! I would place these in the same league as Ramon Pena and Conservas de Cambados. Cracking open the tin I was presented with a total of 14 little fellas immaculately packed and swimming in creamy orange-hued olive oil. Texture was a perfect balance of firm enough to maintain their shape coming out the tin but soft enough to have no hint of dryness. Had several on their own – nice meaty taste with perhaps the most pronounced Unami flavor profile I’ve had to date with small sardines. Spiciness level was noticeable (2 out of 5 perhaps) and the seasoning was spot-on. I placed the remainder on my usual crusty sourdough toast and drizzled some of the oil on it. Have to say it was one of the more remarkable weekend sardine breakfasts I had in quite some time.
All in all this was nearly a perfect tin of gourmet sardinillas and worthy of experiencing at least once. The only thing holding this back for me personally is the price price – for example the Ramon Pena spicy sardinillas silver line tin provides a very similar gourmet experience for about 2/3rd the price point. That said, I would be tempted to get this tin again (or another offering from Real Conservera) to have on hand for a special occasion.