Nuri Sardines in Spiced Olive Oil (4.4oz Tin)

This company has been producing tinned fish from Portugal for over 100 years.

Crack open the tin and you’re greeted by a tempting colors and aromas. The eye takes in the ruby-hued oil, flecks of chili, a bit of bay leaf, and pickled carrot. The sardines themselves are plump, silvery in their bath of spiced oil.

On the palate, they’re meaty and with a satisfying snap of skin and rich flavors of the ocean. The spiced oil doesn’t overwhelm, it amplifies. Think warm paprika, a hint of clove, and just enough heat to make your second bite inevitable. There’s a subtle sweetness from the carrot and a herbal backbone from the bay that rounds it all out.

Pair with crusty bread, a smear of cultured butter, and a glass of chilled, salty white — maybe a Vinho Verde or a lean Vermentino. Or go rogue: pile them onto potato chips with aioli and call it dinner. Or get a bit more formal and toss them into hot pasta, drizzled with a bit of the oil from the tin and a lightly grated Grana Padano and you'll thank me later.