Dardanel Anchovies in Olive Oil
Turkey of the Sea
Originally Published: Wednesday, May 15, 2024
Specs
Dardanel Anchovies in Olive OilFirst of its Kind
Today’s fishy snack hails from a country I have yet to feature, Turkey. I must admit, Turkey was not the first place that pops into my head when I think seafood, even though it has all of the geographical advantages that allow it to be a seafood powerhouse. I chalk it up to the fact that I have seen very few seafood products for sale at my local shops. Even the Turkish-owned bodega where I picked up today’s product only carry two or three different tins originating from Turkey. Of the limited selection, I picked the Anchovies in Olive Oil from Dardanel.
Unfortunately, Dardanel does not offer an English language website so I had to rely heavily on Google Translate to gather my intel.
Dardanel was founded as the first company to produce canned tuna in Turkey and has been in operation since 1984. It named itself eponymously after the region where it was established, The Dardanelles. While its marketing and website focuses heavily on its range of tuna products, it also offers a variety of other fish ranging from sardines to salmon.
Being the first and largest seafood cannery in Turkey, it also appears to be the de facto choice. I assume my fascination with this brand is the equivalent of someone in Turkey nerding out over Cloverleaf Tuna or something.
Unexpectedly Premium
Before reviewing the fish, I must point out how unexpectedly premium the packaging on this product is. For the retail price of about $4 CAD for a 110g can, this is definitely one of the more affordable products I’ve seen on the shelves, but it presents itself as a product in a higher price bracket.
The outer sleeve is printed on thick textured cardstock in bold bright colours. The design is simple yet eye-catching, with minimal fuss or muss.
The real surprise came when I slipped the tin out of the sleeve and saw a label sticker with the identical design adhered to the top of the can. Apart from the pleasant visual presentation, this design is also practical as it identifies the contents of the can in case the outer box was lost. Very few brands choose to do this with their packaging, meaning a damaged or lost outer box will leave you with a mystery tin.
Surprise sticker label!Darling of the Dardanelles
The tin opened easily with minimal spillage; these tins were not filled to the bursting point with liquid which helped to keep everything in the container. The briny fish-forward aromas burst forward followed by the light, fruity scent of olive oil.
The tiny fish were deboned, dressed, and beheaded before being stacked into a loose pile like a box of matches. The silvery skin was left on and added a shimmery sheen to each matchstick.
Like silvery matches.I popped a piece into my mouth with no garnishes just to get a sense of what the product had to offer. These anchovies were saltier than most sardines prepared in the same style, but not as salty as the kind generally found on pizzas. The extra saltiness combined with the natural savoury qualities of anchovies made these easy to like.
There was a bit of natural bitterness accompanied by lots of metal and mineral notes. The bitterness was accentuated by the olive oil, which was also naturally slightly bitter and astringent.
These silvery matchsticks had a satisfying meatiness despite their minute stature. They were far too small to have just one at a time, so I happily loaded two or three pieces onto each cracker. The light bitterness and salty umami paired well with a salty-sweet cracker, although I would caution against serving these on a vehicle that has a very strong flavour as they will get upstaged.
The Last Word
These are tasty little morsels, but they are maybe just a bit ordinary. They’re definitely well made and well priced, but they’re not the most adventurous product. This is not a negative, as the market needs its share of basic products. While this won’t surprise the gourmand, it should still more than satisfy.
Just pile on those fishies.As an affordable product with excellent fundamentals and appealing packaging, this is an easy one to recommend. I will be looking out for more products from Dardanel, and perhaps even try one of their canned tunas.
It’s a no brainer to give this the Yum. This product also earns the coveted three value stars for its attention to detail and quality of product in a very saturated price bracket.