Crown Prince Sardines in Soy Bean Oil

Great used as a mix-in protein source in meals or for snacking right out of the bag. Single serving portion in an easy to open bag. Worth their weight for day hikers, climbers, or those on longer trails and especially so for those looking to add fat and protein to their diet.

Crown Prince is a pretty well known for their canned sardines but they recently came out with several varieties sold in easy to open pouches. They can be somewhat hard to find as not all grocery stores carry them, but they are definitely worth making an effort to locate.

The Soy Bean Oil variety, like the others in the line, comes with three or four sardines of the shorter/fatter variety. It also comes with several fluid ounces of a very light soy bean oil. This variety seems to be the closest in terms of flavor and texture to traditional canned sardines packed in oil. The smoked flavor is so light as to hardly be noticed leaving the flavor of the fish to come through well.

I'm not sure if they used the large amount of liquid to protect the sardines or just to give the package more heft. Whatever the reason for it, if you don't use the sauce as part of a mix-in recipe it is waste that has to be dealt with and I'd have preferred they use less of it even it meant the fish were more abused.

Bottom line is these things are dang delicious, especially after a few days on trail without fresh meat. My wife and I have both found them a nice lunch treat sporked right out of the pouch, but when I'm out alone I won't even bother digging out my spork and have been known to slurp them right out of the pouch. I find this variety really works pretty well as a mix in for a meal also. I have used it with both noodles and mashed potato with great result.

The pouches protect the fish surprisingly well in my pack. They are easy to open with a quick tear but must be dealt with carefully to avoid spilling the sauce. The package is not designed to be zipped closed when done so I bring a small zip bag for each package of sardines to help control the mess and smell. I try to be careful eating any sort of fish in bear country, but really prefer eating these out on the trail for lunch rather than in my camp site.

I definitely can recommend any of these Crown Prince Sardine varieties to folks looking to add some fat and protein calories to their on trail diet. Beyond their nutrition they are a nice break from rehydrated meats in terms of taste bud pleasing texture. If you are a fan of the taste of traditional sardines packed in oil this variety will likely be your favorite.

Ingredients

Sardines, Soy Bean Oil, Water, Salt, Smoked Flavor