The Spicy Tuna Roll-Inspired Upgrade Your Tuna Salad Needs

There's such a large difference between canned tuna and a slice of tuna sashimi, it's easy to forget they're the same fish. It is true that different species are employed for each application. Typically, extra-large bluefin commands steep prices and gets butchered for raw applications and steaks, while smaller and easier-to-catch albacore goes into the can.

However, that doesn't mean there isn't some culinary overlap between the two types. So, next time you're crafting a large bowl of delicious tuna salad, take some inspiration from the spicy tuna roll. This preparation classically combines chopped raw tuna with green onion, sriracha sauce, and mayonnaise. Imbue your salad with such a palate by swapping out your classic mayo for Kewpie, and mixing in the other two bold ingredients. For an extra finishing touch, throw in some sesame oil, too.

Other classic tuna salad ingredients like celery, onions, and lemon juice are still welcome; they'll meld with such additions. The dish is the perfect canvas for culinary experimentation. After all, the addition of avocado is another way to make your tuna salad taste like heaven, and it'll also work well in this recipe. So really, the more new creative upgrades on the dish, the better.

Although tuna salad and spicy tuna tolls are affiliated with different contexts, there are some surprising connections to discover between the two dishes. For one, spicy tuna rolls are often made from tuna scrape — so, it's a sushi style born from a more processed fish base. That inspires some parallels in assembly: If it's integrated into the spicy roll, it'll likely taste good in your salad, too. As such, consider adding some cucumber or spicy togarashi mix into the salad — they're both common sushi roll flavors. And to take it one step further, you can even wrap your finished tuna salad in nori.

In fact, there is even a class of sushi rolls prepared with canned tuna called makizushi. A casual Japanese snack, these traditionally employ a simple tuna and mayo mix. However, upgraded with the spicier sriracha, it's now a roll popping with flavor. Clearly, there's really a whole lot of versatility to canned tuna. And to make the tastiest rendition, don't forget to use Chowhound's best-ranked canned tuna brand; it's the star ingredient.