# Sardines vs. Mackerel (tinned/canned) Do we have thoughts on the difference? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** food-cooking\ **Created:** [December 31, 2022, 9:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sardines-vs-mackerel-tinned-canned-do-we-have-thoughts-on-the-difference/977405 "2022-12-31T09:40:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2023, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sardines-vs-mackerel-tinned-canned-do-we-have-thoughts-on-the-difference/977405/21 "2023-01-01T16:14:54Z")
And i also feel like the odds one out, because i only buy tinned fish in oil (or possibly water, of i can’t find oil) and really don’t want it packaged with a flavored sauce. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2023, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sardines-vs-mackerel-tinned-canned-do-we-have-thoughts-on-the-difference/977405/22 "2023-01-01T16:20:26Z")
I have a slight preference to mackerel as well, but there’s a lot of variation in flavor and texture among brands. The South American sardines I bought for cheap are huge, fishy, bony and not particularly tasty. The Croatian mackerel are pretty gentle and soft, not as firm as Baltic sardines (which tend to be small, and I think are actually sprays) I’ve gotten, and then there’s delicious Spanish sardines. I’m not at home, else I’d check to see what brands and origins I buy, as I know some have been absolute garbage and others quite tasty. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2023, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sardines-vs-mackerel-tinned-canned-do-we-have-thoughts-on-the-difference/977405/23 "2023-01-01T17:07:19Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > The Croatian mackerel are pretty gentle and soft, not as firm as Baltic sardines Ack. I meant not as firm as the South American sardines. The Baltic sardines are softer than the Croatian mackerel. ---
**Author:** ![jnglmassiv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f07891/32.png) [@jnglmassiv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jnglmassiv)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2023, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sardines-vs-mackerel-tinned-canned-do-we-have-thoughts-on-the-difference/977405/24 "2023-01-01T18:50:40Z")
I prefer sardines in oil, too. The variety of sauces they’re commonly offered in seems limited to tomato, hot sauce & mustard (the European tins, anyway). They’re sometimes packed in oil but seasoned with other stuff like lemon, capers, 'Mediterranean," hot chiles, garlic, olives, etc, but I haven’t had one of these that I loved. Smoked is good, though. But the herring fillets in sauce have been good. They’re milder and less texturally interesting than sardines and benefit from the sauces. > [@salinqmind1](#): > > Aldi sells flat rectangular cans of fish in various sauces. The Aldi herring I see most often is sauced in either mango pepper or pineapple curry. Honestly, neither of those sound very appealing. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2023, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sardines-vs-mackerel-tinned-canned-do-we-have-thoughts-on-the-difference/977405/25 "2023-01-01T19:17:46Z")
My favorite is oil and chili flakes when it comes to sardines, and a vegetable tomato sauce for mackerel. The fruity Aldi ones are fine, but not my first choices. Oh, and I just remembered, tinned herring are really good too. Really, any oily fish are fairly interchangeable for me. ---
**Author:** ![salinqmind1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/958977/32.png) [@salinqmind1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/salinqmind1)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2023, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sardines-vs-mackerel-tinned-canned-do-we-have-thoughts-on-the-difference/977405/26 "2023-01-01T21:03:43Z")
They probably change the recipe now and then, like they do with the ready-to-bake pizzas. ---
**Author:** ![Ruken](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f475e1/32.png) [@Ruken](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruken)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2023, 11:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sardines-vs-mackerel-tinned-canned-do-we-have-thoughts-on-the-difference/977405/27 "2023-01-02T11:46:38Z")
I usually eat mine mashed up and I’m not sure I could tell the difference in a blind comparison. ---
**Author:** ![salinqmind1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/958977/32.png) [@salinqmind1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/salinqmind1)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2023, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sardines-vs-mackerel-tinned-canned-do-we-have-thoughts-on-the-difference/977405/28 "2023-01-02T16:51:20Z")
One more sardine comment (I so seldom have occasion to drone on about sardines) - the best are King Oscar brand in oil, many little silvery guys all in neat rows…I’ve bought sardines from the Dollar Tree, and once found two great big dead black fishies inside, lol. Tasted OK, but not much to look at. ---
**Author:** ![purplehorseshoe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/purplehorseshoe/32/2996_2.png) [@purplehorseshoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purplehorseshoe)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2023, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sardines-vs-mackerel-tinned-canned-do-we-have-thoughts-on-the-difference/977405/29 "2023-01-02T20:29:14Z")
> [@salinqmind1](#): > > I’ve bought sardines from the Dollar Tree, and once found two great big dead black fishies inside If they weren’t dead, I’d be even more worried. > [@puzzlegal](#): > > i only buy tinned fish in oil (or possibly water, of i can’t find oil) and really don’t want it packaged with a flavored sauce Same! The oil makes a lovely dip, but flavored sauce is … too distracting, flavor-wise. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sardines-vs-mackerel-tinned-canned-do-we-have-thoughts-on-the-difference/977405.md?page=1)