# Do they have Heavy Tuna? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 18, 2011, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-they-have-heavy-tuna/606656 "2011-12-18T18:54:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Kilmore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/a6a055/32.png) [@Kilmore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kilmore)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2011, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-they-have-heavy-tuna/606656/1 "2011-12-18T18:54:20Z")
I see cans of Chunk Light Tuna, but what is this in comparison to? ---
**Author:** ![zoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zoid/32/336_2.png) [@zoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zoid)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2011, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-they-have-heavy-tuna/606656/2 "2011-12-18T18:56:32Z")
Light tuna is typically packed in water as opposed to oil. ---
**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2011, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-they-have-heavy-tuna/606656/3 "2011-12-18T19:02:33Z")
> [@zoid](#): > > Light tuna is typically packed in water as opposed to oil. Light tuna has to do with color, rather than weight or calories. Albacore is white tuna. Other types of tuna are generally called ‘light’. Either can be packed in water, oil or in a pouch. > **[Foodie - Live a Delicious Life: Kitchen Tips, Culinary History, Restaurant Recs](https://www.foodie.com/)** > > Foodie is the destination for living a delicious life - from kitchen tips to culinary history, celebrity chefs, restaurant recommendations, and much more. Here’s an example of light tuna in oil: [Amazon.com: Progresso Solid Light Tuna in Olive Oil, 6-Ounce Cans (Pack of 24) : Grocery & Gourmet Food](http://www.amazon.com/Progresso-Solid-Light-Olive-6-Ounce/dp/B000EMOCJO) ---
**Author:** ![zoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zoid/32/336_2.png) [@zoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zoid)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2011, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-they-have-heavy-tuna/606656/4 "2011-12-18T19:43:07Z")
> [@IvoryTowerDenizen](#): > > Here’s an example of light tuna in oil: [Amazon.com: Progresso Solid Light Tuna in Olive Oil, 6-Ounce Cans (Pack of 24) : Grocery & Gourmet Food](http://www.amazon.com/Progresso-Solid-Light-Olive-6-Ounce/dp/B000EMOCJO) We’ll I’ll be darned - I’ve never seen that. ---
**Author:** ![Motorgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e36b37/32.png) [@Motorgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Motorgirl)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2011, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-they-have-heavy-tuna/606656/5 "2011-12-18T22:48:36Z")
All the major US brands - Starkist, Chicken of the Sea and Bumblebee included - produce chunk light tuna in oil. ETA - back in the 70s and 80s it was harder to find tuna in water than it is now. Oil was much more common. ---
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2011, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-they-have-heavy-tuna/606656/6 "2011-12-18T23:13:07Z")
So which do you prefer the taste of more, the light or the white? Any favorite brands? Any best values? Are the expensive ones in those little glass jars sold at the Italian deli worth the extra cost? ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2011, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-they-have-heavy-tuna/606656/7 "2011-12-18T23:25:40Z")
I much prefer the pouches to cans, but have never bothered to differentiate between white and light. ---
**Author:** ![Tangent](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tangent/32/3098_2.png) [@Tangent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tangent)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2011, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-they-have-heavy-tuna/606656/8 "2011-12-18T23:51:17Z")
> [@Kilmore](#): > > Do they have Heavy Tuna? Now with extra mercury! ---
**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2011, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-they-have-heavy-tuna/606656/9 "2011-12-19T00:43:03Z")
> [@DSeid](#): > > So which do you prefer the taste of more, the light or the white? Any favorite brands? Any best values? Are the expensive ones in those little glass jars sold at the Italian deli worth the extra cost? I like light. White is too dry. I also like the pouches. No muss, no fuss. ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2011, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-they-have-heavy-tuna/606656/10 "2011-12-19T00:48:21Z")
> [@DSeid](#): > > So which do you prefer the taste of more, the light or the white? Any favorite brands? Any best values? Are the expensive ones in those little glass jars sold at the Italian deli worth the extra cost? I very much prefer albacore tuna. I’ve never had it in oil, and I’ve never had any in little glass jars. My cats insist on getting the tuna juice. They get pretty frantic about it, in fact, and we always have to open two cans of tuna at a time in order to get enough tuna juice for four cats. ---
**Author:** ![typoink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecb155/32.png) [@typoink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/typoink)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2011, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-they-have-heavy-tuna/606656/11 "2011-12-20T00:33:36Z")
Light in oil tends to be a little mushier and a stronger flavor. White in water is milder and flakier. I tend to like white better, if only because it’s what I grew up with and is (I’d assume) healthier to boot. ---
**Author:** ![Jamicat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c67d28/32.png) [@Jamicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jamicat)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2011, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-they-have-heavy-tuna/606656/12 "2011-12-20T03:07:06Z")
All I do with Tuna is add mayo and smack it on some white bread. Tuna any other way is gross especially canned in oil. I’ll tolerate a side of…tuna casserole…☹ A big Chunk o’ Tuna is great straight out the can…but not them lil’ pieces of mush. Sardines and the other odd Sea creatures in oil is awesome. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2011, 8:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-they-have-heavy-tuna/606656/13 "2011-12-22T08:52:09Z")
In general, if you want dark tuna that’s got to be fresh; the cans normally include cuts selected without the dark parts. I understand that in Spain the reason for this is that the two-tone cuts sell better at the fishmonger, but don’t know why would it be so in other locations.