Smoked sardines with a delicate smoky aroma from Lisbon
The smoked sardines from A Banca da Sardinha are matured in olive oil and carry a delicate smoky aroma, caught off the Portuguese coast. Not an ordinary canned fish, but traditionally pre-cooked craftsmanship from Lisbon.
Smoked sardines from A Banca da Sardinha are a classic canned fish that provides pure Portuguese pleasure and represents the craftsmanship of the Lisbon brand, which has been part of the Mediterran Food & Beverage manufactory since 2007. The fish are caught fresh off the Portuguese coast, pre-cooked according to traditional methods, gently smoked, and then placed in olive oil. It is the brand's best-selling product in our range.
Smoky, mild, velvety in olive oil
Smoked sardines only really unfold their fine smoky taste in olive oil, which keeps the mild fillets velvety and supple – not an intrusive smoky aroma, but a delicate seasoning in the background that does not mask the actual sardine flavor. Smoky, mild, and velvety all at once, this is how it reveals itself from the very first bite on bread.
The sardine itself likes things uncomplicated: enjoyed straight from the tin for a cozy night in, but just as good on a nice piece of bread with a knob of butter, where it can fully show off its smoky side. Serve them on toasted country bread with a little spring onion or straight from the tin for an aperitivo, accompanied by a cool beer or a dry white wine.
If you prefer things milder, then reach for the sardines with lemon in olive oil from the same producer, or if you prefer a purist approach, try the classic sardines in olive oil. All three get along perfectly well on a shared appetizer platter.
Pre-cooked, smoked, and canned by hand
Before the sardines are canned, they are pre-cooked using the traditional "pré-cozido" method – which is gentler than canning them raw, as the fillets retain their firmness and do not fall apart during the subsequent smoking process. Only then are they placed in olive oil, where they are left to mature.
They are caught using purse seine fishing methods, certified according to the MSC standard. Mediterran Food & Beverage also relies on clear, documented standards for food safety, ensuring that every tin tastes just as reliable as the last.
Since 2007 with a Lisbon twinkle in the eye
Behind A Banca da Sardinha is the Lisbon-based company Mediterran Food & Beverage, which was founded in 2007 and is entirely dedicated to the Mediterranean lifestyle – lightness, sun, and good food. Playful and modern on the outside, delicious and made according to traditional methods on the inside – that is how the brand describes its tins, and it hits the nail on the head.
The brand's overall range includes many recipes, from mild to spicy, packed in colorful, pop-art tins that you would sooner expect in a concept boutique than at a fishing port. Designers and advertisers have been working hand-in-hand here for years with those who learned the art of smoking and preserving sardines from the ground up – a success that has long carried the brand beyond Portugal to England, the USA, and to us here in Germany.
With us, the smoked version is the best-selling among almost all the A Banca da Sardinha varieties we carry – proof that understatement tastes good. Hats off. Anyone who wants to try their way through the entire A Banca da Sardinha range will find the full spectrum with us, from mild to spicy with Malagueta chili, along with matching sardines from Portugal from other manufacturers.
Content 120g – Drained weight 85g