Deep Dives: The Second Hottest Tins

We first explored carrying this brand after seeing several people say they were their favorite spiced sardine. It is a universal complaint in the sardine-loving universe that there are no spicy sardines that are really spicy. These aren't either, but, they're among the spiciest of the sardines called spicy.

Ranked #98 on the worldbestfish.com Overall list.

100g (3.5 oz) tin

The Malgueta pepper comes in at 60,000-100,000  on the Scoville Scale, putting it the same class as the Thai Bird's Eye Pepper, which is to say hotter than cayenne, but not as hot as habanero. Year of the dragon brings a bit of fire!

120g (4.2 oz) tin

Made with three piri-piri peppers per tin instead of the usual one, and stored for a minimum of three months before being released so that the capsaicin has time to suffuse through the contents of the tin. Get ready to meet your new all-time favorite tin of sardines.

120g (4.3 oz) tin

A clever mixture of lemon confit and chili pepper that can be enjoyed all year round. Pretty much all of the sardines out there use the piri-piri pepper for their heat, and it just isn't that hot. But there's something about this particular tin that makes it seem like the hottest of the not very hots.

115g tin

Sure, tinned fish in olive oil is the purest expression of the art. But let's face it, spice is the variety of life. Jalapeño is the just-right heat to go along with the oily goodness of sprats.

Two layer, 12-22 fish

106g tin

Pictured in onigiri.

Hand-packed in Extra Virgin Olive Oil and a blend of white, pink, green, and black peppercorns to add a complex little bite of piperene to the classic oily flavor of brisling sprats.

One layer, 8-12 fish

106g tin

Pictured in potato pancakes. Recipe from Tin Fish Gourmet