There is nothing like a good can of preserved fish. These are the thoughts that pass through my mind every single day. I recently discovered that Dollar General sells Beach Cliff tinned sardines. Of course after such a discovery I bought the three different styles that they had.
I enjoyed each can of fish by itself and as well as with a club cracker.
I, of course, started with the classic sardines served in soybean oil. Not expecting anything too crazy, I opened the can and was met with some pretty normal looking sardines. The smell was pretty light. A common misconception about tinned fish is that they reek. The ones served in an oil base actually have a pretty bland smell.
The soybean oil was actually quite nice. The oil was light and the fishy taste was not that powerful. The fish was super delicate though, it broke apart very easily. I would give Beach Cliff’s soybean oil sardines a seven out of 10, best eaten on a cracker, maybe with a little cube of cheese or some grapes.
Next up on the list was sardines once again, but this time served in a Louisiana hot sauce. These guys were interesting. They had a very strong smell. It was the fishiest compared to the others, with a good amount of spice. They were also swimming in a deep red liquid.
Even with their intimidating appearance and smell, I had some both on and off a cracker and will say that they were alright. The fishy smell did not translate to the taste, instead a spicy kick took its place. The heat on this can of fish was pretty serious. It definitely overpowered the flavor of the fish and it was almost like eating canned shredded chicken. These sardines were not the best on the cracker and their heat made it difficult to enjoy by themselves. I would give them a six out of 10, but I could see them being good over some rice.
The last item on the menu were sardines served in a mustard sauce. Now, I was not really excited for this one. As I cracked open the lid I was met with a scary sight: A thick yellow sauce was congealed over the fish. It also smelled like a day old bottle of mustard.
With the intent of scientific discovery in mind, I tried the mustard sardines and was honestly surprised. They were alright. I shredded the fish in with the sauce and it tasted similar to tuna salad. After getting everything all mixed up, it also took on a more palatable appearance. I would still only give them a five out of 10. They worked best on the cracker, but still were not very appealing.
Overall today’s fish were alright. Nothing too special, but nothing too abhorrent. In order I would rank them, from best to worst, soybean oil, Louisiana hot sauce, mustard.