Choosing Canned Tuna - In Over My Head!

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I buy cheap commodity solid white Albacore tuna in oil for tuna salad and Yellowfin in olive oil for eating as is. Brands? Albacore, maybe a slight nod to Chicken of the Sea over Bumble Bee and Starkist. I buy the Yellowfin they sell at Costco or sometimes when on sale @ Amazon although sometimes I splurge for the highly touted stuff from the Italian specialty store. FYI: I’m a Hellman’s Mayo guy I think because that’s what I grew up on. An young guy who sometimes helps out at his parents Asian grocery store tells me he and his (hip) contemporaries use Kraft Miracle Whip instead of Kewpie.

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What an interesting discussion on canned tuna.

When it comes to mayo I am partial to Kewpie, but not just any ordinary Kewpie. Only the Kewpie that packs octane. :muscle:

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Which Kewpie packs octane?

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I buy either Wild Planet or Kirkland albacore, both in water, as the fish are sustainably caught with limited bycatch. I only use canned tuna for tuna melts and tuna noodle casserole.

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If you are going to doctor tuna with mayo, lemon, pickles, whatever, I thin it matters less what brand you choose. For a preparation in which the tuna needs to stand out, just buy the Ortiz. It is really worth it! I put it on bread, and that is honestly enough (though a bit of capers and lemon zest is nice).

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I thought that all Kewpie mayonnaise contains MSG and that’s one of the reasons it tastes so good.

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Apparently the containers made here in the U.S. don’t have MSG listed in their ingredients. I get mine in an Asian market and labeled "product of Japan ", and it lists MSG.

Thanks to @shrinkrap I’m jonesing for Kewpie. Someone tie me off.

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That explains it. I buy mine at Nijia, a Japanese grocery store.

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I use Rio Mare the tin with additives (Mexican, Beans, or Lemon and Black Pepper) to place on top of salads.
The Rio Mare filets in a jar are very nice also.

For mayo, I usually make my own or use Hellman’s if I’m pressed for time and using just a small amount.

Amanda is a Chef and Diatician and talks about white and light tuna.
I’ve tried her recipe and it is a refreshing change from the usual.

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@wkeber, I just noticed that you are new Welcome.
Great topic btw loving this thread.

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Ortiz Ventresca in the red box…say no more. No mayo with this olive-oil-packed gem.
Like all the best tuna, comes from northern Spain. I make it with good lettuce and white beans, with pickled onions.

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I have not tried Ortiz-Ventresca tuna
and will be checking out all of the European Shops.
Thanks for posting it will be fun to try and hunt it down.

Check out the delivery charge !

This one is a little more reasonable

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I’ve never seen “Brindisa” Ortiz, and I agree that that shipping charge in insane! I always buy them in bulk, or when In Spain, where the price is not that low but you do not have to pay shipping. Yes, I was the person who dripped from a leaking Ortiz glass jar all through the airport in Santander after a buying spree!!

Take a look here:
https://www.amazon.com/Ortiz-Ventresca-White-Tuna-Belly/dp/B00AHLKC3M

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How many cans? I can’t tell.

In the past on Amazon, “Prime”/ free delivery I’ve bought

Six pack, 4 ounce cans each for $38 in 2016

12 pack in September 2015, $69.70!

And

6 pack 6.7 ounce jars for $41.95 in February 2020

When I find it locally I often just buy it.

I think I’ve tried Ortiz, but apparently not from Amazon. Must be good stu!

Lol !
This one is free shipping but the unit price is almost double (for me).
I have not tried Tonnino (from Costa Rica) because the jarred tuna is $1.00 more than Rio Mare fillets packed in oil.
Rio Mare canned yellowfin tuna comes packed in water at a reasonable price (when I want to add Mayo, green onion and curry or cream cheese, lemon and dill).
I’ll head out and check the European Shops for the Oritz.
Amazon sometimes is more expensive.
I remember reading about someone who was unable to get San Marzano tomatoes in their area and were paying around $38.00 on Amazon. I can get them here for around $5.00 from the Valle de Sarno region of Italy.
I will report back with my findings.

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Please do report back!! Even in Spain, I am finding the Ortiz “red box” to be more than 10 euro each…in Spain there are other brands but I keep going back to Ortiz…Don Bocarte is even more pricey and we can also get that in NYC…Rio Mare a little less pricey, I think but I just stick to Ortiz. If you can go to Herpec, east of Cadiz, they have a factory where prices might be lower…I hope to get there next winter…

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