The best solid white tuna in olive oil: Conservas Ortiz
By Antara Sinha
Few foods do high-low versatility like canned tuna. You can fold a $2 tin of chunk light into a mountain of mayo for an economical lunch, or you can layer a can of sustainably caught yellowfin atop a Niçoise salad elegant enough to serve to company.
The latter fancy possibilities are largely due to the renaissance of canned tuna we’re living through. Even just a decade ago, the canned tuna aisle was dominated by a handful of brands, with inexpensive water-packed varieties taking up most of the shelf space. But Americans have woken up to the magic of tinned fish in recent years, and tuna traders have taken notice.
Wirecutter’s kitchen experts tasted nearly 40 cans of tuna, looking for the most flavorful, snackable, tuna-salad-able fish out there. And though we had to endure many sludgy tins along the way, we eventually found seven cans that we’d eagerly make staples — many of which you can find in your local grocery store at much better prices than you’d find online.
As soon as we peeled back the lid on Conservas Ortiz White Tuna in Olive Oil, revealing neatly packed pieces of rosy-pink albacore tuna, we knew we were in for a treat. This is not the tuna your elementary school cafeteria stuffed between soggy pieces of white bread — it’s a luxurious, grown-up tin that was the near-unanimous favorite among our tasters.
Suspended in cloudless, yellow olive oil, the lightly salted fillets of albacore are meaty and savory without veering into unpalatably fishy territory. Between the fattiness from the fish and the olive oil, each bite is luscious and balanced. One taster said it has “a mild briny sweetness,” while another — and not the only one — commented, “I immediately want to eat a whole can of this one.”
Between its delicate yet balanced flavor profile and its price (a 3.24-ounce can costs roughly $7), this is not the kind of tuna you bury under mayonnaise or chili crisp. Allow it to shine on a conservas platter, atop a salad, or with your favorite crackers for a simple, indulgent lunch.
Ingredients: albacore, olive oil, salt
Fishing method: pole and line
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