# Explain the difference: Canned tuna in oil vs. in water **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 29, 2011, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-the-difference-canned-tuna-in-oil-vs-in-water/576339 "2011-03-29T02:46:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![An\_Gadai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@An\_Gadai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Gadai)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2011, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-the-difference-canned-tuna-in-oil-vs-in-water/576339/41 "2011-04-04T23:31:53Z")
Round here it’s sold “in sunflower oil”, “in brine” and “in natural spring water”. I think I prefer “in brine” but tbh it doesn’t taste different enough for me to care when I have it the other ways. I usually just pick the one that’s on special offer. ---
**Author:** ![typoink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecb155/32.png) [@typoink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/typoink)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2011, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-the-difference-canned-tuna-in-oil-vs-in-water/576339/42 "2011-04-05T00:00:55Z")
Oil vs. water isn’t the only factor. There’s also the issue of dark, light, and white – all of which have different flavors. In my book, white albacore in water is the best, and makes an awesome tuna salad mixed with mayo. Light in oil is second best. The dark stuff is nearly inedible to me, although my wife likes it as a sandwich topping occasionally. ---
**Author:** ![jellyblue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e480ec/32.png) [@jellyblue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jellyblue)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2011, 6:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-the-difference-canned-tuna-in-oil-vs-in-water/576339/43 "2011-04-05T06:15:39Z")
> [@Lynn\_Bodoni](#): > > Cats have been given special powers by Bast. Among these powers are the ability to hear any can opener, at any time, over a truly astounding distance. Cats have been instructed, again by Bast, that they MUST puke on the carpet or on the good upholstered furniture. They are NOT ALLOWED to puke on any hard, nonporous surface, because that would make the puke too easy to clean up. They must puke on porous surfaces, the more expensive the better. Mine apparently must puke on either the t.v. remote or my keyboard. Nice. And beware the Tuna Juice Trap: after years of making a mad dash for tuna juice,ours now gets a small portion of tuna (in oil ONLY :rolleyes: ) every day or she’ll kill us in our sleep. I hate tuna in oil. Water only for me. (for those keeping track, that means buying 2 different kinds of tuna - one kind for me, one for the cat.) ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2011, 6:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-the-difference-canned-tuna-in-oil-vs-in-water/576339/44 "2011-04-05T06:23:02Z")
> [@don\_t\_ask](#): > > . I checked the cans we had in our drawers and was shocked to find that, although each contains about 70 calories worth of tuna, some in oil with chili have 150 - 200% that many calories in fat. It comes with chili peppers over there? (drool) ---
**Author:** ![PlainJain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/5daacb/32.png) [@PlainJain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PlainJain)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2011, 10:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-the-difference-canned-tuna-in-oil-vs-in-water/576339/45 "2011-04-05T10:22:59Z")
> [@An\_Gadai](#): > > Round here it’s sold “in sunflower oil”, “in brine” and “in natural spring water”. I think I prefer “in brine” but tbh it doesn’t taste different enough for me to care when I have it the other ways. I usually just pick the one that’s on special offer. Tuna in sunflower oil is the best taste-wise but I usually buy the water packed kind for my health. ---
**Author:** ![Jacob\_Pike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/eb9ed0/32.png) [@Jacob\_Pike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jacob_Pike)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2015, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-the-difference-canned-tuna-in-oil-vs-in-water/576339/46 "2015-08-23T21:48:11Z")
> [@TheThirdFuller](#): > > The difference is tuna in oil is gross, and tuna in water is yummy. We bought two cans of it by accident. After opening one of them and realizing our detrimental mistake, we spent a good chunk of time trying to think of what we could mix it in to make it not disgusting. We aren’t the food wasting type. I think we may have ended up donating the second can to a food drive. I am 80 years old and when i was young tuna in oil was the only way you could get it. For many years since we have been buying it in water, but the other day I bought 2 cans in oil by accident. I drained it and made tuna fish salad with it. Now I know the difference, the tuna in oil tasted like I used to remember, a hell of a lot better.:smack ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2015, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-the-difference-canned-tuna-in-oil-vs-in-water/576339/47 "2015-08-23T21:50:00Z")
> [@Jacob\_Pike](#): > > I am 80 years old and when i was young tuna in oil was the only way you could get it. For many years since we have been buying it in water, but the other day I bought 2 cans in oil by accident. I drained it and made tuna fish salad with it. Now I know the difference, the tuna in oil tasted like I used to remember, a hell of a lot better.:smack Yep. Albacore packed in water is great; but when I want a taste of childhood, it’s gotta be chunk light in oil. ---
**Author:** ![Finagle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b19c9b/32.png) [@Finagle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Finagle)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2015, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-the-difference-canned-tuna-in-oil-vs-in-water/576339/48 "2015-08-23T22:14:06Z")
Accidentally bought some tuna packed in oil recently. It was nasty. Something about the texture or taste of the oil really bothered me. So I donated the rest of the cans to the local food bank where hopefully some tuna-in-oil fan will appreciate it. My cat also loves the tuna water. Who knew that was a thing? ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2015, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-the-difference-canned-tuna-in-oil-vs-in-water/576339/49 "2015-08-23T22:27:24Z")
> [@Finagle](#): > > Accidentally bought some tuna packed in oil recently. It was nasty. Something about the texture or taste of the oil really bothered me. I’m sure you drained it well. I have a hypothesis that some foods that were common in the '60s and '70s aren’t so common anymore, and that many of them have been replaced by ‘lite’, ‘healthy’ versions. I think that ‘older’ foods might have a more robust taste in certain cases, and people are no longer used to the robustness. (Sort of like in _Methuselah’s Children_ where the extraterrestrials used Lazarus Long’s memories to make more delicious food on their food plants.) Tuna in oil has this ‘more robust’ flavour – some might call it ‘fishy’; which is, after all, the best part about eating fish – that people aren’t used to anymore. > [@Finagle](#): > > My cat also loves the tuna water. Who knew that was a thing? _Everyone!_ I’ve got some salmon water in a little dish, just waiting for the cats to come in. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2015, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-the-difference-canned-tuna-in-oil-vs-in-water/576339/50 "2015-08-23T22:48:10Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > – some might call it ‘fishy’; which is, after all, the best part about eating fish – Wrong :). A little weirdly perhaps the older I get the less tolerant of ‘fishy’ I get. Never did care for the likes of mackerel, but even the sardines I used to enjoy as a kid now make me gag. All oily fish are pretty much verboten at this point. I’ll eat fresh(ish) halibut, mahi-mahi, lingcod, etc. - firm, clean-tasting, white-fleshed fishes. I can tolerate salmon, but don’t prefer it and would never order it at a restaurant. In virtually every other respect my palate has expanded as I’ve aged, with that one glaring exception. Go figure. ---
**Author:** ![Hail\_Ants](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/dc4da7/32.png) [@Hail\_Ants](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hail_Ants)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2015, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-the-difference-canned-tuna-in-oil-vs-in-water/576339/51 "2015-08-24T00:58:08Z")
Do supermarkets even sell tuna packed in oil anymore?! I have not been able to find it at one of mine for ages… ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2015, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-the-difference-canned-tuna-in-oil-vs-in-water/576339/52 "2015-08-24T01:04:54Z")
Mine still carries them. They also carry imported brands from Spain, Portugal, and Italy, which are much better than Bumblebee. ---
**Author:** ![Balthisar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/balthisar/32/2825_2.png) [@Balthisar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balthisar)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2015, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-the-difference-canned-tuna-in-oil-vs-in-water/576339/53 "2015-08-24T03:05:34Z")
> [@TimeWinder](#): > > From my hazy recollection of my distant youth, it always used to be in oil, and it was only the “fat is horrible” health fads that made them start packing it in water, even though that had less taste. Now a generation has grown up with it both ways, so it’s easier to just maintain both to meet customer preference. Just for comparison purposes, when was your distant youth? I remember tuna in natural spring water (Chicken of the Sea) since at least 1976 or 1977, as it was the only thing my mother would ever consider buying. I assume she learned that from her family, in that she was never particularly health conscious. ---
**Author:** ![Pai325](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@Pai325](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pai325)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2015, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-the-difference-canned-tuna-in-oil-vs-in-water/576339/54 "2015-08-26T17:11:36Z")
> [@Balthisar](#): > > Just for comparison purposes, when was your distant youth? I remember tuna in natural spring water (Chicken of the Sea) since at least 1976 or 1977, as it was the only thing my mother would ever consider buying. I assume she learned that from her family, in that she was never particularly health conscious. My distant youth is 1960 or so, and I only remember tuna in oil back then. Maybe that’s just what my mother bought. ---
**Author:** ![RickG](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rickg/32/5174_2.png) [@RickG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickG)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2015, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-the-difference-canned-tuna-in-oil-vs-in-water/576339/55 "2015-08-26T19:43:41Z")
I also remember tuna in water becoming commonplace in the 70s, when I was in elementary school. I much prefer tuna in oil–much less bland than the watery kind. My wife only buys the water-packed. On rare occasions, we get the good Italian tuna in olive oil, and that makes me very happy. The olive oil-packed is really good as a topping, alongside onions, on homemade pizza–I first had that combo in an Italian resort town not frequented by Americans–or added to a puttanesca-style pasta sauce. I also like anchovies on pizza, mackerel sushi (saba), white anchovies in salad, sardines, and tuna tartare, so that’ll tell what kind of fish eater I am. ---
**Author:** ![Dallas\_Jones](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dallas_jones/32/3277_2.png) [@Dallas\_Jones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dallas_Jones)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2015, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-the-difference-canned-tuna-in-oil-vs-in-water/576339/56 "2015-08-26T20:00:42Z")
I worked in a tuna cannery back about 1976, and the ‘packed in water’ stuff was not really packed in what I would call water. We had bags of dried vegetables like peas, carrots, celery, etc. that we poured into the water vat. And what went into the tuna in water was this broth. The vegetable pieces never went into the can, but it flavored the water. Probably been changed since then, but tuna in water was really tuna in vegetable broth. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-the-difference-canned-tuna-in-oil-vs-in-water/576339.md?page=2)