Text 3305, 64 rader
Skriven 2006-07-13 12:05:04 av DAVE SACERDOTE (1:123/140)
Ärende: Tastes, 13 July 2006
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Goya Cuttlefish (Pieces) In Their Own Ink. I bought a can of 
these the other day because I had never tried them, and they 
were on markdown at the local grocery (an irresistible 
combination.)

First of all, when you open the can, you find a deep, mahogany-
brown mass filling the can that looks nothing whatsoever like 
the "serving suggestion" depicted on the box. Goya packs the 
cuttlefish in a sauce made up of vegetable oil, tomato, onion, 
ink, spices, and salt. I suppose if you drained the cuttlefish 
well, you might be able to arrange them on a platter to look 
as good as the pic.

The cuttlefish are cut in pieces about an inch or so square 
and are firm in texture, yet very tender. It's strange - kind 
of like eating a stewed gasket - but there's a good seafood 
flavor there hiding below the weird sauce. That sauce is probably the
product's weak spot: it has an odd metallic/rancid taste
, as though it was pulling most of its flavor from the can 
and from overripe tomatoes and onions. The overall flavor 
was not unpleasant, just unfamiliar and a bit jarring.

Photo available at: http://tinyurl.com/zfj6v

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Goya Octopus in Garlic Sauce - Big, meaty chunks of tender delicious
octopus, flavored with garlic and tinged with a pleasant and subtle cayenne
heat. Truly wonderful, the pieces range from large, slightly chewy chunks
to small, melt-in-your-mouth tender tentacle cuts.

This would be excellent in a marinated seafood salad, tossed with a light
vinagrette, some artichoke hearts, and garden-fresh tomatoes, but it's just
as good all by itself, drained of its oil and just eaten with a fork and
some crackers. Goya octopus = win!

Photo available at: http://tinyurl.com/zkc6y

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Bumble Bee Sardines in Hot Sauce - the label says "Premium Quality," and
that's sad because it means that Bumble Bee has really lowered their
standards pretty dramatically.

Under the attractively-designed lid of this sardine tin, I found four
massive fish and two smaller ones, rather haphazardly packaged and looking
a little like they had been processed with a weed whacker (at least they'd
been scaled - it is so disgusting to get a mouthful of fishscales.)

The term "hot sauce" on the front label is a little deceptive. The deeners
are packed in oil which seems to include a cloudy red slurry. That must be
the hot sauce, and there is nothing subtle about it - The harsh cayenne
heat is virtually devoid of any flavor and slams into your mouth and throat
like a chunk of burning sandpaper. Not my favorite kind of spiciness, but
tolerable with a handful of nori crackers for me and probably enjoyable
as-is for many others.

Regardless of their shortcomings, these fishies are selling for fifty cents
a can at the local job lot stores, so they're a cheap and decent lunch.

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