San Marino

San Marino’s comes the closest to tasting like actual canned corned beef—and it’s good enough that you can eat it right out of the can, without reheating.

The brand that pioneered the corned-tuna movement does their version especially well, with a flavor we can’t deconstruct the components of exactly, but we can best describe as having that savory, meaty character we distinctly associate with canned corned beef. There’s just enough oil to help moisten the mix, and for the most part, the tuna bits—with the exception of a few dry flakes here and there—still feel soft and supple to the tongue.

Century Tuna

Century Tuna’s tastes more robust and zingy, making it a great choice for other applications—e.g., for use on canapés or as a pasta sauce.

Bathed in oil of a more fiery red hue, Century Tuna’s version exudes a sharper, more zingy aroma as you open the can. The flavor follows: slightly tangy, peppery, and Mediterranean-leaning in profile, it hardly tastes corned beef-y to us, but we appreciate it in that it reminds us of Spanish-style sardines. It does taste saltier than San Marino’s when eaten plain, but it stands out better when consumed on crackers or rice. The tuna itself here feels flakier and a tad dryer than San Marino’s, but not so much that it becomes unpleasant to eat.

555

555’s tastes more subtle and SPAM-y to us. This is not a bad thing, it’s just not very “corned”-tasting.

Though also part of the Century group, 555 carries its own version of corned tuna for a few pesos cheaper for the same amount by weight. Its flavor—a medley of savory, onion-y notes—comes close to that of San Marino, though not quite as “corned”-tasting as much as it brings to mind luncheon meat. Though not too salty as a whole, the relative lack of other seasonings makes it taste less complex than the other brands. Rather oddly, too, the tuna itself comes across as feeling spongier and chewier; and while the moistness is appreciated, one of our tasters says it feels more like textured vegetable protein than it does fish.

The Verdict

For the brand that tastes the closest to corned beef, get San Marino’s—its savory, almost meaty flavor is unmatched. Still, Century’s version, though a tad off-mark in tasting like corned beef, holds its own with its zesty, peppery profile. 555’s comes close to San Marino’s in a way, albeit with differences that better quell the craving for SPAM than for corned beef. Though no brand can completely mimic the actual beef-based classic at the end of the day (as this is tuna), they serve as a testament to corned tuna’s goodness by its own merits and to the versatility of the canned fish.

Are you a fan of corned tuna? Which brand is your go-to?