Sardines. It’s a craving thing. That’s the only answer.
Anyone who has ever been exposed to a White Castle, knows what a craving is. For those who have never met a White Castle, a craving is an unnatural uncontrollable unpredictable unimaginative desire to do the unthinkable. A can of sardines falls into this category.
For many months I was able to peacefully walk past where the sticky cans of sardines slept on the shelf over their brethren, the tuna. Often noticed was the sign “… in mustard sauce”. The temptation offered was never acted on. Every once in a while, with a few seconds to spare, there would be a quick glance at the cans looking for the telltale yellow on the front cover. Once, maybe twice, short bursts of rummaging broke out looking for the odd yellow among the placid pastel spring water and oil. Those moments ended quickly as the real reason for the trip lured me further down the aisle to the $1.49 apple juice.
All was well until that one day the craving hit. Even knowing the dollar bills would later stick to the fingers at the checkout, rational self-control left the vocabulary giving way to the uncontrollable urge to find that one needle in the hay stack can of yellow, packed in mustard sauce, sardines. And so, as others were prevented from reaching their cans of tuna, the methodical search process through the hundreds of sticky cans of sardines for the lone and lonesome yellow prize began, only to be stopped by success or eviction from the store.
Success was to be denied this first attempt, as stares of disbelief from the fast-growing mildly angry tuna-breath crowd waiting to fulfill their craving, brought sanity back to the mind. Quickly grabbing a spring water can, a hasty retreat was made to the apple juice. But the vow was made to come back with a better attack plan the next week.
To the victor went the spoils the following week. Timing the visit to the off-hours; victory was snatched from defeat, life from the jaws of death, and two cans of sardines packed in mustard sauce from the shelves.
And you ask, “What about the sardines?” Pretty good. Well, pretty good if you like sardines. The spring water can contained 3 big beefy Canadian sardines. This is the kind the RCM must eat. Each was easy to handle and a good mouthful or two. The mustard sauce packed six to a can. The mustard sauce added a slight punch, but nothing extra special. I’m sure the number and size of sardines will vary from can to can. All in all, these are just the ordinary type sardines that will satisfy your carving. What more is there to say? “Until the next time.”
Price 89 cents per can Calories, about 300 per can per the web
Tags: aldi, calories, fish, food, northern catch, price, review, reviews, sardines
Ain't Found A Good Title Blog 
09/07/2023 at 14:26 |
My husband recently opened your sardine can and the tab broke off when he pulled it and the top of his hand to the wrist was badly cut. About 5 inches. I took a picture if you need to see it. Just wanted you to be aware of this. He does love these sardines, by the way.
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09/08/2023 at 08:18 |
Sorry to hear the bad news. I hope he’s healing. This website is not part of Aldi.
.If you’d like to contact Aldi directly, here’s a link to their website. Down near the bottom of the linked page you’ll find a place to send an email or regular mail.
https://www.aldi.us/en/about-aldi/contact-us/
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10/26/2021 at 07:27 |
What happened to Northern Catch sardines at ALDIs? They were replaced with Bumble Bee sardines that didn’t look or taste anything like sardines., they looked like minnows in a weak mustard sauce. Nothing like Northern Catch sardines in sunflower oil. I complained as well as I assumed others did because they took the Bumble Bee sardines off the shelf but did not replace them with Northern Catch or anything.. Now I see they brought back Bumble Bee again., what going on with ALDIs?
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10/26/2021 at 14:22 |
Thanks for adding your experience. If you’d like to contact Aldi directly, here’s a link to their website. Down near the bottom of the linked page you’ll find a place to send an email or regular mail.
https://www.aldi.us/en/about-aldi/contact-us/
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10/26/2021 at 14:27 |
Yep. Even before they switched to Bumblebee, they changed the sardines in northern catch. Originally the sardines were a product of Canada, then they became a product of, I think Spain. In either case, Spain or Bumblebee, the sardines were not as good as Canada.
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03/21/2022 at 16:48 |
Today I found at Aldi ( in West Bend, Wisconsin) a new batch of Northern Catch Sardines and they are exactly like Chicken of The Sea…same can…same “product of Poland”…same size sardines and same taste.
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03/21/2022 at 17:30
Thanks for the info Karl. I suspect that many sardines are the same with just a different label on the can. I wish Aldi would go back to using the Canadian sardines. They were much bigger (about 3-4 to a can) and sturdier.
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03/24/2020 at 20:19 |
I think that there is only one sardine cannery in Canada, Blacks Harbor, New Brunswick. The Canadian sardines are by far the best, those from Poland and Morocco are less firm and flavorful. All sardines are packed with everything but heads and tails. Everything in the can is edible. I’m from Downeast Maine and was raised on sardines. I like the mustard packs, oil packs and the hot sauce packs aren’t bad.
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03/24/2020 at 22:49 |
I agree, the Canadian sardines were bigger and firmer. The new ones, in oil at least, ate still pretty tasty. I don’t believe I’ve found the new ones in mustard or hot sauce yet.
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02/20/2019 at 11:42 |
T Anyone have nutritional information on a 3.75 oz can of Aldi’s “Northern Catch” sardines in water. he can directs you to a Batavia, IL mailing address. Thanks
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10/15/2017 at 18:51 |
I bought a lot of Ali’s Northern Catch sardines in olive oil for emergency storage. I recently tried it out and to my amazement the fish still have guts inside. I’ve thrown away all my receipts. I trusted Aldi to be better than other brands from 3rd world countries. Why???!!! Other brands cleaned out their fish before cooking and packing.
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10/16/2017 at 04:53 |
Sorry you were disappointed with the sardines. The best thing to do is write to ALDI directly. I’m just a customer like you. Here’s the URL to get in touch with ALDI. https://www.aldi.us/en/contact-us/
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08/29/2020 at 23:24 |
No shit rexxxx.
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11/22/2015 at 18:35 |
NO calorie/fat/protein info on Aldi’s sardines that I have here. Curious. For nutrition info must look further.
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11/22/2015 at 19:40 |
Yep. My guess is, they don’t have enough room on the can to print it. Here’s a link which claims to have gotten the information from ALDI. https://www.fatsecret.com/calories-nutrition/northern-catch/sardines-in-mustard-sauce
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02/18/2015 at 12:12 |
Here is todays biggest joke:
5) Enforcement Policy Retail and Supplier COOL compliance will be determined through retail store reviews and supplier traceback audits, which shall be conducted by USDA or State officials operating under cooperative agreements between the appropriate State agencies and USDA. USDA designated procedures must be followed when conducting all retail reviews, follow-up retail reviews, and supplier traceback audits.***(( Only USDA will be able to initiate enforcement actions against a retailer or supplier found to be in violation ))))**** of the FR.
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02/18/2015 at 11:58 |
Does anyone know where the Northern Catch brand is made?
I thought there was a new law made in the past few years which required the country of origin to be on the label.
It seems like to get around this law all they have to do is put the Audi name on it and somehow, the product just
fell out of the sky.
I haven’t been able to find anything on where many or most of Aldi’s products come from.
If I cant find out soon, I will be ending my shopping at Aldis.
I know there are polluted ponds an lakes in China an other countries inwhich raw human waste is dumped directly
into the same ponds that fish an other farm raised species are raised in for export to USA an other countries.
I have stayed away from Tilapia because it is mostly all raised in these polluted ponds an lakes of China.
I cant get any apatite up for fish raised on human waste.
I recently bought some Gorton’s Tilapia, seemed like a top brand but when I contacted the company, they told me that
they go to extra effort to ensure the quality of their product by getting there products from all over the world which includes China.
I guess you know I will be tossing these things. I just had to check before I could eat these things an now I cant.
Everything seems to be just one big sham when it comes to protecting our food supply. There are so many loopholes around
every consumer protection law they make that they are all useless.
Just put Aldi on the label, that’s all you need to know, forget the laws, you have just found one of those loopholes.
Can someone please help me with this problem, I cant trust much of anything I buy at Aldis any more. Very little of their
products have anything but their name on it an not much else. I guess all of their products just falls from the sky.
It’s not just Aldis either, it’s wall Mart an just about every store in the USA including the most respected grocery chains in the
country.
We are eating garbage an even there are new laws on the books to try protecting the public from these things, they find a way
around them by simply putting on the label Distributed By Aldi or anyone else’s name but NO country of origin.
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02/18/2015 at 14:05 |
Click on the picture in my review and you should be able to see what’s on the can. That can and a can I currently have in my cupboard say, “. . . Wild Caught . . . PRODUCT of Canada . . . FOA 21: Northwest Atlantic . . . Catch Method: Weir/Purse Seine”
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02/18/2015 at 14:08 |
You an also write to ALDI at the address on the can or send a question to them from their web site, https://www.aldi.us/en/contact-us/.
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02/18/2015 at 14:14 |
But, just in case ALDI uses different suppliers for their sardines, it’s best to read the label on the product in your store. It may be sourced differently where you live?
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03/17/2020 at 11:37 |
I was looking at ordering some from Aldie for home delivery. When I enlarge the photo on the website, I could see that it is say “Product of Poland.” No thanks, I won’t be buying that. I had not realized until this discussion that different lots would come from different countries, so it pays to check the can.
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03/17/2020 at 12:08
Thanks for the heads-up. Previously all the cans I bought were from Canada. I just checked what I have on hand at home. One from Canada and 3 from Poland. The pull ring and bottom of the can are different between the two kinds also. I’m going to guess ALDI may have changed suppliers recently?
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01/29/2015 at 01:22 |
I have had cravings for sardines lately and have also had White Castle cravings so I know the meaning of a craving (mmm mmm……squishy oniony steamed buns, the square meat patty with 5 holes in it like flat meat dice, the cute boxes….so sorry about that food trance, but in fairness, OP brought it up!!!), but anyone who is a true Chicagoan doesn’t call them ‘White Castles’ but rather “SLIDERS” and rightfully so. Back to SARDINES…
I have tried several varieties from Jewel (Chicken of the Sea, Brunswick & those $4 Royal King? sardines which I thought were worth the $4 price, but didn’t meet the “I want weird little sardines with the tiny prickly white spine rods for some buttery crackers craving. But these Aldi’s Northern Catch ones were actually my favorite, the least favorite being the “Chicken of the Sea” Sardines, which I thought the “Chicken of the Sea” name was for tuna. So any canned fish is the “chicken” of the sea for them? The ole’ “it tastes like chicken line” is more like “anything out of the sea is our chicken” for them. Anyway, the 3 large Canadian suckers were smooth almost like they were slightly dipped in a fish oil before being put in spring water.
But, I have never gotten up the nerve to eat a sauced version, but if I were forced to pick a saucy one, I would choose Mustard over tomato based sauces, tabasco’y ones or oil. Oil would be my 2nd choice and it’s really not a “sauce” is it? hmmmm…anyway….
I will be stocking up on a few more cans since 2015 is going to be my version of a vegetarian year (still eating fish, eggs and cheese).
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03/13/2014 at 15:39 |
Just got done eat a can of Northern Catch sardines in water. My favorite. I usually add Louisiana hot sauce. I have to eat them when my family is not around. My wife hate the smell and my kids will eat them all on me. I have tried many different brand names and varieties. This is my favorite and i can add whatever to my liking.
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08/10/2013 at 11:46 |
I just had my first can on Northern Catch Sardines in spring water. I added my own mustard and tomato sauce. Yummy beyond words. Perfect for me without the added sodium and oil. Got them at Aldi, of course!
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05/09/2013 at 17:25 |
quality pf product is poor. label is not a fact
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02/04/2013 at 05:36 |
If you can find the ones packed in soybean oil and smoked, those are very good as well. A tip for sardines : Smaller the fish, the better the taste!
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05/08/2012 at 11:34 |
I just finished my can of Northern Catch in spring water (from Aldi’s, of course). Add my own mustard. Satisfying? You bet! Only 130 calories. And a gram and a half of Omega 3. Outstanding. And filling. I rarely eat them in public anymore. Those watching make faces as tho I was an unwashed bum with a loathsome disease. Not my kind of people.
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01/23/2012 at 19:44 |
I buy Northern Catch sardines in mustard sauce for my husband who loves them. However I got him a can with a tail in it.
upc:4149815719
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02/08/2012 at 07:41 |
You’re so lucky, Most of the Omega-3’s are in the tail!!!
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11/24/2011 at 09:18 |
Great post!
I’m eyeing my can of recently purchased Northern Catch sardines as we speak. I prefer them in oil; it’s too bad too since my Aldi has plenty of the mustard packed variety…..
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