Fish Expert Guesses Cheap vs Expensive Tinned Fish | Price Points | Epicurious

In today’s brand new episode of ‘Price Points’, we challenged tinned fish expert Charlotte Langley to a blind test-from texture to taste, could she guess which was cheaper and which was a premium product?
00:00 Intro
00:13 Tuna
03:28 Trout
06:42 Mussels
11:10 Octopus
15:14 Sardines
Director: Noel Jean
Director of Photography: Francis Bernal
Editor: Micah Phillips, Paul Tael
Featuring: Charlotte Langley
Director of Culinary Production: Kelly Janke
Coordinating Producer: Tommy Werner
Culinary Producer: Jessica Do
Culinary Associate Producer: Leslie Raney
Line Producer: Jen McGinity
Associate Producer: Amanda Broll
Production Manager: Janine Dispensa
Production Coordinator: Elizabeth Hymes
Camera Operator/Gaffer: Jeremy Harris
Sound Recordist: Rebecca O'Neill
Set Decorator: Nikki Ligos
Staff Editorial Consultant: Ryan Harrington
Researcher: Vivian Jao
Post Production Supervisor: Andrea Farr
Post Production Coordinator: Scout Alter
Supervising Editor: Eduardo Araujo
Assistant Editor: Billy Ward
Supervisor, Post Production Art Department: Ross Rackin
Senior Motion Graphics Designer: Samuel Fuller
Director, Post Production (Workflows/Finishing): Ryan Powell
Filmed on Location at 1 World Trade Center
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[@OldWestWind17]

Nice to see this series continue. Miss the gorgeous large chalkboard art filling the background.

[@Richardlizhu]

Yeah I'm glad it's back

[@protopigeon]

She's great, love how she didn't look down on any of the cheaper ones, even preferred some

[@AZEOforreal]

Agreed!

[@appleratpipe]

Greatly obese

[@acherryicee]

except that's exactly what she did the whole video? did you watch the same video as me, BUD?

[@ansonchin5674]

@@acherryiceeare we watching the same video? She literally preferred the last two cheaper ones

[@somethingcleverhere]

@@ansonchin5674 She thought the ones she liked more were likely the more expensive ones though, and associates the traits she likes in every case to more care and expertise--and its after the reveals that she notices other traits. This is more obvious when she's looking at the sardines, where she thinks the whole pieces fitting the can means it's better selected as opposed to hand cut, which when she was looking at the tuna, was a tell for the more premium canning then.

[@oyuyuy]

I love that there was some tricky ones in there for once! Usually even a layman can tell which one is more expensive by looks alone

[@Ben-kv7wr]

If you have an HMart or Korean grocery near you you’ll get some great quality stuff

[@Djuntas]

Was hoping a focus on makarel ^^ in Denmark we eat a lot of tinned "makrel i tomat" / so fish in tomato sauce, not sure if others does it too.

[@nsyart]

@@Djuntassoutheast Asian countries and the Philippines eat a lot sardines and mackerel in tomato sauce too.

[@Gee-xb7rt]

@@nsyart tomato really balances tinned fish really well, I think you have to kind of compare/contrast. just the oil for some cheaper product the flavor can be a bit too tinned fish.

[@imightbebiased9311]

@@Djuntas So, weird thing with mackerel here in the US. It's generally given to prisoners. There's a whole prisoner economy built around it.

[@makynnasproule3078]

Love that she wasn’t snobby about the cheaper one! Definitely want to get into more tin fish now!

[@doctorpanigrahi9975]

She looks very fertile as well.

[@FlorrRandomPotato]

@@doctorpanigrahi9975 🤭🤫

[@monky2522]

WHAT 😭😭😭

[@sophiaabdulmalik1056]

@@doctorpanigrahi9975?????????

[@Manguwu9895]

@@doctorpanigrahi9975 you know people like you are the reason humanity is going down hill.

[@saethu]

how does one become a tinned fish expert

[@OTG1988]

You just say you are. Nobody can prove you wrong I guess.

[@Pablo.B.M.]

I suppose you study Food Science and get a job in the tin fish industry...

[@JM-vh4ym]

First you start going to the gym

[@titoiswack3524]

First you study the fish, then you do the same thing the fish do, then you become the fish

[@TuckerDale89]

By eating tons of tinned fish

[@thedivide3688]

I don’t blame her for the octopus. The can she chose looked more premium. The color was brighter and still looked like octopus. The premium one looked sloppy…but like she said likely aged longer so is more expensive.

[@googlekonto2851]

i mean i blame americans for driving up the food prices for tinned fish in italy, portugal and spain. please dont buy european tinned fish. we cant afford it anymore.

[@Oxyleya]

​@@googlekonto2851...exactly!

[@bilibiliism]

sometimes its simply cheaper product is better. Its not always the case that you get what you paid for.

[@TheBusyJane]

The octopus was more aged because at four times the price it's been sitting on the shelf four times as long.

[@steph4356]

Its definitely same factory different tin color that was “aged”

[@rl3293]

😂😂😂

[@neccosan]

I wish they had the big blackboard artist again, she did them so well!

[@synocrat601]

Bring Chef Langley back. This was excellent content on her end presenting it, but people want to know what brand was what, and we want salmon, oysters, anchovies, sprats, etc, keep it coming.

[@bodyofhope]

Yes! And include jarred as well.

[@chrismartin8832]

Why would you promote a bunch of companies for free. Watch the video about pasta sauces and read the comment section where people were calling for a blind taste test. That's what this was basically.

[@ih82r8]

​@@chrismartin8832it's less about promoting the companies and more about grocery prices being so frigging expensive it would be nice to know which brand has high quality mussels (for instance) at less than a dollar an ounce.

[@connorskudlarek8598]

@@chrismartin8832 promote them? I mean yeah, that's a positive externality for the company. But it also tells us, the viewer, what brand we should buy instead. Because if an expert says the generic brand is better, then the rest of us can stop buying the name brand. If it's an artisnal item, we can gather whether paying a lot more is worth the price. A blind test is great. But finding out afterward what to get would be nice.

[@Michelle-fz7he]

I say keep the taste test blind but after or at the same time the price is revealed tell us the brand name too. I want to buy those cheap mussels.

[@hkyt21]

I really liked this series, I'm so glad the channel hasn't forgotten the series.

[@claymccoy]

Me too.

[@Richardlizhu]

Yeah I'm glad it's back

[@HarryisI]

Happy to see the return of Price Points - and the expert has a hat so I know they're qualified

[@devilslamp7306]

I love when people are passionate about something they love and have expertise on. This lady absolutely loves canned fish and she's just so excited to talk about it. So great to watch.

[@AW-fb8hr]

Wish they would list the products so we could try them.

[@sallyeaux]

EXACTLY! I was expecting brands. I feel like it was kind of a waste of my time. I especially want to know the brand of sardines. DRAT

[@cheeromatic]

prolly because they dont get endrosed by the product and maybe also to avoid the product itself feeling misrepresented by the channel, which for a cooking channel showcasing food product is kinda a big deal

[@Lawman212]

The first three fishes included trader joes products: their canned tuna, their smoked trout, and their mussels. TJ's would be the cheap brands. The more expensive sardines were the Ramón Peña Boneless and Skinless Sardine Fillets. I don't know the brand she preferred though.

[@reviewchan9806]

​Can you tell me the brand of the expensive one in the second pair? ​@@Lawman212

[@Abdurrahman-fb2tz]

@@sallyeaux - not sure for certain, it's been awhile since I've had it, but you might want to try NURI Portuguese Sardines

[@BigBird629]

if anyone sees the entertainment in this look up Canned Fish Files, its a channel on reviewing sardines and other canned fish its honestly a great channel

[@russellmz]

I was like "episode two hundred twenty one wtf"

[@rooksdoubleohseven9919]

"What are we even doing here?" indeed.

[@Missmethinksalot1]

I LOVE niche youtube channels

[@naughtiusmaximus1811]

I wish Matt was my cousin

[@josephgrueter890]

@@naughtiusmaximus1811 I wish he were my best friend. His vibes are thick.

[@_Toxicity]

I am SO GLAD this series is back! Though I do miss the gorgeous chalk art.

[@shmookins]

The octopus ones looked identical. The difference in pricing is fishy.

[@DanWhiteT]

proud of that one?

[@shmookins]

@@DanWhiteT Heh, that was a happy accident. I wouldn't have noticed if you hadn't pointed it out. I am confused by the price difference of those two seemingly identical items. It seems even the pro didn't notice a difference.

[@euclideanspace2573]

Those cans for the octopi looked identical except for colour, I think one was just a white labelled product sold at a significant upcharge. It won't surprise me if they came out of the exact same factory.

[@nautica1504]

this

[@yunpengpang7391]

I really like her! Her passion for canned fish comes through and make you think less about the dollar sign but the product and the process itself . Being an expert ,she still comes across as someone who is approachable and doesn't seem snobbish at all.

[@milkjugs4771]

she looks like how I expect a tinned fish expert would, I mean this with absolutely no disrespect

[@lbgtr87]

such a relevant user name for this woman....

[@thelingeringartist]

Since when did epicurious have weirdos in their comments :(((

[@milkjugs4771]

@@thelingeringartist real

[@naughtiusmaximus1811]

Bet she could throw a punch too 😁

[@renatekeil4738]

Yes the hat. She came by horse?

[@joannaedwards6325]

Wow. She sure knows a lot about canned fish. I now see why she can call herself an EXPERT. I wish she would have done smoked oysters. Now I want to try mussels 😊.

[@lbgtr87]

I wanna try her canned milk ;)

[@m.theresa1385]

Yup! I have been having those every couple of weeks. They’re delish! For mussels I buy mussels in the shell, sauced and in a microwaveable freezer package and they’re quite reasonable . About $3.50 per package which I have with some fries. They’re in a garlic sauce for classic moules frites, or I buy them in tomato sauce and have them with a bit of pasta or zucchini. I’ve always got a package in the freezer. They keep well.

[@joannaedwards6325]

@@m.theresa1385 Oh that all sounds so yummy. After reading your comment my mouth is watering....and all Iv'e got for dinner is a baked potato. 😢

[@mrharvest]

Whoa that octopus surprise! Very interesting! I wish they told us the brand so I could go out and buy it

[@polarberri]

Loved this video! The expert was clearly knowledgeable and very engaging. A few surprises in there to show that higher price doesn't always mean a better product!

[@DOMDOTCOM518]

I didn’t know how much I respected fish experts until now, I want to know what she thinks about every seafood ever

[@adambloom2443]

Oooo, this would’ve been ten times better if they told you the brands! I’d like to know where to get the better fish!

[@googlekonto2851]

please keep of the tinned fish. we dont need any more hipster food people that are willing to premium for working class food. sincerly your enemy

[@strang7739]

@@googlekonto2851bro is gatekeeping tinned food - go gatekeep spam instead brotha

[@rawkhawk414]

@@googlekonto2851as a working class person, i have never bought a can of "premium" canned fish in my life. you're not buying the better brands, don't worry. sincerely your reality check.

[@pudicus2]

Can we have those big pieces of chalk art again?

[@drewhinners8793]

What are we even doing here.

[@thatonegirl8445]

I’ve missed this series! Thank you for bringing it back!

[@kingblackthorn4195]

I really like this expert. Often I feel that many experts are kind of condescending towards the cheaper options and this expert is the opposite of that. She is not trashing the cheaper ones and she acknowledges that the cheaper options are there for a reason and that is to be accessible and eaten more often but the expensive version is there if you can afford it or want to treat yourself.

[@zailaanderson260]

I with they told us the actual brands of the products so we could purchase them ourselves

[@KhanhTheLearner]

I've only ever had canned sardines and tuna, but chef Langley just convinced me to try and find some canned shellfish and octopus. I love squids and octopuses, but where I live, it's kinda hard to get fresh octopus, and I limit it to only a few times a year on special trips to the sea. Also, I live in South East Asia, and the canned sardines I often see is the sardines cooked in tomato sauce, which I cannot say I love. So for the longest time I was just convinced I absolutely hated sardines, until a friend gave me a can of brined sardines preserved in oil. That one was heavenly, and the flavor was burned into my brain.

[@quiffdog1582]

Thank you for another awesome video. Please make a part 2, I was hoping there was going to be canned crab.

[@jadebenzene]

I loved this one! As someone who grew up with a Korean mother, canned fish, especially tuna, was used in soooo many different dishes and its such a quick and easy way to get protein as well. I loved that she also talked about how higher price does not necessarily mean you'll like it better and there's nothing wrong with enjoying a cheaper option

[@kathleenstrahm4291]

Yah! I’ve always been curious about this. She was an excellent expert. Very fun and knowledgeable ^^

[@Shapermc]

That sardine comparison isn't fair, boneless/skinless and full fish are two different products, you can't put those head to head.

[@stevengerendash7522]

They were both headless.

[@olenamyronyk6686]

Cool! I am a big fan of tinned fish and it was very interesting to listen to Charlotte

[@TheFinalVenue]

I'm so glad Epicurious is back to doing these videos!

[@carmenp89]

Please do an olive oil expert!! 🫒

[@madstylechica1557]

This part!

[@lars2894]

Look up Pasta Grammar, she is born and raised Italian and they have a great video comparing American grocery store olive oils

[@eudoraevans3340]

The sardine one was my favorite! I have always loved tinned fish.

[@cherielov3394]

i knew as soon as i saw the sardines the B fish were the cheaper one- i eat those every day basically 🤣🤣 and yes they’re so delicious and nutritional

[@Greydawg]

Charlotte is a dream come true! The fish expert, *not the city.* ❤

[@cutelittlemoose]

What about the spider?

[@Greydawg]

@@cutelittlemoose She will be missed. 💔

[@peteycanuck]

Very informative. I defintely have my own preferred canned tuna and salmon when I'm doing the groceries. Mackerel would have been an interesting addition. We have loads of canned options here in Korea, but I never saw it when I lived in Canada. And how did you skip the most polarizing fish of all - the anchovy!

[@m.theresa1385]

I see all kinds of Asian varieties of mackerel in the various Asian markets here. The tiny little round tins are quite different than the tinned salmon sized ones. I also get various European tinned mackerel. I’m exploring them all since the label isn’t in English. Would love any recipes you’d like to share. For the larger tins I mostly make a sauce of sauté onions, herbs and fresh tomatoes, then add the tinned fish on top to heat through. I like black pepper so many of my dishes get a liberal application of fresh ground to finish. I ll baste it a bit to blend flavors before serving. It’s great hot or cold.

[@cutelittlemoose]

@@m.theresa1385 Most varieties of mackerel go especially well with lemon, capers, and similar tart tangy flavors. They’re potent enough to handle pretty strong flavors. Your beloved black pepper and lemon have almost never been on a bad date together (unless someone accidentally peppered your lemon cheesecake or tart stumbling in a restaurant, maybe, and it’d still be a little interesting though probably less than ideal).

[@ryanboselowitz8048]

Please please continue this series!! ❤️

[@luketargett2233]

Such a great video, wish we could see more of Charlotte Langley in the future, she's so great!

[@havingalook2]

That was so informative and very very helpful. Really enjoyed it and learned a great deal. Many thanks indeed.

[@TakanashiYuuji]

This is always fascinating to watch.

[@murkythunder]

So knowledgeable! I need to figure out how to be less generic and get some interest in niche topics lol

[@chrisdryer]

I bought some spanish anchovies by patagonia and they were amazing. An easy thing to do with them is to mix them in an omelette with an onion.

[@Iucus]

I have been waiting for this series

[@a_simple_channel]

I am convinced to go out and look for tinned fish. Loved the video and only wish they showed the brands afterwards so I know what to look for

[@mamaremedy]

Does this guest expert have an episode of recipe ideas or how to eat tinned seafood? That'd be awesome.

[@AlexGim125]

Wonderful host, clearly very passionate and knowledgeable! amazing job!

[@user-sy1db7nf6x]

Thank you for sharing your knowledge. I really appreciate it.

[@mon6745]

I love her- bring her back pls

[@devvywevvy2]

The fact it’s not @CannedFishFiles doing this is an internet crime

[@corvettesbme]

I liked this episode! I'm exploring tinned products!

[@SencerelyBeautiful]

Bring her back lol. I love these type of videos.

[@king_gamers1236]

Do more experts!!!

[@creativemindplay]

Price points is back? I'm in tears omg ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤

[@patricknez7258]

I don't eat tinned fish or anything, but this was super interesting. This lady really knows her stuff, and is entertaining and informative. Well done!

[@fav843]

As someone that ate sardines ever since I was a child. I'm happy that I knew which can of sardines was more expensive.

[@ha231]

I like that she goes with what tastes best to her, not just her expertise. Goes to show expensive isn't always the tastiest.

[@mariuscheek]

Personally I love the scales on sardines, as well as their spines and heads. As far as tuna goes, I got into decent Spanish/Portuguese tinned tuna a few years ago, and now I just can't go near those cheap brands - they are just not value for money, but spending a bit more gets you a totally different experience!

[@Doomwillnotwin]

I LOVE THIS SERIES

[@BlakeMcCringleberry]

I never would have guessed there was such a thing as a poissommelier.

[@abdullah7282]

Nice to see a comeback of this series. Please bring back the big green board as well.

[@mon6745]

Charlotte needs to come back with recipes 😊

[@anthonysiu6010]

I missed this series!!

[@artisan0916]

I mean… what are we even doing here.

[@rcfleetian2832]

Sardines are tricky for consumers. The best are Portuguese and Spanish, and they have a huge selection of what they are packed with, olive oil, olive oil and spices, hot peppers, and marinara, lemon juice all are super yummy. But the new trendy brands have way less in the flavor department and the cost is roughly equal. Also on the size of mussels it could be do to one being a farmed product and one being wild.

[@czemuczemuczemu1958]

Great episode! I’ve learned a lot! Gonna buy some tins

[@derderdo]

this tinned fish expert is surely Canadian 🍁🐟

[@annab8317]

She is, she's the owner of Scout Seafood.

[@mon6745]

So cool!

[@imightbebiased9311]

The first time I've seen someone miss more than once! But, this taught me that I can get some delicious cheap canned fish. I'd never thought of getting canned mussels before, but they'd probably be a great addition to some soups.

[@PoppyCorn144]

I hope this means this series is FINALLY back. 😊

[@nicolepagan988]

What brand is the expensive tuna? Was it ventresca? It looks delicious.

[@noahwallace8252]

THE RETURN OF PRICE POINTS?!?!!? MY YEAR HAS BEEN MADE!

[@rajo741]

Charlotte created a great Canadian brand called Scout Canning. Available throughout North America

[@m.theresa1385]

Love this. I recently bought sprats at a European market. They had so many brands and styles, and I couldn’t tell the difference in all of them as they weren’t labeled in English except for the nutrition label. I picked a few to try at $2.99 per can/jar. They’ve been tasty and each has quite a few servings.

[@a_random_guy2671]

Is there a such thing as a meat alternatives expert? Would be a cool episode seeing how they determine high quality tofu, black bean burgers, beyond meat products, etc

[@CatRacer1a2a]

It's all poison buddy. That's all the expert you need.

[@thelingeringartist]

@@CatRacer1a2aoh geez, it’s just curiosity for curiosity’s sake. Knowledge is power.

[@peanuts7324]

tofu and black bean burgers are like COMPLETE oppisites to me lmao. you can hardly even call tofu a "meat alternative". if such a thing did exist they would definitely only know the black bean burgers and beyond meat products, while tofu would have their own expert.

[@steph4356]

Meat alternatives are very subjective in taste, you cannot compare one alternative to other because their main protein might not be the same (wheat, soy, etc etc..) , and now add the seasonings each manufacturer uses and you got a whole spider net of products

[@NMN_CP]

@@CatRacer1a2a your ignorance is poison

[@MlleKnobs]

As a portuguese person, it's really fun to watch this. I actually stopped the video to grab a can of tuna and eat it while watching ahah.

[@vivekmannava-wv1qj]

I just need the confidence to call myself an expert, even if its in tinned fish

[@Psychol-Snooper]

Everyone is an expert on themselves.

[@animesoul167]

The mustard and butter experts were my favorites. I love this series, because at first I'm like "how did you get that job?" but then i end up learning a lot.

[@mon6745]

Yeah-especially since she's the owner of scout seafood 😊

[@maromania7]

I mean she runs a canning company for seafood, if there's an expert on fish canning I'd say that's it.

[@amalzuhair4495]

Glad this series is back but I want thr big black board back!!!!

[@VeniseGrr]

I dunno why youtube suggested this to me but I like this lady. I want to see her review more things xD

[@tehfoxxy9630]

What are we even doing here? Also, nice to see the series is back.

[@KennethAndrews]

A fellow deenz-head!

[@jonwesick2844]

When the expert likes a cheaper one, we've found a bargain.

[@user-sf9tx9tr8y]

I would maintain that thanks are the highest form of thought, and that gratitude is happiness doubled by wonder.

[@Jo-ze4xg]

Really like this video!

[@kawaiikoala905]

Ever since I watched this I have been obsessed w tuna I’m making it rn

[@jujitsujew23]

Would love to know what she thinks of Patagonia Provisions tinned seafood

[@chambersstevens3135]

This is wonderful! She is fantastic. But you should have showed the product names.

[@maliandmianna]

She is soooo passionate I love it

[@rileybaker8294]

Definit agree with her on the sardines! I’d choose the cheaper can skin on bones in, and pay more for them, every time.

[@mattdabrat424]

I love this one!!!

[@Kaiken423]

I liked the price test !😮😊

[@vsznry]

I had canned yellowfin tuna as an appetizer in a 5 star restaurant in Vegas & it was incredible.

[@thedailypearl7216]

expert? why on earth didn't they call @cannedfishfiles

[@joannaedwards6325]

😄

[@UraniumBullets]

My exact thoughts

[@kevincandelaria3965]

She isn’t even using chopsticks 😔

[@plotless7436]

What are we even doing here?

[@yomamapwnz]

Because your mother lmao

[@juliusrigorestrada6023]

I love how she talks with her hands, if she has her own channel I would subcribe and watch her.

[@mackenziehickey5665]

AMAZING! Get them back on with more tinned fish pls

[@borzica]

She, not them.

[@mackenziehickey5665]

Inclusivity slay@@borzica

[@nikitamorrison7207]

I tinned fish is great, so its so nice to see content about it.

[@sharonhill2602]

This was so easy to know which was which

[@nirvikarastogi1848]

New to canned fish! What are some great ways to eat them?