tuna Archives - Sardeenz!

Tonnino Ventresca Yellowfin Tuna in Olive Oil

I bought this Tonnino Ventresca Yellowfin Tuna in Olive Oil on a whim. I know Tonnino sells quality tuna, it's mostly all they do. It was on sale for under $9. As ventresca goes, that's very inexpensive. Some brands are easily twice that. But that's because its the best part of the best tuna. A similar offering from La Narval was pretty good. Let's see how this one stacks up.

Initial impression upon opening the can: 4.9/5.

Mostly nice looking slices of tuna belly. I really didn't mind that bit of grey at the bottom, it's just where skin met flesh. The aroma is very subtle, with only the slightest smell of the fish.

A sip of the oil is neutral, with a hint of salt. A taste of just the fish is very mild, melt-in-your-mouth level tuna. I think the fact that ventresca filets (slices?) are cut with the grain of the meat as opposed to across it gives it a different mouth feel from regular tuna. I knew if I kept picking at it, I'd eat it all straight from the can.

Let's Check It Out

The slices stuck together as I lifted them all from the can in mostly one scoop. I started with just the tuna and plain rice. I noted how the salt level was just right. It was noticeable, but very subtle, letting the tuna flavor be the star. If any lower, I thought, it would be salt-free.

Imagine my surprise when I read 600mg. sodium on the carton. It has to be a typo. I looked online, and other packages only list 270mg. for the 4 oz. can. Oddly, the 6.7 oz. jars also say 600mg. Not really sure what's going on there.

After enjoying about half the can plain, I decided to try a little furikake. Chili crisp would have obliterated any taste of the tuna. It just needed something delicate, and not too salty.

Overall, I thought it worked out well. Good tuna plain, with rice, and with a little mild umami embellishment.

I see the price on Amazon has bounced back up a dollar to right around $10. Still worth it, I think. I'll continue to watch it for a random price drop, practically inevitable on Amazon. (In fact, as I'm writing this, it dropped again.)

Main Takeaways

Inexpensive for ventresca
Great mild flavor yellowfin is known for
Great melt-in-your-mouth texture for which ventresca is known

Brand: Tonnino
Description: Yellowfin Tuna Ventresca in Olive Oil
Species: Thunnus albacares
Country of Origin: Costa Rica
Source: FAO?
Skin/Bones: No/No
Net Wt: 4 oz.
Price Range: $10

Olasagasti Yellowfin Tuna in Olive Oil

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I got this Olasagasti Yellowfin Tuna in Olive Oil from Amazon, although it can be had directly from International Loft for the same price. A little spendy at $10 a can, but since tuna is the brand's main focus, I hoped it would be worth it. Let's see if it was.

Initial impression upon opening the can: 5/5.

Another of those stiff cans that's hard to open without a splat of oil. Very nice looking tuna, though. There's a nice, mild aroma. But it doesn't translate to the oil, which is quite neutral in taste and completely transparent. The olive oil isn't listed as anything special, but one has to assume it's Spanish.

It's mostly a solid chunk of tuna, with very little in the way of loose bits. A nibble or two reveals it has a tender texture and a mild flavor, with only a hint of tuna "tang". Sodium is listed at 470 mg, but it doesn't taste that salty. Regardless, the level is enough to be complementary to the tuna, but subtle enough to not be distracting.

Let's See What We've Got

The can was packed really tightly. Extracting the meat whole from the can was difficult, so it was necessary to pry it out in chunks. Everything was solid, though, no loose bits hiding underneath.

I poured the oil over everything and proceeded to dig in. The meat flaked nicely, and I continued to note how mild and tender it was throughout.

But, not being one to leave well enough alone, I had to make an excuse to try a new chili crisp I had just received.

This one, by Fusion Select, was actually quite a nice enhancement. It wasn't so hot as to overpower the delicate taste of the tuna. It's not as salty as some others, with a relatively modest 280mg. per 2 tablespoon serving. I didn't use that much, and found its added sweetness balanced out the heat and salt, making the entire combination quite delicious.

Main Takeaways

Mild, flavorful tuna
Solid yellowfin
Salt level just right
A little pricey, but premium quality all around

I found it a little odd that the can notes catch area FAO 51, which is Western Indian Ocean. Closer examination of the carton reveals it is only processed in Spain. No matter, still really good tuna.

Brand: Olasagasti
Description: Yellowfin Tuna in Olive Oil
Species: Thunnus albacares
Country of Origin: Spain (processed)
Source: FAO51, Western Indian Ocean
Skin/Bones: No/No
Net Wt: 3.95 oz.
Price Range: $10

Starkist Yellowfin Tuna with Roasted Garlic in EVOO

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Yep, you read that right, Starkist. This upgraded tuna packed in EVOO from them has been around a few years. But it only recently came up on my radar. Actually, the fact that the can reads Solid Yellowfin Tuna with Roasted Garlic in EVOO is what got my attention. I wanted to try the plain version, but it was only available in a 4-pack. That would still have been under $8. Instead, I went with this roasted garlic version, just $2.14 per can at Walmart. There was also a lemon dill flavor, but my interest was more in the tuna itself. Let's see if I'll be going back for more.

Initial impression upon opening the can: 4.8/5.

Not bad looking tuna. Some intact muscle peeking through there. No overt aroma of tuna or garlic to speak of. A sip of the oil is neutral, and still doesn't reveal anything of the seasoning. Another thing I noticed is there's not much oil. The net weight is 4.5 oz. The listed dry weight is only slightly less at 4 oz. That's noteworthy.

I poked around a bit before de-canning. That in the upper part of the photo, what looks like tuna debris, is actually confined to just the top. Underneath a very thin layer of it is rock-solid tuna.

I used the debris as an initial tasting sample. It has a soft, moist texture. The tuna flavor is mild, but I'm not really getting much in the way of garlic. It says roasted, so the expectation would be of something more mellow than fresh garlic. Instead, my impression is, if anything, of lemon. Unless that's included in "natural flavors", I can't say why I perceive that. Perhaps it's what happens when "dehydrated garlic, roasted garlic" meets a nice, mild tuna with only a hint of that inherent tuna "tang". Regardless, I liked it.

Let's See What We've Got Here

I just realized there's a setting on my camera that lets tuna, when dumped out over rice, look more like it does in reality.

You can see the solid chunks, which are as thick as the can is deep. Whatever garlic is in there isn't perceptible to the naked eye.

I worked my way through half of it as-is, until I was satisfied with my opinion, which was a definite positive.

If you've been following along for any amount of time, you know what I did next.

Yes, and this time it's Momoya Chili Oil with Fried Garlic (Taberu Layu ). It supplies the requisite amount of crunchy garlic, but with a hint of sweetness and a decidedly peanut-y character. The label is entirely in Japanese, but from what I can gather, it does not contain peanuts. Of the dozen or so jars of chili crisp I have, it's a favorite. It's not too salty, so it really complemented the flavor of this tuna.

One thing I noticed that has me puzzled. There's no country of origin listed on the label. Starkist produces flavored tuna in pouches that state it next to the best by date. Also absent is the expected California Prop 65 warning.

Attractively priced in quantity at Amazon.

Main Takeaways

Quality, mild tuna flavor and solid chunks of it
Not sure what to say about the garlic, or the lack of it
Priced right, high QPR

Brand: Starkist
Description: Solid Yellowfin Tuna with Roasted Garlic in Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Species: Thunnus albacares
Country of Origin: NS
Source: FAO NS
Skin/Bones: No/No
Net Wt: 4.5 oz.
Price Range: $2

Ortiz White Tuna in Olive Oil

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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

Minerva Limited Edition Tuna Filets A Poveira

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This Minerva Limited Edition Tuna Filets A Poveira is from a recent International Loft order. As with other limited edition Minerva offerings, the can is encased in a dark, shiny gun metal blue wrapper, inserted into a sleeve printed in metallic red and gold graphics. When I ordered it, I mistakenly thought it was "a poveira", and meant "with pepper". While that sounded intriguing, it was completely wrong. But it turned out well.

Initial impression upon opening the can: 4.9/5.

Those are some nice chunks of tuna. Two big filets that reach all the way to the bottom of the can. No pieces parts hiding underneath here. There's an earthy, vegetal aroma. A sip of the oil is similar. There's no heat, but it is seasoned. There's some parsley on top. The meat is a dark pink, and it's hard to tell if the reddish tinge of the olive oil is skewing it darker than it actually is.

Reading the label reveals they are immersed in a concoction of olive oil, onion, vinegar, paprika, spices (unnamed) and salt. A bite of the meat has a strong tuna flavor. Some quick research shows it's skipjack, a species often caught in the environs of Portugal. This fact was obscured by the importer's label covering the original carton labeling. Even with the marinade, it has a slightly dry mouthfeel, but it's not off-putting.

Let's Dive In

I was able to extract both filets from the can fairly intact. Dumping them over rice, they were followed by some slivers of onion. I also emptied the rest of the marinade content over everything.

I busied myself flaking the filets apart. The meat is firm, yet the layers parted easily.

As I ate, I could detect the subtle note of the vinegar through the flavor of the fish and onion. The salt level is a low 140mg.

I briefly considered digging out some condiment to see how it went with this, but ultimately decided against it. I wouldn't be averse, however, to making this tuna the star of some type of tuna-centric dish.

What's "A Poveira"?

Well, it momentarily escaped me that Minerva is a brand produced by Conservas A Poveira. It also appears that the word "Poveira" is an adjective referring to the city of Póvoa de Varzim, Portugal. So, it's kind of like this tuna is by A Poveira, in the Poveira style. Or something like that.

This was a little spendy at $8, but I don't feel it was overpriced. If I find another comparable to it for less, I'll let you know.

Main Takeaways

Nice solid chunks of tuna filet
Stronger skipjack tuna flavor
The seasoning is subtle, but complements the tuna well

Brand: A Poveira/MInerva
Description: Limited Edition Tuna Filet A Poveira
Species: Katsuwonus pelamis (Skipjack)
Country of Origin: Portugal
Source: FAO27, Northeast Atlantic
Skin/Bones: No/No
Net Wt: 4.25 oz.
Price Range: $8

Natural Catch Yellowfin Tuna Filets

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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 they're hiding mostly plain looking stuff under a nice looking filet

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.

Brand: Natural Catch
Description: Yellowfin Tuna in Spicy EVOO
Species: Yellowfin tuna
Country of Origin: Viet Nam
Source: Globally sourced, pole & line caught
Skin/Bones: No/No
Net Wt: 4.4 oz.
Price Range: $5-6

Fishwife Albacore Tuna with Spanish Lemon

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I picked up this Fishwife Albacore Tuna with Spanish Lemon about four months ago, and never got around to trying it until now. In fact, I had forgotten I had it, and bought another can while it was on sale again at Whole Foods last week.

Initial impression upon opening the can: 4.8/5.

It's one of those stiff cans you have to battle to get the lid off without making a mess. It's a nice, solid chunk of tuna. The initial aroma is of a mild tuna, but nothing lemony coming through. A sip of the oil is similarly neutral, but with perhaps a hint of lemon. A nibble of fish straight from the can at first seems to just have that tuna tanginess. But then it kind of blooms toward citrus-y.

Prying the meat out of the can, there is no physical lemon to be found. The "lemon" in the ingredient list must be juice or some other form of lemon essence. One part of the meat, an area that was at the bottom of the can, had a bit of a discoloration to it. I wondered if it was the result of contact with whatever the source of the lemon flavor was.

As you can see, visually it just looks like a plain tuna. I dumped the entire liquid content of the can over the fish. I wanted to make sure I got the most of whatever lemon flavor there was to be had.

Getting more into it, though, with each bite it became more apparent the tanginess was from the lemon. I did find myself thinking, however, there wasn't anything overtly Spanish about it, and I might have just supplied my own good quality tuna and some lemon.

Once satisfied I had given it a thorough assessment on its own merits, I decided to experiment a bit. I had a new jar of S&B Crunchy Garlic with Chili Oil I wanted to try. As chili crisp type condiments go, it's a little saltier than most, and I did find it actually enhanced the lemon flavor of the tuna.

Final Thoughts

As quality tuna goes, it has a good flavor that the lemon, however it's achieved, improves. Although it did make me consider just trying to replicate it with my own tuna and lemon.
This would be a good choice for a salad topped with tuna.
When on sale, it's a good value for a premium canned tuna.

Brand: Fishwife
Description: Albacore Tuna with Spanish lemon
Species: Albacore tuna
Country of Origin: Spain
Source: FAO27, Northeast Atlantic
Skin/Bones: No/No
Net Wt: 3.2 oz.
Price Range: $8

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