The Wild Caught Boneless Grilled Sardines in Olive Oil are labeled wild-caught off the coast of Tunisia and described as firm, meaty, deboned, split, grilled fillets. Upon opening, fillets appeared flat, smushed, and began breaking apart, likely due to grilling rather than steaming or smoking. The taste was so unpleasant that it prompted concern the sardines might be spoiled. The product flaked into unappetizing chunks and showed little to no detectable smokiness despite the tin's "slightly smoky" descriptor. Serving on crostini with garlic spread is suggested to mask flaws, and online consumer comments echo similar criticisms.
The official Trader Joe's website describes its Grilled Sardines in Olive Oil as "wild-caught for us off the coast of Tunisia" with a firm, meaty texture in each deboned, split, grilled fillet. Upon peeling back the lid, the sardines were "flat, smushed, and already breaking up a bit. This was most likely due to the fact that they were grilled as opposed to steamed or smoked ..."
[The taste] was so unpleasant that we were both wondering if the sardines had gone bad." Alas, Trader Joe's grilled sardines failed to deliver in either the flavor or texture department, flaking into unappetizing chunks. The tin is printed with the descriptor "slightly smoky," but in execution, any smokiness was undetectable - or perhaps barely-there and easily overshadowed by the weird texture and overall lackluster flavor.
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