Nobody seems to have mentioned mercury yet. As larger fish eat smaller ones, the levels of mercury in the big guys start to compound. Mercury can damage your brain and other organs. The tuna I happen to like best is Natural Catch, which I bought via a FB ad. Definitely not albacore, which is high in mercury, not to mention too dry unless packed in oil or you doctor it a lot! Natural Catch is pole and line caught - yellowfin if memory serves. They are smaller size fish, under 15ppm mercury. Now, whether or not catching the youngāuns threatens the species survival at this point, I know not. This brand comes in 4-oz pull-top cans, in a mix of olive oil and vegetable broth that is so delicious that Iāve never gotten so far as making a sandwich. I am not the only to confess that I slurp off the liquid, then eat the petite fillets with a fork, straight from the can. There are 12 cans per case, usually about $3 per can , shipping free. I see that they now have sardines too, and sometimes water packed and albacore.
I keep buying celery with the intention of using it for tuna salad with Kewpie, pickle relish, and a 1:1 ratio of Natural Catch to ordinary supermarket tunaā¦an a couple of weeks later, tossing out the limp, unused stalk.
99% of the time use tuna for tuna salad with mayo and celery. I buy this on Amazon subscription. Roughly $3 a can which is usually cheaper than it is at my grocery store.
So Iāve heard, but Iāve just always just rolled it in a damp paper towel, then put it into a sealed plastic bag. I keep meaning to do a comparison time trial, but for the reluctance to pitch TWO bunches of celery! (I should have typed āunused bunchā, not stalk. My word recall is STILL not back entirely after a medical mishap last fall.)
I really like Sir Kensingtonās avocado mayo, but I donāt use it often and after a while in the fridge it de-emulsified, with the oil sitting on top. It was ok but thin after stirring.
I found it in several Japanese markets (like Mitsua, Nijiya and Tokyo Central) we have where I lived). I tried a few, and I feel this one is slightly better than others. It is canned tuna.
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: Iām a Hellmanās Mayo guy I think because thatās 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.
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.
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).
