CATEGORY

Solid White Albacore Tuna

2009 CHEFSBEST® AWARD FOR BEST TASTE WINNER

Star Kist

What Makes a Great Albacore Tuna?

Light and mild, albacore tuna can be used in a variety of recipes, or eaten alone on a bed of lettuce with baby carrots. Keep a few extra cans handy for tuna casseroles, tuna salad and tuna fish sandwiches.

Our chefs define high-quality, shelf-stable solid white albacore tuna as having a large, intact flake size. The pieces should have good structural integrity, not appearing broken down or inconsistent in size. Whether pinkish, yellowish or another color, the tuna should still appear warm, not cool, gray, aged or oxidized. There should be a low to moderate fish aroma with no inappropriate off notes, like iron or sulfur, metallic notes or fermentation.

The profile of basic tastes should feature a low saltiness balanced by a slightly lower level of sweetness. Any sourness should be extremely low, and it should come from protein in the fish, not from fermentation, poor handling or old fish. There should be no bitterness.

A moderately intense tuna flavor should be clear, regardless of its character. The fish character should be as close to fresh as possible, with notes of saltwater or brine. There should be no off notes, including fermentation, metallic notes or breakdown in the fish protein.

The texture should be as flaky as possible, avoiding any fibrous, stringy texture or stickiness when chewed. The tuna should also have some resistance when chewed, but it should not be as firm as a sea scallop. It should not be mushy either, though it should carry some moisture.

Product Category Definition

The product judged was defined as shelf-stable solid white albacore tuna for the consumer market, not including chunk-light tuna, frozen or fresh tuna. This judging included albacore tuna that was packed in water.

Other Leading Brands:

Chicken of the Sea, Bumble Bee,