Cracked this squid tin open today alongside a tin of King Oscar and a plate of kimchi. Full review in comments
by BananaPantaloons
3 Comments
BananaPantaloons
I have to admit that since picking this tin up, a long time ago from Rainbow Tomatoes Garden [here](https://rainbowtomatoesgarden.com/index.php/product/portomar-stuffed-baby-squid-in-american-sauce/), I’ve been a bit intimidated by it. I’ve had squid in the form of broiled, braised, and fried calarmari, and as sushi, and always enjoyed it, but something about a tin of baby squid challenged me. Well I’m glad that I cracked it open today…
**Visuals**: Cracking this tin open presented some putty/slightly gray colored lumps submerged in a vibrant orange sauce with some vegetation drifting amongst the squid
**Aroma**: Taking a sniff at the tin gave a bit of a sweet tomato note with an underlying mineral note. Foisting a squid out of the sauce and giving it a direct sniff gave an odd note… the first thing I thought of was dog kibble. This did not bode well.
**Texture**: This was probably my greatest concern and that concern was immediately assuaged. I thought it could possibly have been rubbery or mushy but it is not at all – it’s a good bite, but the squid flesh yields easily. I think that if I didn’t know it was squid, I’d probably have a hard time identifying what protein this was based on the texture.
**Flavor**: I’d never heard of American sauce, and I’m not sure if that’s really a pervasive thing, but it seemed pretty similar to some other tinned fish I’ve had in galician sauce, which I’d also not previously heard of. Anyhow, the flavor is great – a bit of tomato, a bit of onion, a bit of umami, the slightest bit of spice. I’m not sure I could tell you what the squid tasted like itself – the sauce is pervasive – pleasant, but it drives the flavor profile.
**Overall**: I regret waiting this long to crack this tin open. It was delicious. I’ve been on a bit of a kick of having tins with tomato-based sauces in them and I’d be happy to have this one in regular rotation. I often eat my tins with a simple setup – crackers and/or toasted sourdough or a scoop of rice with a side of kimchi and/or other pickled veg and possibly a scoop of chili crisp. If I can enjoy the tin as-is it gets good points with me – I think this tin could work well on its own, but with some crackers and kimchi it was pretty darn good.
ShanShen
Want.
weedy_weedpecker
How many Americans did they use to make the sauce?
3 Comments
I have to admit that since picking this tin up, a long time ago from Rainbow Tomatoes Garden [here](https://rainbowtomatoesgarden.com/index.php/product/portomar-stuffed-baby-squid-in-american-sauce/), I’ve been a bit intimidated by it. I’ve had squid in the form of broiled, braised, and fried calarmari, and as sushi, and always enjoyed it, but something about a tin of baby squid challenged me. Well I’m glad that I cracked it open today…
**Visuals**: Cracking this tin open presented some putty/slightly gray colored lumps submerged in a vibrant orange sauce with some vegetation drifting amongst the squid
**Aroma**: Taking a sniff at the tin gave a bit of a sweet tomato note with an underlying mineral note. Foisting a squid out of the sauce and giving it a direct sniff gave an odd note… the first thing I thought of was dog kibble. This did not bode well.
**Texture**: This was probably my greatest concern and that concern was immediately assuaged. I thought it could possibly have been rubbery or mushy but it is not at all – it’s a good bite, but the squid flesh yields easily. I think that if I didn’t know it was squid, I’d probably have a hard time identifying what protein this was based on the texture.
**Flavor**: I’d never heard of American sauce, and I’m not sure if that’s really a pervasive thing, but it seemed pretty similar to some other tinned fish I’ve had in galician sauce, which I’d also not previously heard of. Anyhow, the flavor is great – a bit of tomato, a bit of onion, a bit of umami, the slightest bit of spice. I’m not sure I could tell you what the squid tasted like itself – the sauce is pervasive – pleasant, but it drives the flavor profile.
**Overall**: I regret waiting this long to crack this tin open. It was delicious. I’ve been on a bit of a kick of having tins with tomato-based sauces in them and I’d be happy to have this one in regular rotation. I often eat my tins with a simple setup – crackers and/or toasted sourdough or a scoop of rice with a side of kimchi and/or other pickled veg and possibly a scoop of chili crisp. If I can enjoy the tin as-is it gets good points with me – I think this tin could work well on its own, but with some crackers and kimchi it was pretty darn good.
Want.
How many Americans did they use to make the sauce?