Tuna Archives - Sardeenz!

Starkist Tuna Creations – Thai Chili

This Starkist Tuna Creations - Thai Chili came from Walmart. It's one of several flavor variations supplied in single serving pouches. Inexpensively priced at $1.28, it seemed worth investigating.

Initial impression upon opening the can pouch: 4.5/5.

I get that packing tuna in pouches is attractive to marketers. Convenience, no can opener, no draining, no waste. More label space for eye-catching graphics and a bigger facing per unit on retail shelves. On the other side, consumers have to carefully tear open the pack, probe deeply into the pouch to get all the product out, and what you get looks more like canned cat food than the image on the package represents. What kind of tuna you're getting is either vague or undeclared.

Let's Tear Into It

The pouch tore open without incident. Sometimes it doesn't go as anticipated. Squeezing open the pouch to dump out the tuna went about as expected. It all stuck to one side of the pouch, necessitating going in with fork to scrape it out. You can see that cat food appearance I was talking about.

The aroma is of the Thai chili flavoring, and it mostly masks any smell of tuna. The taste is similar, mostly the added flavoring dominant over the fish.

There's a mild, pleasant heat to it, and a sweetness that, while not unexpected, was a bit more than called for, I thought. The meat was satisfactorily moist, almost too moist to be natural, but I assume that's mainly due to water being the second ingredient on the list.

Sodium was a slightly above average 430mg, but the sweetness of the flavoring made it seem less so.

Starkist offers apparently 10 variations on this theme, and I see competitor Bumble Bee has a few of its own as well. I wasn't moved by this one enough to want to go out and buy others, irrespective of the low price point.

Main Takeaways

Tasted more of flavoring than tuna
Convenience in the eye of the beholder

Brand: Starkist
Description: Tuna with Thai chili
Species: N/S
Country of Origin: Ecuador
Source: FAO87, Southeast Pacific
Skin/Bones: No/No
Net Wt: 2.6 oz.
Price Range: $1.25

Fremont Fish Market Yellowfin Tuna with Chili

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This Fremont Fish Market Yellowfin Tuna with Chili is an Aldi house brand, and a new item as of Fall 2026. Both it and a "with lemon" version debuted simultaneously. They appear to be hopping on the bandwagon for flavored tuna in single serving cans packaged in cartons with eye-catching, colorful graphics. But in a bargain price market channel. At $2.49 a can, they seemed worth a try.

Initial impression upon opening the can: 4.9/5.

Nice appearance. You can see whole chunks of fillet with very little debris. The aroma is clean, not fishy, a plus for canned tuna. A sip of the liquid doesn't reveal much. The olive oil is tinged red from "paprika extract" and "capsicum extract", so no real chili pepper.

Let's Dig In

The fillet is as thick as the can is deep. I had to pry the fish out in chunks. Very little liquid remained in the tin, and I poured it onto the fish.

The minimal amount of packing liquid can be a plus or a minus. Too much can make one feel like there could have been more fish in the can. Too little risks leaving an already dry fish tasting all the more drier.

The flavor is good, with only a little tuna "tang". The chili seasoning isn't really doing much other than adding color. The mouthfeel is a little on the dry side, but not unreasonable. Mixed in a salad with dressing or mayo would resolve it.

A check of the sodium content reveals a lower than average 210mg, but it tasted a little saltier. In no way a problem, though.

Main Takeaways

Good tuna flavor
Not much chili flavor
A little dry tasted alone

Interesting that the carton says "product of Ecuador", while listing a possible 8 different FAO catch areas, including those from the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian oceans. This particular tin was stamped FAO87, Southeast Pacific.

Overall, I'd have to say that by comparison, the Genova Yellowfin Tuna with Calabrian Chili was a better experience. Higher sodium content notwithstanding, it was more flavorful and better priced at $3 for a larger 5oz. can.

Brand: Aldi / Fremont Fish Market
Description: Yellowfin tuna in olive oil with chili
Species: Thunnus albacares
Country of Origin: Ecuador
Source: FAO87, Southeast Pacific
Skin/Bones: No/No
Net Wt: 3.2 oz.
Price Range: $2-3

Genova Yellowfin Tuna with Calabrian Chili

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This Genova Yellowfin Tuna with Calabrian Chili came from Walmart, where I also purchased the lemon and herbes de Provence version. I remember liking that one, and hoped this one would be similarly satisfying.

Initial impression upon opening the can: 4.9/5.

Similar to the lemon version, it appears to be nice, thick chunks of tuna. The oil is tinged red from the Calabrian chili, and also paprika extract further down the ingredient list. The aroma is not too fishy, a good sign. A sip of the liquid isn't too revealing, but there is a subtle heat to it. As with the lemon version, no physical spices are visible.

Let's Dig In

This time, I just dumped everything straight from the can over rice. You can see the thickness of the chunks is equal to the depth of the tin.

Initial bites are promising. The chili heat is subtle but pervasive and has saturated the meat nicely. Continuing on, the chili flavor maintains a steady, well-balanced undertone of spice. I thought it complemented the flavor of the tuna well.

The label describes the seasoning as "Calabrian chili flavor infused olive oil", but again, as with the lemon version, this should not be construed to mean the packing liquid is totally olive oil.

Sodium is again 500mg, but it doesn't taste that salty. I thought the salt level was OK.

As with the other, I found the tuna a little dry, but not terribly so. My previous experience with chili seasoned tuna was a Korean offering that also had potato mixed in, and I found I preferred this one by a substantial margin.

Main Takeaways

Good quality yellowfin tuna
Chili heat well-balanced

Brand: Genova Seafood
Description: Yellowfin tuna with Calabrian chili
Species: Yellowfin tuna
Country of Origin: Thailand
Source: FAO71, Western Central Pacific
Skin/Bones: No/No
Net Wt: 5 oz.
Price Range: $3

Natural Catch Spicy Yellowfin Tuna Filets

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Caught these Natural Catch Spicy Yellowfin Tuna Filets, new and on sale at Whole Foods. Regular $5.49 marked down to $3.77 for Amazon Prime members. One of a few cans of various premium tuna I've acquired recently to try.

Initial impression upon opening the can: 4.5/5.

Nice presentation with the pepper visible. Packed reasonably full of layers of yellowfin tuna filet. Ingredients list vegetable broth in addition to organic EVOO and spices. A nice, warm heat from the seasoning, not overpowering. No dry mouth feel like some tuna, and a nice, fresh tuna taste.

Natural Catch is an up-and-comer in the premium tuna arena. Based upon this can, I'd say they will be a contender. Recommended.

Update

I had another can in my stash for several months now, and decided to revisit and update this year-old review. Very early reviews here were not as in-depth as they have come to be, and this was one in need of revisiting.

I had been critical in the past about Natural Catch marketing. For a time, they mounted an aggressive social media campaign showing how their tuna consisted of premium filets. I noted, in both individual cans I had tried after the first one, and in the advertising, that the filets comprised only the top third of the can contents, and what was underneath was largely a mass of chunk tuna.

This most recent tin had a little more in the way of filets, approximately 50%, with an additional filet piece below the photogenic ones normally covering the top.

The flavor was consistent with my previous assessment, and I still recommend it, especially if it can be had at the sale price at which Whole Foods periodically offers it.

See it at Amazon.

Brand: Natural Catch
Description: Yellowfin Tuna in Spicy EVOO
Species: Yellowfin tuna
Country of Origin: Viet Nam
Source: FAO71, Western Central Pacific
Skin/Bones: No/No
Net Wt: 4.4 oz.
Price Range: $5-6

Genova Yellowfin Tuna with Lemon & Herbes de Provence

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This Genova Yellowfin Tuna with Lemon & Herbes de Provence came from Walmart. Yellowfin is my preferred canned tuna, and the label says "solid light", which is a plus. Let's see how it tastes.

Initial impression upon opening the can: 4.9/5.

Nice looking, solid tuna. The aroma from the can is fresh, not fishy. A sip of the liquid is promising, tasting of fresh lemon. I don't see evidence of any of the other seasonings.

Let's Eat

Lifting the meat out of the can, it stays mostly in sizeable chunks. What you see in the photo above are solid pieces which are as thick as the can is deep.

I poured all of the remaining packing liquid out over the fish and rice. Once again, it appears olive oil is not the main packing liquid, and, to be fair, the can does not state or really imply that it is. It does say "lemon & herbes de provence flavor infused olive oil". Olive oil precedes lemon juice and water in the ingredients list.

I still don't see any of the aforementioned herbes, so I must assume they've been reduced to a flavoring. They appear last on the list, and in tasting, I find their contribution to be little to none.

The lemon, however, is another story, lending a bright, fresh acidity. Sodium is listed at 500mg. but it tastes nowhere near that salty.

I found the tuna itself a tad dry, but not a deal breaker. It had a good, mild flavor that the lemon only improved. It's a shame the Herbes de Provence were underrepresented. At $2.97 for a 5oz. can, though, I didn't feel cheated.

Main Takeaways

Good quality yellowfin tuna
Bright, fresh lemon flavor
Promised spices kind of MIA

Brand: Genova Seafood
Description: Yellowfin tuna with lemon and Herbes de Provence
Species: Yellowfin tuna
Country of Origin: Thailand
Source: FAO71, Western Central Pacific
Skin/Bones: No/No
Net Wt: 5 oz.
Price Range: $3

El Manar Light Tuna Flakes with Harissa

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This El Manar Light Tuna Flakes with Harissa came from that Middle-Eastern market I go to to look for new sardines. I hadn't seen this tin there before, and was a bit curious as to why tins dated from 2024 suddenly showed up in 2026, but the best by date was 2027, so I took a chance. I was hoping to see the El Manar Sardines in Harissa I knew they'd had before back in stock, but no luck. This can seemed like a good opportunity to see what their harissa sauce was like. At $4.29, I hoped for the best.

Initial impression upon opening the can: 4.6/5.

Looks a bit mushy. Described as tuna flakes, I wasn't expecting filets, but I'm hoping that digging in will reveal something more appealing. The aroma is as expected, tuna-fishy. Not really getting a sense of the harissa.

Time To Eat

OK, out of the can things are improved. It's what I'd call a chunk light tuna. I can't find anything on the company website that says what kind, though. An Amazon listing says bluefin, but I'm skeptical as it's not a Mediterranean species typically seen canned.

What you see is about three fourths of the can, which is a generous 5.71oz. It says two servings, but I may just finish it all if it's good.

A taste of the tuna is encouraging. The heat of the sauce hits just right, complementing but not overpowering the tuna flavor. Whatever kind it is, I find it satisfyingly flavorful.

The harissa is sunflower oil-based and includes red hot peppers, garlic, coriander, caraway and citric acid. The heat is steady but moderate, the spices well-balanced and the citric acid brings a welcome note of bright tanginess. The salt level is just right at 355mg.

I did end up finishing the whole can, if that tells you anything. This tuna is about $3.50 a can in quantity on Amazon, and, honestly, I could see myself pulling the trigger on a 10 count.

Main Takeaways

Moist, flavorful tuna
Well-balanced application of harissa
Generous portion

Brand: ManarThon-Zarzis / El Manar
Description: Light tuna flakes with harissa
Species: Bluefin?
Country of Origin: Tunisia
Source: FAO37, Mediterranean Sea
Skin/Bones: No/No
Net Wt: 5.71 oz.
Price Range: $3-4

Wild Planet Skipjack Tuna with Dill Pickle

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I got this Wild Planet Skipjack Tuna with Dill Pickle at Whole Foods about three months ago. It was on sale and inexpensive enough to spend the just over $2 to see what it was about.

It's a small can, 3 ounces and only about 2-1/2" across. It has the foil top with a pull tab, so no fiddling with a pull ring and sharp edges. I had a big bowl of noodles and chili oil for lunch, but was still craving a little protein, and this seemed like it would fill the bill.

Initial impression upon opening the can: 4.8/5.

Looks like some typical canned tuna. The aroma is a little fresher, not as fishy as one would expect as with a supermarket variety canned tuna. I also get a whiff of the pickle, of which only small specks can be seen.

I just ate it right from the can. As I dug down, there were some larger pieces of pickle. The pickle is not too acidic and is just a little sweet, not overshadowing the tuna flavor. But what it does do is offset the inherent tuna "tang".

It's packed in water, but not an excessive amount, so you're basically paying for tuna and pickle, not a bunch of liquid to just drain off. And I didn't feel compelled to drain anything. There's just enough liquid to keep things from feeling dry on the palate.

I could see this being a convenient way to make a quick tuna salad sandwich. Some toast, a little mayo. Maybe a dash of hot sauce. You could make it up right there on the bread.

Main Takeaways

Tasty skipjack tuna
Good balance of pickle and flavor
No-drain contents

Brand: Wild Planet
Description: Skipjack tuna with dill pickle
Species: Katsuwonus pelamis
Country of Origin: Thailand
Source: FAO61, Northwest Pacific
Skin/Bones: No/No
Net Wt: 3 oz.
Price Range: $2-3