Beach Cliff Sardines

King Oscar Canned Sardines wins the 2007 ChefsBest Award for Best ...

What Makes a Great Can of Sardines?

Hailed as a “superfood” for their nutritional punch, sardines are high in protein, iron and omega-3 fatty acids. They also get rave reviews for being an affordable food that can be found in most grocery stores. Serve them with cheese and crackers at your next picnic or include them in salads, pasta sauces and your favorite sandwiches.

Our chefs define high-quality canned sardines in oil as having a bright skin color with some iridescent silver shining through. The interior flesh should be fleshy white as opposed to brown or gray. Sardines should have high structural integrity, meaning the fish should be intact and whole, not broken or smashed. Also, they should be small like sprats, rather than large like herring. The moderate aroma will have a complex character that delivers fresh fish, seawater, smoky and briny notes. The aroma should not be simple with muddy or old fish notes. There should also be no aroma off notes, including metallic notes.