Sardines in Olive Oil, the Portuguese Classic
A Banca da Sardinha’s sardines in olive oil are the brand’s pure, classic variety: nothing but fish, olive oil, and a pinch of salt. No fancy assortment with lots of extras, but the essential sardine base from which all the brand’s other varieties are derived.
Sardines in Olive Oil by A Banca da Sardinha are our best-selling classic from the brand: 70 percent sardine fillet, plus olive oil and a pinch of salt—there’s nothing more in this 120 g tin. It is the benchmark against which all of the brand’s spicier and smoked varieties are measured.
Simple, tender, velvety
No lemon, no piri piri, no smoke: this sardine shows itself as it is, letting the olive oil take center stage. Simple, tender, velvety—that’s how this tin tastes from the very first bite, without the need for a single artificial flavoring.
The olive oil supports the fish instead of overpowering it, and that is exactly where the art of this supposedly simple recipe lies: 2 ingredients are enough when both are of high quality. It is at its purest enjoyed straight from the tin with an after-work beer, or gently mashed on toasted bread with a splash of lemon juice, or even in a quick pasta dish with garlic and chili flakes.
If you prefer more freshness, reach for the sardines with lemon in olive oil; if you prefer smoke, try the smoked sardines from the same producer. This one remains the foundation that many eventually return to, no matter how many of the brand’s spicier varieties you have tasted along the way.
Cleaned by hand, traditionally pre-cooked
The sardines are caught fresh off the Portuguese Atlantic coast and cleaned by hand on the same day before being pre-cooked using the traditional method. Nothing raw goes into the tin, which distinguishes this preserve from industrially produced versions.
Packed into the tins by hand and just as carefully wrapped by hand in the attractive colorful paper, each tin leaves the workshop only after several manual steps. Caught using purse seine fishing, it is certified to the MSC standard.
For food safety, Mediterran Food & Beverage also relies on clear, documented standards, so you can be sure that every tin tastes just as good as the last.
Number two among many recipes
A Banca da Sardinha is managed by the Lisbon-based company Mediterran Food & Beverage, which has owned the brand since 2007 and expanded its range to include many recipes, from plain to spicy. In our shop, this classic version is the second best-seller, right behind the smoked version.
It is exactly this mix of modern design on the outside and traditional craftsmanship on the inside that has taken the brand beyond Portugal to England, the USA, and to us in Germany, where it has long had dedicated fans in the gourmet scene.
Anyone wanting to sample the entire A Banca da Sardinha assortment will find mild, smoked, and spicy varieties side by side, as well as other sardines from Portugal by different producers. Simply open and enjoy, as befits a true classic.
Content 120g – Drained weight 85g