Conservas Nardin only buys mackerel caught in the Cantabrian Sea; the fish destined to be used for their smoked mackerel are brined, rather than salted, and then cold smoked whole over beech wood before being filleted, trimmed and then tinned in olive oil. They are tender, moist and succulent with a beautifully balanced taste. All of these sardines are fished in the plankton-rich waters off the coast of Galicia, between June and October, and processed immediately. They are prepared by hand and put into wire trays and gently steamed, before being packed by hand into tins, which are filled up with olive oil. They have a firm texture and a mild, deeply agreeable flavour. This product has been awarded with 2 stars in the Great Taste Awards 2016. The judges’ comments were: “Tiny sardines that are bathed in very pleasant-tasting oil. We love their size and their firm texture and simple uncomplicated but good flavour. Very agreeable sardines! They’re great for canapes or other finger foods because of their size too.”