Sardines

BELA-Olhão sardines are a healthy, convenient, all natural food from the shores of Olhão, Portugal. They are canned fresh, within 8 hours of the catch to preserve the delicate taste of the sardine. They are not frozen! Our sardines are lightly smoked, and available in five different varieties. BELA sardines are Kosher certified by the Orthodox Union. Each 4.25oz can has an easy-open ring pull top, and is packed with the finest all-natural ingredients.

Sardines in Olive Oil
Simple. Delicious. Lightly smoked sardines packed in the finest Portuguese olive oil.

Sardines in Lemon Flavored EVOO
As you would eat them in London, our famous lightly smoked sardines and the finest Portuguese extra virgin olive oil infused with lemon.

Sardines in Tomato Sauce
Mediterranean style, these sardines are lightly smoked and packed in a light tomato puree with a splash of the finest Portuguese extra virgin olive oil.

Sardines in Cayene Pepper Flavored EVOO
This is a true Portuguese favorite, lightly smoked sardines in the finest extra virgin olive oil infused with Cayenne pepper, known as "piri-piri" in Portugal.

Skinless & Boneless Sardines in Olive Oil
Upscale and beautiful, these sardines are skinned and boned by hand in the traditional Portuguese style, lightly smoked and packed in the land’s finest olive oil.

The Benefits of Sardines
This gourmet convenience food can stave off heart disease, high blood pressure, cancer, and even depression. Sardines are high in Omega-3 fatty acids; which aid the body in transferring oxygen, help with muscle elasticity, and are a positive influence on the blood vessels and heart. A 3.5oz serving has more calcium than a cup of whole milk. Co-Enzyme Q10 helps promote brain activity and has been used by doctors to treat depression. Eat BELA-Olhão sardines, they are good for you!

Tuna

BELA-Olhão skipjack tuna is a healthy, convenient, all natural food from the shores of Olhão, Portugal. We use exclusively Skipjack (Katsuwonus Pelamis) tuna for our steaks and fillets. BELA tuna is a solid pack consisting of a single cut of fish…not a mix variety or composition of small pieces & flakes. Our tuna is pole and line caught to be dolphin safe and eliminate bycatch; it also helps to monitor the level of the fish population. BELA tuna is available in a 4.25 oz easy open can that makes it great for the trail, or for your gourmet needs in the kitchen.

Skipjack Tuna Steak in Extra Virgin Olive Oil.
The best way to eat tuna, a single solid steak of skipjack packed in Portugal’s best extra virgin olive oil.

...more about skipjack tuna
Skipjack is the smallest species in the tuna family. It feeds mostly on krill and plankton, and is abundant in the clean waters of Portugal. Skipjack tuna has a slightly pinkish hue and a rich flavor. Skipjack is also the most widely consumed tuna. They are highly migratory and most often found in tropical waters. Chunk light or solid light labeled tuna can contain skipjack tuna, but may contain other species of tuna. It's always a good idea to look for species identified products in the canned seafood section!

Some thoughts on Mercury
Many people are concerned about the levels of mercury contained in fish these days, and rightly so. Mercury can he highly dangerous if ingested in a hazardous quantity. How much mercury exists in the fish you eat depends on two things: how toxic the water is and what the fish eats. If a fish lives in a polluted environment it has a better chance of obtaining high levels of mercury, eg. near factories or industrial cities. Bottom feeders such as flounder are most affected by the settling of contaminants on the ocean floor. Mercury never leaves the body of fish, so large carnivorous fish, such as sword fish, shark, and albacore tuna, will absorb mercury from the fish they eat. Unfortunately all fish have some amount of mercury in their bodies, due to our contamination of the earth. So if you have mercury poisoning, you should avoid fish until you have cleansed. Once cleansed, there are fish you can eat every day, keeping well below hazardous levels. Look for fish that eat low on the food chain (krill & plankton) like sockeye salmon or skipjack tuna or sardines(!), and make sure they come from environments that are well managed and kept clean.