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Tag: ventresca

Published on Leave a comment on 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

Published on Leave a comment on La Narval Tuna Ventresca in Olive Oil

"Ventresca" is the Spanish word for belly fillets of yellowfin tuna. The best part of the tuna. The most tender, delicately-flavored tuna. And it isn't cheap. A typical can will cost you 3 to 5 times more than whatever the supermarket calls its best canned tuna. And it just may be worth it. I found this La Narval Tuna Ventresca at the local World Market, and couldn't resist trying it.

La Narval Tuna Ventresca box
La Narval Tuna Ventresca open can
Initial impression upon opening the can: 4.9/5.

The can is packed with slices of firm, light pink tuna. Submerged in the almost transparent olive oil, there is little to no aroma. The carton says the oil is Spanish. A sip of the oil gives a subtle, clean tuna taste. The ingredients list nothing more than the tuna, olive oil and salt.

Sampling a slice confirms the superiority of ventresca in the world of tuna. I had intended to incorporate it into some kind of lunch dish, but found myself hard-pressed to stop eating slice after slice directly from the can. This is the kind of tuna you want to be the star of a dish, not glopped in mayo like plain old tuna salad. But more like in a Nicoise Salad.

Inspecting the carton and can for sourcing details, I was surprised that the bottom of the can appeared to indicate FAO51, the Western Indian Ocean. As a product of Spain, I expected it to come from a little closer to home.

Main Takeaways
  • Beautiful slices of tuna belly
  • Superior tuna flavor
  • Don't waste it making tuna salad

See it at Amazon.

Brand: La Narval
Description: Tuna Ventresca in Olive Oil
Species: Thunnus albacares
Country of Origin: Spain
Source: FAO51, Western Indian Ocean
Skin/Bones: No/No
Net Wt: 3.9 oz.
Price Range: $10