This Ortiz White Tuna in Olive Oil was on sale at Whole Foods. I had the one in the smaller round can before, and this one in the oval can appears to be the same thing. It looks like Ortiz is phasing out, or at least minimizing the use of the term "Bonito del Norte" on US packaging of their tuna. This oval can used to say it, and the UPC is unchanged. The Whole Foods receipt stills says "Ortiz Bonito Oil Can". I've never seen any oil of any kind in a can shaped like this. Other than most people's unfamiliarity with the term, I'm not sure of the reasons behind removing it.
Initial impression upon opening the can: 5/5.
As with the smaller round can, this is nice looking tuna. This one is 20 gm. more in net weight, not even an ounce, and I'm not sure why they sell both. The oval is a more traditional shape for European tuna, though.
A sip of the oil is very neutral. The label doesn't tout it as anything special. The aroma is that of a mild tuna. A small bite reinforces that, with just a bit of tuna "tang", but overall a very mild flavor.
The texture is very soft. Between it and the flavor, I could probably just eat the entire can as-is. But I won't.
Let's Eat
I was able to dump the contents out over rice largely intact. You can see the thickness is pretty much the depth of the can. No laying a pretty tuna steak on top. No pieces parts hiding underneath.
On the other hand, this isn't $3 or $4 a can tuna. Regular price is closer to $8. The sale price put it just above $6, and I think that's a bargain considering it's a pole & line-caught tuna.
Let's Crunch It Up
Always looking for ways to up the tuna game without mayonnaise, I added a couple of toppers.
On the upper half is some garlic furikake, a veritable kitchen sink of flavors including sesame, nori seaweed, crispy rice, barley granola, black pepper, licorice. The ingredient list is mind-boggling. It even has some bonito flakes. If it wasn't quite so salty, I'd snack on it by itself.
On the lower half is Fly By Jing Xtra Crunchy Chili Crisp. It's more nutty and sweet, but with a moderate kick of Sichuan pepper.
I enjoyed what each brought to the party.
Main Takeaways
- High quality tuna
- Mild flavor
- Melt in your mouth texture
Brand: Conservas Ortiz
Description: White (Albacore) Tuna in Olive Oil
Species: Thunnus alalunga
Country of Origin: Spain
Source: FAO27, Northeast Atlantic
Skin/Bones: No/No
Net Wt: 3.95 oz.
Price Range: $7-8