Is expensive Canned Tuna a scam?

Canned Tuna ended up being way more interesting than I initially thought! What did you find most surprising? We put together the high level takeaways and all the various cans of Tuna I tracked for this video in this notion page if you want to check it out: ethanchlebowski.notion.site/Tuna-Table-Shareable-1…

These specific product deep dives are literally some of the best cooking content on the internet!

I married someone who is Samoan and her family always gives us Wahoo which is presented just like Tuna. It comes in the can packed in oil and tastes a lot like Albacore. It's very mild, very meaty and I absolutely adore it in rice with some japanese rice seasoning. Pretty sure you can find it in a military commissary. Do try it if you can.

Doing a comparison between cheap and expensive pepper and spices (maybe including freshly ground spices in a mortar and pestle) would be interesting

I did a bit of a tuna deep dive a few months ago since I was looking for options to create quick protein meals on certain work days, starting with Wild Planet Albacore and Chicken of the Sea. I've come to realize that if mercury content were to ever be a concern, you can always opt in for canned sardines. Not only do sardines have a lower mercury content for being smaller fish, they are also more nutrient dense compared to tuna; I've had no issues making the traditional tuna salad featuring sardines instead of tuna. Canned sardines come in different canned varieties as well—whole, fillet, boneless, etc.. Many from forums online opted to go for the Season brand which is readily available in Costco. They also tend to be less fishy and have a overall softer, less stringy texture. One thing I'd caution about buying flavored canned fish is that it is common for vendors to use inferior cuts and masquerade the quality of the meat with the various types of flavorings available.

I used to eat tuna a lot as a kid, but I'd have a terrible time in the bathroom afterwards. Turns out there was a controversy where tuna companies were using a different fish in their tuna cans, and that fish's texture and meat causes bowel issues. After learning about this I set tuna aside for a number of years, and I think since they were found out it is less common (if not eliminated completely). Because of the aforementioned issues with tune, in the past 5-6 years my consumption of it has gone down significantly. For tuna salad I typically use a can of chunk light and a can of solid white because the textures work really well together.

I have to love the way ethan just comes up with the most convenient subjects to talk about and have a very interesting in-depth talking points on those subjects. I absolutely adore your work!

I like to combine 1 can of Skipjack, 1 can of Yellowtail, and 1 can Albacore for my Tunafish salad. Gives a balanced taste and texture, plus enough to have 5-6 sandwiches.

Super interesting comparison! I think it'd be important to mention that the $21 bonito belly can comes from Spain, where it costs just ~€6 in a supermarket. It's not that it's a premium product, it's just that it's an overseas product and priced as such!

One glaring ommission, Wild Planet sustainably pole and line caught Skipjack wild tuna. Hand cut, hand packed, cooked once directly in the can in its own juice & sea salt (without added water or oil) no need to drain. Phenomenal taste.

I'm Japanese, and I grew up eating "Sea-chicken" シーチキン, Japan's most famous and beloved canned tuna brand. I was shocked when I came to the States and tasted canned tunas here, as nothing was better than "Sea-chicken." Today, it is still my #1 go-to canned tuna. It is so annoying that it is costly when I buy it here in the States as it is imported.

I love the little labels over the actual products. Small change and one that I didn't even know I wanted, but I really like it!

I've always considered water packed solid white is the go-to. Best way to avoid the "tinned cat food" taste that the cheap chunk gets you.

As someone who consumes a lot of fish for health reasons, I highly recommend making as a staple sardines and mackerel, whose tiny size and short lifespan means they only have a tiny fraction of the mercury found in tuna. There is even more variance in quality in sardines and mackerel than in tuna -- better quality brands feature fish that are firm and with a cleaner taste. Choice between bone-in or boneless for sardines; the better brands with bones are my first choice as I think they tend to be firmer. The bones are soft enough to be edible though also easy to remove. And mackerel make a good substitute for tuna salad as it too can be mashed up.

I'm impressed by how every concept you mention is accompanied by a small visual that explains it in more depth. Thank you for that extra effort!

Some of the best culinary content and not just in the context of Youtube!

Love these deep dives - so well scripted! I think it would be awesome if you did a deep dive on salt, like the different kinds (kosher vs table vs Maldon, iodized vs not, etc). Salt is one of those things that is so simple but so fascinating when you look more closely at it

You are by far the best cooking channel i've ever come across.

Your product reviews have become a must watch for my family members, we do base many of our purchases on your videos, knowing what ingredients you do or do not want is so helpful. Now when it comes to tuna we let our cat decide which one is the best..I have bought tuna that he has refused to eat, but he goes nuts for albacore so...anyway we do value your videos..thank you.

You should do Salmon. Pink Salmon vs others. I'm interested!