Natural Catch Archives

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

Tuna time. I got this Natural Catch Yellowfin Tuna Filets a while back, on sale at Whole Foods. I tried the spicy version before. Being one of my earlier reviews, I didn't go over it with as fine-toothed of a comb as I do these days. But I did like it. Let's see how this one stacks up.

Initial impression upon opening the can: 4.8/5.

Nice appearance. In all their ads, there's always a beauty shot of a solid, marbled chunk of tuna. However, what you're seeing here is a beautiful piece of tuna that's about 5/16" thick, laying on top of a whole lot of small, flaky pieces of tuna. So, really it should say tuna filet with tuna meat.

The aroma is fresh. A sip of the oil has a similarly fresh tuna flavor infused in it. Tasting a bit of the fish alone, it has a slight tuna "tang", but otherwise a premium quality flavor. The salt balance is just right.

Let's Eat

So, as you can see here, what was on top is in the upper half of the photo; what was underneath is in the lower half.

I poured the remaining oil (EVOO) over mostly the loose pieces. In retrospect, I should have poured the oil over the filet. The tuna that was underneath the filet was already well-infused with oil, and the filet could have benefited from some additional moisture.

After giving the plain tuna a full assessment, I decided to embellish it a bit. To that end, I applied some Momofuko Chili Crunch. It's moderately spicy, with a hint of sweetness. Much of the crunch is courtesy of sesame seeds, which add a nutty flavor. One of the other components provided an occasional crispier crunch, but I was hard-pressed to discern which one. I confined this condiment to just the loose tuna portion.

Finally, I applied some garlic furikake to the filet portion. Its complexity of flavor really complimented the tuna.

Looking back, I really should have put the oily chili crunch over the filet instead, and the furikake over the loose tuna.

Main Takeaways

Generous 4.4 oz. portion
Good, fresh tuna flavor
Nice premium quality tuna, even if it is a nice looking filet on top of mostly plain looking tuna

Full Disclosure

Company video advertisements don't necessarily hide the fact that can contents feature a photogenic filet nestled on top of some rather homogenous-looking tuna meat. But the presenter lifts the filet out onto a plate, and then the can and its remaining contents are quickly pushed out of camera frame, never to be seen again. The presenter notes that you may get one of said "thick" filets, or two side-by-side (not two of full size and thickness stacked).

I'd buy this again, regardless of the "creative" packing and description of the contents. And especially if I can catch it on a sale.