🐟 Oil Packed #26

Bringing the heat

Cantara Spiced Small Sardines

Price: $7.50
Weight: 118g
Texture: Firm
Taste: Spicy
Pair with: Your favorite bread

The appearance of your tinned fish can be just as important as the taste. We’ve tried a few ugly tins over time, and it tends to reflect the flavor. When your fish looks nice, tidy, and appetizing, you’ll know you’re in for a good time. So, get your ducks (and ‘deens) in a row and pop open this tin:

Cantara Spiced Small Sardines is a gorgeous tin with a spicy presentation. Or is it the other way around? About ten tasty sardines are delicately arranged in the tin along with olive oil, piri-piri pepper, and salt. The oil is very aromatic and tangy, giving you a clear hint of its flavor upon opening this can. The spice sneaks up on you! We’ve tried a lot of “Spiced” tins that don’t live up to their name, but these ‘deens are packing heat. The sardines are nicely firm and hold together when picked up, making it easy to arrange them just as nicely outside the tin.

This tin is delicious on its own but looks great (and tastes great) on a crusty piece of bread. Stack these neatly on a piece of sourdough and drizzle some extra olive oil over the top as a tasty snack. Rev up the heat on these bad boys by pairing them with hot sauce, jalapeño, or red pepper flakes. Or, contrast the heat with some honey mustard, herbs, or a squeeze of lemon. The flavor in this fish is incredible and it’ll go great with whatever you throw at it.

Can I be honest? I don’t know where you can find these in the US. It looks like Luisa Paixao used to have these in stock, but you might just have to go all the way to Lisbon for these. I would recommend it — they’re that good.

Thanks to my parents for bringing this tin from Portugal!

Rating: ★★★★★

photos by Aaron Barton