Here are two of my absolute most favorite blogs EVAR:
Society for the Appreciation of the Lowly Tinned Sardine
and
Mouth Full of Sardines
I love sardines and to anyone in the Austin, TX area who wants to expand their tinned sardine palette, here's where to go for some of the brands mentioned on the blogs above. I'm only noting the ones that got decent ratings. As I write this, I still need to scope out the stock at
Walmart
World Market
but other than that, find, eat and enjoy
HEB
- King Oscar
- Crown Prince Boneless and Skinless
- Beach Cliff (the hot sauce one is really good with avocado)
- Ligo in the Asian section (I know these weren't highly rated, but they appeal to my Filipino sensibilities and are good when cooked)
Specs Liquor & Gourmet Foods
- Roland
- Bela Olhao
- Wild Planet (personal fave)
They're good on carrying a lot of varieties within brands and these are the constant brands I've observed, but I've seen Haddon House before and their website (Specs) shows a lot in terms of variety so the inventory may differ slightly from store to store.
Asahi Imports
- Nissui
- Iwashi
Sasha's Russian Gourmet Market
-Riga
They had more brands, but I was on a Riga mission so I didn't remember the rest.
Sur La Table
-Matiz Gallego
Big Lots
-Ocean Prince Boneless and Skinless in oil (make sure the box reads boneless and skinless, for some reason other ocean prince sardine products don't rank well. I know their kippers taste a little on the medicinal side.)
-Nice: Boneless and Skinless
Go out, eat and enjoy. If you're curious, Whole Foods, and Central Market didn't have much to offer in terms of different brands, both offered Bar Harbor and Central Market had Season. Best selections so far were Specs and HEB.
UPDATE (03/22/2013):
Natural Grocer
Wild Planet (cheaper than at Specs and it's RIGHT NEXT DOOR!)
Raincoast Trading
Crown Prince Wild Caught
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Nice, thanks for the heads up. Who would of thought there was a blog on sardines out there, much less two! Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteHappy to be of service. Sardines seem to have a bit of a food cult following. They're a great thing to like since there are so many varieties. The omega-3s don't hurt either.
DeleteI've (very, very rarely) been able to buy them fresh at Whole Foods. In the meantime, I eat tinned ones as well. Wheatsville (several rare brands plus Wild Planet) and Fiesta (Crown Prince Brisling, Wild Planet and others) also have some interesting ones. At Fiesta, they are in the health food area. Amazon has a great variety but you have to buy more quantity so I find that the local stores are a place to buy in small quantities (for taste testing) and then Amazon can be used for buying if the local places aren't competitive or have intermittent stock.
ReplyDeleteI found Matiz Gallego originally at Sur La Table for around $5 per tin (which is like robbery) so I bought them in bulk on Amazon. I was just at the Fiesta Mart today, their international section is no joke! I saw Reese, Vigo, Riga, and some other international brands worth a try. I didn't spy out Fiesta's health food section. I've actually, on more than one occasion, seen fresh sardines at HEB.
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