My Honest Tinned Seafood Review

Once in a while, I'll get a craving for something that I don't eat on a regular basis. This could be a basic food, such as juice, ketchup or lemonade--and, recently, this manifested in a craving for tinned seafood. It was a little unusual, but I'm not opposed to broadening my horizons, so I went to Walmart and came home with six different products from six unique brands.

Before we start, I'll mention that I ate everything on this list right out of the tins--no bread, crackers, sauces or seasonings. Additionally, this is not a paid promotion of any of these brands. These are my honest, unfiltered opinions about a variety of canned seafood options.

Ready? Let's dig in!

Great Value Sardines in Mustard Sauce

Great Value Sardines in Mustard Sauce is an affordable offering from Walmart's store brand. Each tin features wild-caught tuna smothered in bright yellow mustard. With simple ingredients, this seemed like a healthy snack that I could squeeze into my budget--and if I didn't like the sardines, I hoped that the mustard sauce would mask their taste.

When I removed the lid, an earthy, fishy smell wafted from the tin. However, the sardines didn't taste fishy or fermented. Instead, I enjoyed a cool, oceanic flavor that was milder than tuna, with the mustard adding a little spice to the flavor profile. I ate these straight out of the tin, but they're mild enough that you could add them to rice, pasta or toast.

As someone who'd never tried sardines before, this was the opposite of the sharp, salty flavor I'd expected. I'd definitely buy these again--but, for some reason, Great Value Sardines in Mustard Sauce have mysteriously disappeared from store shelves. I'm not sure what happened, but if I'd known this was coming, I would've stocked up.

Geisha Whole Baby Scallops

Geisha Whole Baby Scallops contain simple ingredients: scallops, water and salt. The scallops come pre-cleaned and ready to eat, although the Geisha website recommends using them in seafood recipes, such as Baby Scallops and Baby Corn Saute. Each tin includes 60 calories, 8 grams of protein and 60% of your daily vitamin D serving.

A fishy-smelling liquid leaked out when I opened the lid, forcing me to run to the sink to drain the container. When I finally sat down to eat, my first impression was that these scallops reminded me of chicken livers. They were soft and tender but still dense, and the chewy flesh tended to get stuck between my teeth. Despite the fishy aroma, they had a clean, salty taste that wasn't overbearing.

For a surprise treat, the tin had a single orange scallop with a creamy texture and buttery flavor. After doing some research, I learned that the orange color appears when a female scallop starts carrying roe. This scallop was the highlight of the bunch, and I could've eaten a whole tin of these.

Aside from that, baby scallops weren't a personal favorite, but they make a convenient snack that's high in essential vitamins. They're also affordable and readily available from Walmart and Amazon. Just make sure you drain the tin before you start eating.

Season Grilled Mackerel in 100% Olive Oil

According to the website, Season Grilled Mackerel in 100% Olive Oil is a more sustainable alternative to tuna. Mackerel is low in mercury and high in essential nutrients, including calcium, iron, potassium and vitamin D. For added flavor and texture, Season grills these fillets and packs them in olive oil.

Once opened, the tin smelled like a milder version of tuna. However, the flavor was the exact opposite: these fillets had a bold, fishy taste with intense savory notes. The texture was a little tough and hard to cut, but the mackerel practically melted on my tongue. Better yet, the olive oil added a clean, earthy flavor and a creamy texture.

For canned seafood, this was pretty impressive. The fresh flavor, buttery oil and smooth aftertaste all came together to create a healthy snack that doesn't require refrigeration. You could easily take this fish to hiking trips or work lunches, or simply enjoy a tin at home. Plus, the price is reasonable for the level of quality you're getting.

StarKist E.V.O.O. Wild Yellowfin Tuna

StarKist E.V.O.O. Wild Yellowfin Tuna is supposed to be a more refined addition to the StarKist brand. Each pouch includes wild-caught yellowfin tuna soaking in cold-pressed extra virgin olive oil. You can eat the seafood by itself or make an appetizer, such as the E.V.O.O. Yellowfin Tuna Avocado Stack.

Turns out, the marketing was right: this tuna had a cleaner, more complex flavor than the usual StarKist varieties. The texture was still a little tough and chewy, but the olive oil added a fresh, mellow and mildly buttery flavor to the fish. The tuna was still a little bland, but if you're tired of pouches with elaborate flavors, you might appreciate this minimalist approach.

Overall, this product was decent. The olive oil did a lot of heavy lifting, adding a particularly delicious flavor to the hunks at the bottom that had absorbed the most liquid. For better or worse, this recipe allows the tuna's natural flavors to stand out, and it's compatible with keto and paleo diets.

King Oscar Kipper Snacks

King Oscar Kipper Snacks feature wild-caught herring that's smoked, cleaned and hand-packed in a tin. The website recommends adding these fillets to your snacks or breakfast platters, but you can also enjoy them on their own. Each serving includes 16 grams of protein, 56 milligrams of calcium and 2,120 milligrams of omega-3s.

With a sharp, salty aroma, these kippers immediately reminded me of smoked salmon. Like the Season grilled mackerel, this fish was hard to cut, but soft and easy to chew. Salt was definitely the defining ingredient, enhancing the fish's tangy, fermented flavors like salmon on steroids. A mildly fishy taste rounded out the flavor profile.

Ultimately, these kippers were a little too strong for me. I wished I'd bought the olive oil version because the earthy oils might have balanced out the saltiness. Still, if you're a fan of hearty, robust flavors, you might enjoy this item. These kippers don't hold back, and King Oscar is so confident in their products that you can even purchase branded T-shirts with their logo front-and-center.

Geisha Smoked Oysters in Sunflower Oil

Geisha Smoked Oysters in Sunflower Oil are infused with real wood smoke and hand-packed in oil. These oysters are high in protein and have a four-year shelf life, making them ideal for emergency stashes and camping trips. You can also enjoy them as a quick snack.

These oysters had a fishy, slightly meaty aroma that was a little off-putting. However, once I got past the smell, the flesh practically melted in my mouth like liver. The flavor itself was mild, but with chewy exteriors, creamy interiors and a faintly sweet aftertaste, these oysters were addicting--and I knew they were about to become a regular part of my diet.

Since I wrote the first draft of this review, I've made a habit of picking up smoked oysters whenever I visit the grocery store. They're filling, nutritious and convenient, and for a protein-packed snack, you can't beat the price. They're also fairly consistent, so you can try different brands if your store doesn't carry Geisha.

Overall Verdict

The Season Grilled Mackerel and Geisha Smoked Oysters in Sunflower Oil were my personal favorites. They're affordable, but they don't taste cheap, and the seafood is pleasantly buttery and mild. The smoked kippers were a little too strong for me, and the rest of the products were decent but not mind-blowing. In the end, we're still dealing with canned seafood--and I guess you get what you pay for.

Have you tried tinned seafood before? What did you think? Which brands are your favorites? Sound off in the comments.