Tuna Tasting

We were curious about the difference between skipjack tuna and albacore tuna so we did a side by side taste test. We sampled the brand Wild Planet and both were packed in salted water.

Albacore

The albacore was lighter in color and a bit dryer than the skipjack. After draining, all the tuna popped easily out of the can with very little residue left in the can. It was slightly more flaky than the skipjack and had a classic, fishy tuna taste.

Skipjack

The skipjack was more reddish in color and more difficult to dislodge from the can. It was a bit more intense in fish flavor than the albacore, and somewhat fattier. It had a rich, straightforward tuna flavor.

Once you mix these tunas with mayo for a tuna salad, it’s hard to distinguish between them. Both are great for making creamy tuna salad, Niçoise salad, or fish cakes.

According to the Wild Planet website, their tuna is 100% sustainably pole & line, troll, or handline caught. They never use nets, which often capture other unwanted fish. Their methods catch only smaller migratory fish that are naturally lower in mercury. Each fish is carefully hand-cut, then hand-packed and cooked just once in the can ensuring a firm texture, clean taste, and high nutrient content.

Tuna is the world’s most popular fish and is fished in more than 70 countries. According to seafoodwatch.org, albacore stocks are in good shape in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans but not in the Indian Ocean, and Skipjack tuna populations are healthy worldwide. Avoid bluefin tuna due to overfishing and depletion world wide. Choose pole caught tuna and avoid imported tunas caught with drifting longlines.

More about skipjack: this tuna is the smallest and most abundant of the major commercial tunas. Skipjack can live up to 10 years, be up to 3 feet long, and have a streamlined body with few scales. Skipjack swim in the tropical areas of the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans.

More about albacore: Albacore is also one of the smaller tuna species. They are bullet shaped, have long pectoral fins, live up to 12 years, and are up to 4 feet long. They can be found in all oceans and the Mediterranean.