Tuna is a saltwater migratory fish found in both the Atlantic and Pacific. There are several varieties, ranging in size from the 1,500 pound bluefin to the 12 pound skipjack. Uncooked tuna is red due to its muscle pigments - tuna swims continuously over large distances - but the color ranges from albacore's pink flesh to the dark, almost purple flesh of bonito and skipjack. Cooked tuna is white.
Fresh tuna often has a very dark streak in it - this is the actual muscle. It has a strong taste that may seem too intense for some and can be cut away. Tuna's an oily fish, like salmon, but with the same Omega-3 oils fatty acids that have proven to be heart healthy. The primary health concern with tuna is mercury content. However, tuna is well monitored by safety inspectors. The FDA considers tuna safe, although pregnant and nursing women are cautioned not to eat more than two medium cans or one fresh tuna steak a week.
Canned/Pouched Tuna:
As with many things that used to be commonplace, shelf stocked tuna is no longer simple:
- Tuna comes in three grades based on chunk size - solid or fancy, chunk, and flaked.
- Canned tuna, the old familiar staple, is now available in vacuum-sealed pouches.
- Water packed tuna makes up 85% of tuna sold. The traditional oil-packed version is out of favor for calorie reasons. You can also now find canned tuna packed "in its own juices."
- Canned or pouched tuna may be labeled "white," i.e. from the lighter fleshed albacore variety, or "light," which is usually yellowfin or skipjack tuna.
- The big 3 U.S. producers, (Star-Kist, Chicken of the Sea, BumbleBee) are facing increased competition from high grade European brands, especially those from Italy and Spain.
So how do you choose which tuna to buy? The following are my guidelines:
1) Choose the grade appropriate to the final product. If the tuna is going to be made into a tuna salad and all mushed up anyway, don't pay extra for solid, go with chunk. However, flaked tuna is made from inferior cuts and should not be used.
2) Tuna canned in water is so tasteless it's not worth purchasing. If you're calorie conscious, there are two tasty alternatives. The cheaper is the new vacuum pouch. Tuna packed in pouches is processed in half the time than canned, leaving the fish firmer and fresher tasting. The Good Housekeeping Institute rated the Big 3 producers' versions and noted that the pouched "swam rings around their canned rivals. " Their favorite brand was Chicken of the Sea; you can see the entire results at the above Web site.
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