We’ve been fans of Bela sardines, especially since we came over to the U.S. from Portugal and couldn’t find the everyday brands (like Santa Catarina, our pantry favorite from the Açores).
Bela has been a standby within the Feast of the Seven Fishes we host every New Year’s Eve, as well as being one we can find at high-end grocery stores, such as Wegman’s. When we used to go to Whole Foods (and don’t anymore because… Bezos…) we would find them there as well.
They come in a variety of flavors, including the “plain,” which is smoky and lovely, as well as a picante, tomato, and my favorite, lemon. It’s best to have real lemon or preserved lemon on your gilled sardines, but the lemon-flavored Belas evoke that citrusy brightness.
Imagine our delight when Bela underwent a rebrand earlier this year, and the company sent us a care package of eight cans of deliciousness, to enjoy along with olive oil and other treats from our last shipment from the Tin Can Fish folks.
A bounty from PT and the sea!
