The Great Sardine Taste-Off

It appeared on Chowhound.com on January 15, 2006 and generated an enormously favorable series of comments and responses, among them "Ahh, yes. THIS is the Chowhound post I've been waiting for."

It deserves every accolade rendered, as it's superb.

Me, I happened to read Rowley Leigh's appreciation of sardines in today's Financial Times and got a hankering for some, so before heading out to Whole Foods and Foods of All Nations I had my crack research team do a little due diligence.

Do the due — I like it.

Anyway, the team happened on the Chowhound post in a Google search of "best sardines?", where it appears on the second page of results, number 7 of 1,120,000.

That's a lot of sardines.

Wait a minute....

The same Chowhound reviewer produced an encore post on the same subject, which appeared on March 22, 2006 and resulted in another outpouring of passionate reader responses.

The Chowhound reviewer, rworange, listed the results in the first post (below) from Best to "Wouldn't buy again," which group started with #14, Mega sardines.

1. Angelo Parodi Sardine Portoghesi all’olio di olivo – Portugal/Italy - $1.99
2. Albo Sardines in Olive oil – Spain - $4.99
3. King Oscar Sardines Mediterranean style – Norway, packed in Poland - $2.99
4. Yankee Clipper lightly smoked sardines in soybean oil – Morocco - $2.49
5. King Oscar Extra Small Sardines in fish oil 2 layers – Norway - $2.99
6. Beach Cliff Sardines in soybean oil – USA / Canada - $.69
7. Brunswick Sardines in Spring Water No Salt Added – Canada - $1.19
8. Madrigal spiced sardines in vegetable oil – Morocco - $1.59
9. Brunswick Sardines in Olive Oil – Canada - $1.19
10. King Oscar Extra Small Brisling Sardines in purest virgin olive oil – Norway - $2.99
11. King Oscar tiny tots Sardines in olive oil two layers – Norway - $2.99
12. Palacio Real Small Sardines in Olive oil (slightly smoked) – Spain - $2.99
13. King Oscar Sardines in pure spring water – Norway - $2.99
14. Mega Sardines in tomato sauce with chili – The Philippines - $.79
15. Brunswick Sardines in Mustard Sauce – Canada - $1.19
16. Bumble Bee Sardines in Mustard – Poland - $.89
17. Yankee Clipper lightly smoked sardines in tomato sauce – Morocco - $2.49
18. Yankee Clipper lightly smoked sardines in mustard sauce – Morocco - $2.49
19. King Oscar Sardines in tomato – Norway - $2.99
20. Brunswick Sardines in Mustard and Dill Sauce – Canada - $1.19
21. King Oscar Skinless & boneless Sardines in olive oil – Morocco - $2.99
22. Gourmet Award lightly smoked sardines in tomato sauce – Morocco - $1.89
23. Brunswick Sardines in tomato & basil Sauce – Canada - $1.19

In the second (March 22, 2006) post an additional 7 brands/types were incorporated into an updated list of 30, which follows.

Note that Mega, leading those not recommended, is #21 here.

1. Angelo Parodi Sardine Portoghesi all’olio di olivo – Portugal/Italy - $1.99
2. Gallego sardines in olive oil - Spain - $2. 99
3. Idamar Portuguese Sardines in olive oil - Portugal - $2. 25
4. Gonsalves Sardines in olive oil –Portugal - $1.99
5. Da Morgada Sardines in Pure Olive Oil - Portugal - $3. 99
6. Albo Sardines in Olive oil – Spain - $4.99
7. King Oscar Sardines Mediterranean style – Norway, packed in Poland - $2.99
8. Yankee Clipper lightly smoked sardines in soybean oil – Morocco - $2.49
9. King Oscar Extra Small Sardines in fish oil 2 layers – Norway - $2.99
10. Brand: BELA-Olhão lightly smoked sardines in cayenne pepper-flavored extra virgin olive oil. - Portugal - $1. 75
11. Beach Cliff Sardines in soybean oil –USA / Canada - $.69
12. Brunswick Sardines in Spring Water No Salt Added – Canada - $1.19
13. Madrigal spiced sardines in vegetable oil – Morocco - $1.59
14. Brunswick Sardines in Olive Oil –Canada - $1.19
15. King Oscar Extra Small Brisling Sardines in purest virgin olive oil – Norway - $2.99
16. King Oscar tiny tots Sardines in olive oil two layers – Norway - $2.99
17. Crown Prince One Layer Sardines in soy bean oil no Salt - Scotland - $1. 85
18. Palacio Real Small Sardines in Olive oil (slightly smoked) – Spain - $2.99
19. King Oscar Sardines in pure spring water – Norway - $2.99
20. BUMBLE BEE Sardines in Water – Poland - $.89
21. Mega Sardines in tomato sauce with chili – The Philippines - $.79
22. Brunswick Sardines in Mustard Sauce – Canada - $1.19
23. Bumble Bee Sardines in Mustard –Poland - $.89
24. Yankee Clipper lightly smoked sardines in tomato sauce –Morocco - $2.49
25. Yankee Clipper lightly smoked sardines in mustard sauce –Morocco - $2.49
26. King Oscar Sardines in tomato –Norway - $2.99
27. Brunswick Sardines in Mustard and Dill Sauce –Canada - $1.19
28. King Oscar Skinless & boneless Sardines in olive oil –Morocco - $2.99
29. Gourmet Award lightly smoked sardines in tomato sauce –Morocco - $1.89
30. Brunswick Sardines in tomato & basil Sauce – Canada - $1.19

And with that, I'm outa here.