genova Archives - Sardeenz!

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

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