Ten Tins to Try, and Why by Dan Waber

$112.50

A list of ten tins to try, and why, from Dan Waber, the guy who has tasted every tin in the RTG catalog.

  1. Nuri Spiced Sardines in Olive Oil 3/5, a cult favorite among sardine aficionados and for good reason. On just about every best sardines list I’ve ever seen. Made in Portugal the old way, no mechanization of any kind. Probably the tin I reach for most often when raiding my own inventory. Big sardines done perfectly.
  2. Ramón Peña Sardines in Olive Oil 20/25, Gold Line, these are in the top five of everyone I know who can credibly put together a top twenty list of sardines. Beautiful when you open the tin, too. You could use these to convert anyone who doesn’t “get” tinned fish. They’re basically perfect.
  3. Gulf of Maine Conservas Line Caught Bluefin Tuna in Olive Oil, a very special can of tuna. I can tell you the name of the guy who caught the tuna in this can—because the same guy individually catches every fish. Gulf of Maine Conservas is Keper Connell, and he fishes out of Rye, NH. Most of the tuna you see in cans is skipjack or yellowfin (also called Atun Claro) or albacore (also called Bonito del Norte even though it’s not bonito, that’s a completely different fish). Most Bluefin (also called Atun Rojo) is used as sushi, but there are a few conserveries who can it. Keper swims the fish behind the boat for up to an hour to cool them off after the fight, and dispatches them in the Japanese ikijime method. Each tin will vary depending on the cut inside. The leaner cuts will highlight the beefier quality of Bluefin, fattier cuts have a luxurious mouth feel, with a subtle minerality. We eat it straight from the tin on crackers, or flaked onto a salad of baby mustards and mizunas.
  4. Olasagasti Anchovies a la Basque (Donostiarra), these are not pizza anchovies, though they are the same fish. Pizza anchovies are boneless, skinless fillets that are salt-cured before being packed in oil. These are whole fish processed like sardines, steamed and then packed into the oil and flavorings. There’s a single slice of garlic and a single piri piri pepper and the fish are loosely packed, the theory being that with greater surface area exposed you get better penetration of the olive oil into the flesh. Probably the most re-ordered item I offer.
  5. Groix & Nature Sardines with Lobster Oil, these are really rich tasting, and the texture of the fish is a bit unlike other sardines out there. It’s as if all the water-based moisture has been driven out and all that’s left is the oil-based moisture. Save the oil to use as a finishing touch on steamed potatoes or vegetables.
  6. Pollastrini di Anzio Spiced Sardines in Olive Oil 4/6, a little different approach to sardines, these are a little looser in the tin (like the Olasagasti above), which allows for better penetration of the oil into the flesh of the fish. The most common complaint I hear about this product is that everyone wishes there were more fish in the tin–but what they really mean is they wish the tin were bigger, because more fish in the tin would change them into something else.
  7. Fangst Sprat no. 1 (Heather & Chamomile) Baltic Sea, ranked #55 on the worldbestfish.com overall 101 list, and one of my all-time favorite tins. 
  8. Angelo Parodi Mackerel Filets in Olive Oil, our current favorite mackerel around here. These make a wicked mackerel salad along the lines of a tuna salad or a potted mackerel. Also great straight from the tin or served atop mixed greens, which is how we mostly eat it, making a vinaigrette from the tin liquid and freshly squeezed lemon juice.
  9. King Oscar Cross-Pack Sardines (Sprats) in Extra Virgin Olive Oil, the KO 1-layer products have 8-12 fish per tin. The 2-layer products have 12-22 fish per tin. Most people have never seen these because KO doesn’t do any promotion of them because they’re able to sell out all of the production every season because the smallest fish are also the fewest number caught. These are 22-38 per tin. Tiny and delicious. The first time we tried these my wife’s daughter (our baker here, Helen) said, “The $12 a tin people do not want you to know these exist.” I agreed.
  10. Ortiz Bonito del Norte (albacore) in Olive Oil, this is one of the first really nice tunas a lot of people experience, and one that many people return to after it leads them on an exploration of other lovely tunas. One of the most well-respected brands in the conservas world, and for good reason.

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Reviews

  1. rymlks (verified owner)

    I noticed there’s no review here, so I figured I’d share my thoughts, since this exact curation is like the one thing you literally can’t get anywhere else. There’s a lot in this box, so I have a lot to say.

    Overall, I think this is a great variety pack for newbies like me that showcases a pretty broad spectrum of tinned fish, ranging from comfort zone to straight-up sardine land, cheap to expensive, and plain to spicy. The price is OK (it’s exactly the sum of it’s parts, I’m not suggesting they should charge less without changing the contents), and I like that there’s more than just sardines in here, it gives perspectives that I might not have sought out otherwise. There is a large sardine representation here though, and it covers a lot of unique bases in that space. You get the standard King Oscar alongside the top-shelf Ramon Pena. You get the classy whole ingredients and spice of Nuri and the somewhat far-out heather and chamomile Fangst sardines. If you need ramping up before you hit the sardines, there’s two different cans of tuna to bring you to a brand new place without needing to leave your comfort zone, and sitting just outside that zone are some anchovies and mackerel that might take you by surprise.

    Overall, I think this is a great show of tinned fish, and it’s great to get a curated list from somebody who knows what he’s talking about. That said, a couple points of feedback:
    1. I know this is extra work, but consider writing the name of the can that belongs to the “save this oil” slips on the slip. My stack fell over in the pantry, and I’m guessing the lobster oil one had one of those slips, but there was like 3 other candidates for which can belonged to the second slip.
    2. To people wanting to buy this pack, but $107.50 is a little too much for you (first timers probably aren’t looking to spend a ton on products they have no idea if they like or not), just buy everything but the Gulf of Maine tuna. It’s $22 and there’s already another can of tuna in there that’s plenty good on its own. Next on the chopping block would be the lobster oil one, followed by the fangst heather and chamomile. None of these cans are bad, just to be clear. They are just, in my opinion, the least bang for buck.
    3. There’s no shellfish in here, which might be another nice thing to try as a tinned fish beginner. I’ve had a ton of bad canned clams in cheap clam chowder, and I think that’s true of a lot of people. Consider buying a clam or cockle along side this pack. I like the Matiz cockles in brine.

    And since this is also my first time having each and every thing in this box, here’s a review for all of them, in the order that I tried them. Some of these I liked more than others, but to be clear, even if I didn’t fall in love with every can, I still think it’s a fun and useful experience to try them all, so I would totally recommend this product as-is.

    Pollastrini Spiced Sardines: 7/10 My first can of sardines ever! I was a little scared of what I was getting myself into, so I went with spiced sardines first to get some extra flavor in the tin in case sardines were too much for me. These were pretty good! It solidified my choice to start eating sardines. The flavor was a lot like the tuna I’m used to eating in sandwiches, but just in a different direction, if that makes sense. Not more intense, not “fishier” but noticeably a different fish. Since this was my first can with nothing really to compare it to, I’m not sure if these are just lightly spiced, or if I didn’t really notice the spice because of the new sardine flavor I was experiencing. Either way, I enjoyed it enough to keep trying out more fish! $7.50 seems a fair price, but I’ll be honest, I don’t know what a “good” price for premium sardines really is at this point.

    Ortiz Albacore Tuna: 9/10 I made this into a sandwich, but I also had a bite straight out of the can. Wow, you can really tell the difference between this and starkist. Cheap tuna tends to be a bit dry, maybe it’s overcooked or something, but this was nice and tender with a rich tuna flavor. There was almost a sweetness to the meat like you get from shellfish that you never ever pick up on from cheap tuna. I regret adding mayonnaise to this, because just plain on bread is a great way to eat this. I might buy this again, but $11/can is pretty steep for a product you can usually get for $1. Well, I suppose it’s a bit unfair to say these products are the same – one is clearly better than the other. 11 times better though? Hard to say.

    Fangst Sprat with Heather+Chamomile: 5/10 I want to like these more. The herbal flavors of this are subtle but noticeable, and I enjoyed this can for the most part, but there was an offputting flavor in this that is a bit hard to describe. It might just be my can, because only 1 or 2 pieces were like this, but it was kind of… organ-y? You know, like how chicken livers taste? I was getting some of that iron-y, maybe the green part of a lobster kinda vibes inside these fish. I’m rating these pretty harshly, but I’m willing to give them a second chance, because heather and chamomile is a cool idea and also I gotta support my fellow Baltic Brothers. Even still, probably worst in show for these 10 cans. Hopefully this was just a mistake.

    Olasagasti Anchovies: 7/10 Made these into a pasta dish, but made sure to eat one by itself. The pasta turned out good enough for my wife to finish her plate, so big success there. Flavor was good, not really a huge difference from a sardine, but tasted nice with no offensive notes. Now, I understand that they are very up-front with the fact that these are packed loose for better flavor but… I don’t think it works. I didn’t get a huge presence from the spices present in the olive oil, and to make matters a bit worse, the extra room to move around really smashed them up pretty good either from shipping or me manhandling them in my pantry (my stack fell over a couple times in there). TBH I would prefer a more tightly packed can even if it did mean a smaller can. Still a tasty anchovy, and totally unlike a salted filet that I was used to eating on pizza. They are so different that they are almost incomparable.

    Nuri spiced sardines: 10/10, Huge flavor even with tightly packed fish (maybe Olasagasti should take some notes ????). Good kick, fantastic flavor, great price at $7/can. I have to call out the REAL ingredients in this can. When Nuri says “spiced with clove and pepper” they mean there is literally a clove and a pepper wholesale in that can. Major respect, and the carrot+pickle palate cleanser/side dish/whatever is pure class. I was worried about bigger size fish but this dashed every concern immediately. No odd tastes whatsoever, and a nice firm texture. This is the first can that really felt like it stood on its own with 0 need for any embellishments. Fantastic quality, very reasonable price, will buy again. If you want to try sardines but don’t want to buy 10 cans, buy this one for sure.

    Angelo Parodi mackerel: 7/10. Eh, nothing special. I’m glad I got to try some mackerel, but it’s just kinda plain ol’ fish in a can. I made these into a rice bowl with some spicy mayo and soy sauce, and they were good, don’t get me wrong, but it was just kinda fish and nothing else. It was basically an identical experience to a slightly above-grade tuna, which again, isn’t a bad review at all, but the Nuris got me wanting on this one. At $6.50/can though, not a terrible deal.

    Ramon Pena sardines: 10/10 I was planning on saving these for last, but also I was hungry and not sure if I would ever get an opportunity to eat such a large can of food. Expectations were high on this one, Ramon Pena’s reputation had preceeded him, and that notwithstanding, it’s a $12 can of otherwise normal sardines. But, I’m happy to report, the quality is noticeable. Firm texture, the taste was fresh and mellow, beautifully packed, and a nice quality oil as well. I made toast for these as I normally do, but I didn’t bother eating these on bread. You don’t want to cover the subtle freshness of these with any embellishments, just eat them straight out the can. My only criticism for these is that for only a couple bucks more, I can get 2 cans of Nuri spiced sardines, but the quality of meat in this can is head and shoulders above the rest. Definitely a great can for impressing your friends at bougie parties with your discerning taste, but I probably won’t make a habit of eating these too much. I’ll likely buy a can to share with my family at Christmas.

    Gulf of Maine tuna: 6/10 OK there’s no question that this is of sufficient quality, but I have some personal reasons not to like it and some more general reasons not to like it. Personal reason: I’m paying more for a can of tuna that’s higher in saturated fat, which doesn’t fit in my diet unfortunately. General reason: $22 for a can of tuna is way out there. I get that this is sustainably caught local wild tuna hand packed yadda yadda that’s all great and $22 is a reflection of the cost of being a good steward of the environment while harvesting premium grade tuna, but at this point I’m left thinking “yeah, but I don’t have to eat tuna though?” If tuna “done right” costs $22 in the real world, then I guess I’ll stick with sardines. All that said, if you are in the market for tuna and not in the market for anything that isn’t tuna, this is tuna, but with intramuscular fat. I’m not gonna lie, that’s pretty rad.

    Groix et Nature Sardines in Lobster Oil: 6/10 They were good, don’t get me wrong, but I’m a New England boy at heart, and if something says “lobster” on the label, it had better taste like lobster. This seems to be a common issue with flavored sardines – something about the canning process seems to just destroy added flavors. That said, I got very little lobster flavor out of this. I’ll admit, I’ve tried to extract lobster flavor into a liquid myself – it’s super hard to do. Grapeseed oil sounds like it ought to work, but maybe the can got too hot somewhere or something. I would try the standalone oil product to compare. Either way, I’m rating this harshly because at $15.50/can, this costs more than Ramon Pena by a country mile and I enjoyed it less than the Penas. If I ask myself “which would I rather have? This, or both a Ramon Pena AND a King Oscar?” the answer is clear.

    King Oscar cross-pack sardines: 10/10 Ain’t nothing wrong with that, tell you what. I’m glad I saved these for last, because it had the fishiest aroma of the bunch, which would have probably put me off if I hadn’t had the context of all these other tins under my belt. The fishy smell did not translate to anything unsavory in the flavor of these fish. They were just good sardines with a decently strong sardine flavor. These little guys were a bit like the Ramon Pena, but slightly less firm. Not mushy, but not snapping either. At $3.50/can, I can’t describe the quality as anything less than fantastic. Easily the best value product here and a great tin to both finish off this little journey and kick off a new one. I will certainly be exploring more of what KO has to offer.

    All in all, I had a good time. It’s “10 tins to try” not “10 tins you’ll definitely like” and yeah, I think these are all good tins to try. I can see lots of people liking the fangst, G&N or gulf of maine tins more than I did, and that’s just the beauty of trying something new. If you’re on the fence about picking up this bundle, I say pick it up.

  2. Stephanie Shih (verified owner)

    A really terrific starter pack, and the bulk of my first RTG order (I added one more tin I was interested in). I was already pro-tin but did not have a ton of experience with different fishes or seasonings, so this collection really helped me understand what I might like going forward.

    The most notable for me:

    Gulf of Maine Tuna – I was shocked at the quality and richness. Even though it’s a big splurge, I treat myself to one can per order when in stock .

    Fangst Sprat No 1 (Heather and Chamomile) – My instinct is often to eschew additive flavors—I’ve always been someone who thinks less is more, and to let the pure flavor of the food shine—but this tin proved me wrong. I have since become a huge fan of Fangst products in general.

    KO Cross Pack – These little guys are so cute, tender, and affordable. My go-to for pasta with capers, dill, garlic, and breadcrumbs now.

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