YOU know those little tine of fish. You see them in every supermarket and corner shop in the land. They have a ring pull and are usually filled with sardines. Or mackerel. Or some other type of fish. Well, I’ve been enjoying Princes mackerel fillets and boneless sardines recently. But, what happens when you go beyond the big-name brands?
While looking through Tesco’s ever-growing selection of ethnic food, I found these: Brunswick Canadian Style Sardines in Louisiana Hot Sauce. What they’re doing in the ethnic foods section is beyond me. If you know why Tesco are hiding them there, then do please leave a comment at the end of this post.
Unlike they’re British counterparts. These come in a tin, inside a wrapper. If they’re aim is to add a premium feel, then they’ve succeeded. It’s the equivalent of adding foil wrapping to the top of beer bottles. Pointless, but it looks good.
On both sides, there’s a lot of information. Little of which is interesting. If you want me to list the ingredients or whatever next time, then leave a request at the end of this post.
They’re serving suggestion involves crackers. Which is a new one to me. They’re web address is www.brunswick.ca. A website that helpfully has a section especially for those of us in the UK at http://www.brunswick.ca/brunswick/unitedkingdom/mainpage.asp. With heritage going back to 1893, Brunswick must know how to make a good tin of fish. And I’m fascinated to see what “Canadian Style” means. So, let’s open.
Once out of the colourful wrapper, things become a little more functional.
Opening the tin reveals what look like complete sardines. Minus the head and tail. Decanted into a bowl, I can report that they are actually large fragment. They smell of fish. They look as if they were only just in the water. And they have the manky bits I’m not so keen on. The bones and mysterious brown stuff that I try to avoid.
There’s also not a lot of sauce. I was expecting it to be drenched in the stuff like the sardines normally sold here. But it’s not.
How do they taste? First bite was plain. It tastes of plain old sardines. No bad thing if that’s what you want. But I was hoping for hot sauce. As per the billing. Then it hit. Like the after taste of a beer. It does have a hot taste. Hotter than with most UK brands.
They’ve also done a lot less processing than with the UK brands. I’m pulling out nearly complete backbones and stuff. Some of you will love that. But it’s not really what I’m after from tinned sardines.
Right, I’ve just finished eating. What is there to like about Brunswick Canadian Style Sardines in Louisiana Hot Sauce? It’ll please those who like the experience of eating a fish with the convenience of a tin. There’s no mass of sauce to splash all over your clothes. The flavour is hot.
What did I dislike about Brunswick Canadian Style Sardines in Louisiana Hot Sauce? Well, the sardines were so complete; I spent a good deal of time carefully removing the backbones and manky brown stuff. I hope you have an air freshener and a lid on your bin. If anyone has tips for how to dispose of fish bits, leave a message at the end of this post.
In conclusion, Brunswick Canadian Style Sardines in Louisiana Hot Sauce are not bad. Excellent if you like the fish eating experience. Not so good, if, like me, you prefer a bone-free fish. Outstanding hot flavour though. That’s unmatched compared to the brands over here.
Do please leave your corrections, opinions, requests, recommendations and places to buy in the boxes below. Thanks for reading my first food review!
Tags: Brunswick, Canada, Canadian style, fish, food, Louisiana hot sauce, review, sardines, snack, tin
Hywel's Big Log 
22 September, 2009 at 1:44 am |
hello, really nice job i really like it I just want to know the price of each one.
thank you very much
4 November, 2009 at 4:12 am |
Here in Australia, I eat these Brunswick Sardines (in tomato sauce) about three times a week.
I just have them on two slices of toast with a bit of salt and cracked pepper.
The thing that irks me though, is the inconsistency in the number of sardines in each can.
Lately just about all of the cans I’ve opened only has three, yes only three, sardines!
Other cans can have five – which looks like a lot better value for money.
Oddly enough, there are hardly ever four sardines to a can.
Three or five seems to be the routine find.
Nice web site by the way!
18 November, 2009 at 5:08 pm |
Quit complaining of the texture and composite of the sardines. They are sardines for God’s sake. Eat lobster!
6 December, 2009 at 8:51 pm |
rob you clown each tin has the same weight of sardines!
21 January, 2010 at 11:51 am |
I’m addicted to these bad boys, your bone and brown phobia is beyond me however *crunch crunch*
16 June, 2011 at 4:58 am |
To get rid of the bones and stuff you don’t want to eat – flush ’em down the toilet.
12 December, 2011 at 6:07 pm |
I’d just like to point out the difference between “there,” “their,” and “they’re.”
I would recommend you research the topic in further detail.
4 February, 2012 at 5:21 pm |
they are cheaper in ASDA!!(also in the foreign food isle)..I love these..although I just buy the soya oil ones…I noticed some I bought were from poland….and another batch I bought were from Canada???? either way I think they have a nicer taste that the other brands I’ve tried..and I’m not Bias just cause I’m half-canadian..they really do taste better…
13 January, 2015 at 1:11 pm |
Though I understand not wanting to eat the bones (I don’t mind them myself, they’re pretty soft in tinned fish) I really can’t grasp why you don’t like the brown bits. That’s by far the best part.
17 October, 2016 at 12:01 am |
Read the label – the one I have says Brunswick Sardines Canadian style with hot peppers- hint of ANY peppers but the taste 👌Divine – because these are NOT sardines but HERRINGS – 😊
8 October, 2022 at 6:41 pm |
i just bought some this week read the label surprize made in Poland whats up with that.