Line caught around the Azores, a carefully managed group of Portuguese islands in the North Atlantic, Tenorio’s Tuna Fillets in Olive Oil are nothing like the canned tuna you’re used to. Tender and moist, this tuna is cut into large pieces before being packed in buttery extra virgin olive oil. Lightly salted with a briny, clean fish flavor, each tender cut is just as good on its own as it is added to a salad or sandwich. Established in 1880, Tenorio sustainably fishes all of their skipjack tuna and is committed to maintaining a healthy ocean wildlife population.

This tinned tuna is nearly a meal in itself. Packed fresh in molho cru sauce, a mizture of onion, garlic, pepper and herbs that is reminiscent of chimichurri, these solid skipjack tuna fillets are bursting with flavor. All of Santa Catarina’s award-winning tuna is sustainably pole- and line-caught off the Azores island of São Jorge, part of a carefully Portuguese archipelago in the North Atlantic. Smooth-tasting, light and well seasoned, this tuna is far more elevated than anything you’ll find in the grocery store. You may even want to reserve any leftover sauce to use for other dishes. Add tuna to bread, crackers or a salad. Or simply enjoy it straight from the can.

Founded in 1920, Pinhais is considered one of the best tinned-fish purveyors in Portugal—and we understand why after tasting their sardines packed in olive oil. Based in Porto, Portugal’s second-largest city and the capital of fish canning, Pinahis starts with sardines caught fresh by local fishermen. They are then hand selected, cut, prepared, washed and vapor cooked before being packed in pure, refined extra-virgin olive oil. Mellow and meaty with a bit of salt, these sardines are great added onto crackers, cheeseboards, salads or enjoyed right from the can.

Owned by one of the oldest fish canning companies in Portugal, the Minerva brand has been around since 1942. The company uses only fresh sardines, caught daily on the Portuguese coast, for their Skinless and Boneless Sardines in Olive Oil. Steamed before being packed in extra virgin olive oil, these sardines are mild in flavor with none of the harsh fishiness or oiliness that other brands usually have. But what really sets them apart—besides fresh, clean flavor—is the fact that they’re boneless and skinless. They’re great for cooks in need of convenient protein in the pantry—and their lack of bones and skin make them much more approachable to those less adventurous about tinned fish.

Prepared with wild mackerel caught fresh daily off the Portuguese coast, Conservas Santos’ Mackerel Fillets in Mustard Sauce are a tangy twist on a favorite tinned fish. Each beautiful fillet is perfectly preserved, moist and sweet, in part thanks to the tangy and slightly acidic mustard sauce that balances the richness of the fish. Plus, it’s made without dyes or preservatives. Eat it straight out of the tin for a quick snack or add to a crostini for an easy and satisfying appetizer.

While tinned fish isn’t hard to come by, tinned scallops aren’t often found in the grocery store—let alone high-quality ones. So we were excited to taste Ramón Peña’s small scallops packed in a traditional Galician sauce, which our kitchen team described as the “gnocchi of the sea” based on their pillowy and tender texture. They’re caught in the Atlantic off the northwest coast of Spain and packed by hand. With a clean flavor, they’re enveloped in a bold, tomatoey sauce made with wine and spices. Add to salads, soups, pastas or just eat them on their own for complex, clean flavor and incomparable texture.

Olasagasti catches their yellowfin tuna in the Cantabrian Sea, the abundant cold waters off the north coast of Spain. Fresh-tasting and lightly salted, this oil-packed tuna is a far cry from your average mealy supermarket canned tuna. These cans include only the prized ventresca, or tuna belly—an extremely moist and flavorful cut that’s tender with just the right amount of fat. In fact, our kitchen team found the texture of this canned tuna one of the best they’ve tried. Try it in our Niçoise-Style Tuna Sandwiches; Spanish-Style Tuna Salad; Deviled Eggs with Tuna, Olives and Capers; or Snap Pea and Radish Salad with Olive Oil Tuna.

Though sardines are often overly fishy and salty, we loved the bold but not abrasive flavor of Jose Gourmet’s Sardines in Tomato Sauce, which are well balanced by a slightly sweet, slightly acidic tomato sauce. Caught and packed fresh from the North Atlantic and the Mediterranean, they are a sustainable and quick way to add some extra protein into your meal. Add them to pasta and salads (plus a little of their sauce), or grill or fry them up with a squeeze of lemon or clove of garlic for a delicious briny bite.

Most tinned mussels we’ve tried in the past are too fishy, gritty or mealy, and often oddly sized—either very big or way too small. Jose Gourmet’s pan-fried mussels mimic a classic Portuguese preparation called escabeche, or seafood marinated in vinegar and spices. The saucy, red-hued rendition balances sweetness and acidity beautifully, containing zero fishiness, mealiness or dryness. It stands out against the competition in both flavor and quality, perfect to snack on as is or ready to be added to a quick pasta or a salad.

Even skeptics of tinned fish won’t be able to resist this fish: Caught fresh in the Northeast Atlantic, Jose Gourmet’s cod is prepared simply with only high-quality olive oil and garlic. With a clean, lightly salty cod flavor, buttery from the olive oil, not too fishy and just a hint acidic, this firmly textured fish is by far the mildest we’ve tried. Snack on it plain, eat it with crackers, use it to top our Pour-in-the-Pan-Pizza, mix it into our Greens with Walnuts, Parmesan and Pancetta Vinaigrette, toss it into our Fennel, Tomato and Parsley Salad or add it to our Pasta with Artichokes and Olives.

Fangst, a Danish seafood company, incorporates Nordic traditions into everything from catching to canning their pantry-friendly fish products. Mild, nutty and fatty, Fangst’s trout is sustainably harvested in state-of-the-art fisheries—set up in cold, pristine Nordic waters—before being canned and flavored with traditional Scandinavian preservation methods. This trout has a cleaner taste than most store-bought canned fish. A deep smokiness complements the mild fish, as well as herbal notes and light spice from the juniper and lemon thyme, a citrusy variety of the common herb. The fish comes skinless and packed in rapeseed oil, which is delicate enough to allow the meat’s bright brininess and clean flavor to shine through.

These rich and flavorful dark chocolate chips are created using the finest sustainably sourced cacao from Matagalpa, Nicaragua. Unlike many store-brand varieties, French Broad Dark Chocolate does not contain soy lecithin, a food additive used as an emulsifier. With their round, flatter shape, these chips melt more smoothly. Their deep and complex dark flavor make them ideal for baking, decorating or eating by the handful. The beautiful packaging also makes these a perfect gift for your favorite baker.

These round, large, milk chocolate chips are created using the finest sustainably sourced cacao from Central and South America. Unlike many store-brand varieties, French Broad Milk Chocolate does not contain soy lecithin, a food additive used as an emulsifier. Sweet, but not cloying, we found that the texture, whether melted or bitten straight into, to be smooth and creamy, dare we say silky. Plus, we love how beautifully these milk chocolate chips are packaged.

The cleaner, Scandinavian answer to sardines, these brisling are exceptional and a great addition to any pantry. They’re sustainably caught, lightly salted and then packed in a pleasant neutral oil—yielding a balanced taste. We found the fish supremely firm and flavorful. A light blend of allspice and cloves offers a layer of aromatic complexity.

The cleaner, Scandinavian answer to sardines, these brisling are exceptional and a great addition to any pantry. They’re sustainably caught, lightly salted and then packed in a pleasant neutral oil—yielding a balanced taste. We found the fish supremely firm and flavorful. A light smoky flavor comes through, but does not overwhelm.