Best canned tuna

ponyo

Lifer
Feb 14, 2002
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My local Costco started carrying Dongwon tuna in hot pepper sauce. I bought a box to try because I love StarKist Thai chili style tuna pouch. Dongwon also owns StarKist.

My verdict: 10/10. Dongwon tuna in hot pepper sauce is the best canned tuna. It is slightly spicy and so good. It has some fillers like potato, carrots, and onions which add to the taste. And lovely MSG. I highly recommend buying and trying it if you like canned tuna and see it at your local Costco.

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WelshBloke

Lifer
Jan 12, 2005
30,449
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I get Ortiz

Rod and line caught, in decent oil, no filler, no nasty sauce (seriously hate tinned fish in sauce), comes as a big chunk rather than a mushy mess, nice tin!

That said I'm not a massive fan of tinned tuna unless I'm making fritters or something like that.
 
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lxskllr

No Lifer
Nov 30, 2004
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I like American Tuna for the brands I've had, particularly the smoked in olive oil.

Super timely thread ponyo. I was literally gonna start a thread, and summon you for your opinion. I was browsing amazon for various fish, and saw a couple Korean brands that looked interesting, including the one in the op. How do the Koreans do with canned fish generally?
 

skyking

Lifer
Nov 21, 2001
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" It has some fillers like potato, carrots, and onions which add to the taste. "

Tuna not found.
The whole point of canned tuna is getting a pure clean product to add your own touch.
This is not tuna, this a like velveeta is cheese.
Tuna Food.
:D
 

OccamsToothbrush

Golden Member
Aug 21, 2005
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" It has some fillers like potato, carrots, and onions which add to the taste. "

Tuna not found.
The whole point of canned tuna is getting a pure clean product to add your own touch.
This is not tuna, this a like velveeta is cheese.
Tuna Food.
:D


That. First, you might as well add cardboard and sawdust if you want your tuna with fillers. It would taste the same.

But the $64K question is why you would want all that tuna with hot sauce added. It's like having 100% of your pasta in the form of Chef-Boy-R-Dee. Maybe someday you'd want your pasta Alfredo or with clam sauce and all you have is pasta pre-slathered with red goop. If you want tuna with hot sauce, buy plain tuna, buy hot sauce, go to town. It would be way cheaper and you'd have some flexibility if someday you wanted to use tuna in any other way.
 

lxskllr

No Lifer
Nov 30, 2004
57,423
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I want to try it cause it's foreign, and their particular blend of stuff might be especially good. I currently have about 12 brands/styles of canned fish, and well over 100 cans. I eat a can almost every work day. Just got back from biglots and got the last 9 jars of smoked sardines. They're from Latvia. I've been pretty impressed with their fish production so far.
 

WelshBloke

Lifer
Jan 12, 2005
30,449
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If you want canned fish in a sauce so you cant taste the fish you're probably better off with canned mackerel.
It's going to taste similar with the sauce and you don't get the added mercury.
 

Captante

Lifer
Oct 20, 2003
30,277
10,783
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And lovely MSG.


Fail.


And for major brands I find Bumblebee solid-white (in oil) to have the most consistent flavor and quality.

Can't recall the Italian brand (in olive oil) I buy at Ocean State Job Lots once in awhile but its also very good.
 
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quikah

Diamond Member
Apr 7, 2003
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I only use canned tuna for making tuna salad (mayo, black pepper, celery, green onion), and I only like that with light tuna, cannot stand albacore for this. Lucky for me the light stuff is cheaper. :)

I generally don't find much difference between the major brands in the US, Starkist seems to be a bit more solid than chicken of the sea or bumblebee though. It all gets mushed up when I make tuna salad, so not a big issue. I just get the water packed ones since I find it easier to deal with.
 

Captante

Lifer
Oct 20, 2003
30,277
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I only use canned tuna for making tuna salad (mayo, black pepper, celery, green onion), and I only like that with light tuna, cannot stand albacore for this. Lucky for me the light stuff is cheaper. :)

I generally don't find much difference between the major brands in the US, Starkist seems to be a bit more solid than chicken of the sea or bumblebee though. It all gets mushed up when I make tuna salad, so not a big issue. I just get the water packed ones since I find it easier to deal with.


However if I'm not mistaken Bumblebee is the last Tuna- canner based in the US.

Also they do a better job enforcing dolphin/shark safe fishing then most of the big companies from what I've read.
 
Feb 4, 2009
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However if I'm not mistaken Bumblebee is the last Tuna- canner based in the US.

Also they do a better job enforcing dolphin/shark safe fishing then most of the big companies from what I've read.

I came here to say this and the above. I don’t find much of a difference between major US brands however I don’t buy it too often.
I know Bumblebee practices safer net use.
 
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Captante

Lifer
Oct 20, 2003
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I came here to say this and the above. I don’t find much of a difference between major US brands however I don’t buy it too often.
I know Bumblebee practices safer net use.


Unfortunately a side-effect of complying with our regulations
(ie: higher tax's and wages paid to US workers etc) means Bumble Bee is consistently a bit more expensive then most.

The fish itself isn't really all that different however I do seem to notice less in the way of "mystery-bits" in Bumblebee then the imported brands especially with the darker types of tuna. (I like to mix in some chunk-light in tuna salad)

If Bumblebee is not available I've had the best luck with either Starkist or Geisha. (Geisha smoked Oysters are also decent)
 

OccamsToothbrush

Golden Member
Aug 21, 2005
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I came here to say this and the above. I don’t find much of a difference between major US brands however I don’t buy it too often.
I know Bumblebee practices safer net use.

How exactly do you "know" that? Bumble Bee get crucified by Greenpeace, the Sierra Club and every neutral 3rd party. About the only thing Bumblee Bee seems to do better than Starkist and Chicken of the Sea is to greenwash their practices.
 

Captante

Lifer
Oct 20, 2003
30,277
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How exactly do you "know" that? Bumble Bee get crucified by Greenpeace, the Sierra Club and every neutral 3rd party. About the only thing Bumblee Bee seems to do better than Starkist and Chicken of the Sea is to greenwash their practices.


Never having been along on one of their fleets fishing trips, the answer is that I don't.

Consumer Reports among others however does give them credit for being better then most.
 

ponyo

Lifer
Feb 14, 2002
19,689
2,811
126
I get Ortiz

Rod and line caught, in decent oil, no filler, no nasty sauce (seriously hate tinned fish in sauce), comes as a big chunk rather than a mushy mess, nice tin!

That said I'm not a massive fan of tinned tuna unless I'm making fritters or something like that.
I should revise and say it's the best sauced canned tuna. I love plain tuna in olive oil as well. But sometimes I want more pizzazz and this tuna is the best sauced tuna I've tried.

I like American Tuna for the brands I've had, particularly the smoked in olive oil.

Super timely thread ponyo. I was literally gonna start a thread, and summon you for your opinion. I was browsing amazon for various fish, and saw a couple Korean brands that looked interesting, including the one in the op. How do the Koreans do with canned fish generally?
Koreans add it to various stews, instant ramen, fried rice, and gimbap. This spiced tuna is also great with plain white rice and toasted seaweed.

David Chang at his Momofuku restaurant serves the Korea spicy tuna with toasted French bread.

https://alexandracooks.com/2020/03/26/korean-double-hot-tuna-with-crostini/

Spicy tuna is also awesome as a snack with cracker and cheese.
 
Feb 4, 2009
34,576
15,790
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Unfortunately a side-effect of complying with our regulations
(ie: higher tax's and wages paid to US workers etc) means Bumble Bee is consistently a bit more expensive then most.

The fish itself isn't really all that different however I do seem to notice less in the way of "mystery-bits" in Bumblebee then the imported brands especially with the darker types of tuna. (I like to mix in some chunk-light in tuna salad)

If Bumblebee is not available I've had the best luck with either Starkist or Geisha. (Geisha smoked Oysters are also decent)

Mmmm.....I need to shop today I’ll compare prices.
 
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Captante

Lifer
Oct 20, 2003
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But the $64K question is why you would want all that tuna with hot sauce added


Never had a spicy-tuna roll I take it? :D

Hot sauce tastes very good mixed in tuna salad .... after all Japanese spicy mayo is just mayo and hot peppers/pepper-sauce.