Santo Amaro - Authentic European Sardines in Tomato Sauce from Puree, Hand-packed Canned Sardines in Tomato Sauce from Portugal, Wild Caught Portuguese Sardines, 23g Protein, Paleo, Dash, Pack of 12

I tried sardines years ago and got a cheap tin of American brand at the grocery store. They smelled awful and tasted bad.I keep seeing people rave about Spanish and Portuguese tinned fish and how amazing they can be. I read reviews here saying things like, don’t smell or taste “fishy.” They definitely smell fishy. The taste is pretty clean. It’s not a bad snack but the reward for the cost isn’t there for me. I do understand the appeal and they probably do taste better with wine, I just don’t drink. Anyway, 4 stars because the product is probably really good for what it is. A tin of fish.

I ordered these the same time I ordered some King Oscar Royal Selection sardines with "peppers, garlic, rosemary and hot chili"; the King Oscars were also a premium price, but the reviews led me to believe they would be worth it.Oscar arrived first. They were something of a disappointment: the fish were so cooked they were mushy, and the taste of peppers was *barely* noticeable; I didn't even realize they had garlic until I looked at the package again and saw it listed. Not did I notice rosemary, and it was more like "Not chili". Even the sardine flavor was meh. I haven't opened the other can (it was a two-pack); maybe I just got a bad can, and others are more like what got rave reviews. To me it was as "spicy" as a typical Midwestern hot dish, which is to say, not at all. I guess that kind of makes sense, since King Oscar is a Norwegian brand and much US Midwestern cuisine and tastes were formed by Nordic and Germanic immigrants who settled there (they weren't afraid of bitter winters, I guess).So later, this 3-pack of Santo Amaro comes. I opened a can right away to check it out. As another reviewer said, there is a lot of olive oil in the can and it's hard to remove the pulltop without getting some all over (I managed to keep it just on my hands, but my fingers were *dripping*). But good news: the oil tastes really good. It's quality olive oil with just a hint of fish and pepper, suitable for saving and using in a salad dressing or a quick saute.Then I dig into the fish itself. As I say in the title, these sardines have integrity: I mean, there are actually recognizable tubes of fish body (minus heads and tails) that haven't been processed into mush. Also, they're kosher, sustainably harvested, non-gmo, etc etc.And they taste great! Not a strong fishy odor (I mean, for sardines, which ordinarily do radiate a bit), just good little fishes with a nice savory tang. Still not flamethrower hot, but that's fine; the pepper shouldn't overwhelm the flavor of the fish, but I did want it to be noticeable, and in Santo Amaro's product, it is. That's the Portuguese origin shining through.I also experienced a few fishy burps after on, as another reviewer complained of. But they weren't bad or long-enduring, and the delight of eating these sardines was well worth a couple of brief "reminders". I suspect it might have been on account of how much of the olive oil I consumed, not strictly due to the fish; high-fat foods can trigger acid reflux, which may be what have both me and the other guy "fishy burps". The solution might be to wipe off as much of the oil as possible before eating, and certainly not to add mayonnaise as he did. There's no need to, these fish are plenty oily and not dry like water-packed fish can be sometimes after you drain off the water.I will say that my burps did not include any burning capsicum, though the fruity flavor of the pepper was present. That is more of a problem when very hot chilis are mixed with high-fat foods (one issue I have with very spicy Mexican food is the combination of lard and peppers, which leads to "flame burps" -- far worse, in my opinion, than the fishy kind).Highly recommend. I changed my subscription to monthly from every 2 months after tasting them.

Larger than average fish, nice and firm texture. Added flavors are well balanced, not overpowering.

Delivered on time, packaged well. I tried the Peri Peri can while waiting for some barbecue coals to heat up. It was delicious with a little onion and some fresh squeezed lemon juice.I hardly noticed any heat, but the flavors were excellent. The texture of the fish was deliciously firm, worth taking small bites and savoring. As a write this, I’m silently cursing myself for not having paired this with pickles.These fish are amazing. Must have for any emergency kit, pantry, locker, glove compartment, sock drawer, etc.

Sardines, what can I say? yummy yummy, but You have to like Sardines

A great, tasty and firm Sardine. For the price, the best sardine I have ever had. Did not smell or taste fishy at all. I ate it right out of the can with some dijon mustard as a flavoring.

Not the best I’ve had, but close! The peri peri is somehow not hot at all, but there are generally 3 nice thick tasty fish per can.

There were 3 sardines floating around in a whole lot of olive oil. I’m not sure if this was the norm before global inflation, but that’s quite stingy of them. The flavor was quite milder than I had expected. The little bones and skin intact also had to the flavor.