Tuna Fans Tell Tasting Table Their Go-To Variety For Tuna Salad

A classic picnic food, tuna salad is one of those dishes that can be thrown together quickly — but not without thought for flavor. You can add chickpeas to spruce up your salad's texture and pack in some extra protein or you can spread the salad on your favorite bread. Perhaps the most difficult part of making tuna salad is deciding what kind of tuna to use. The best kind of tuna has long been up for debate, though tuna choices are truly a matter of preference. After all, there are plenty of fish in the sea. 

Regardless of your favorite tuna iteration, the canned food generally falls into two camps — tuna in oil and tuna in water. Certain recipes may favor one version over the other, like the Food Network's tuna salad that calls for using tuna in water, whereas Martha Stewart's relies on tuna in oil. While you usually drain your tuna before adding it to your salad, tuna preferences have Tasting Table readers resoundingly in favor of one kind of tuna. According to a recent survey, tuna in water accounted for a total 455 out of the 615 votes.

Fans of light tuna in water equated to more than one third of the voters. Roughly 38.37% of people prefer this tuna variety, amounting to 236 tuna fans. According to Tuna brand Starkist, light tuna in water is high in protein and natural omega 3. It's not only good for you, but also tastes good. How's that for a win-win?

Next, tuna in water continued to stay on trend. In second place, albacore in water received 35.61% of the vote. About 219 people favor this tuna type. In third place, albacore in oil received 95 votes, which came in at 15.25%. Not far behind, light tuna in oil rounded off the rankings at 65 votes. A little over 10% of voters opt for this variation of tuna.

However, if none of these options appeal to you, consider adding fresh tuna to your next homemade salad. Tuna salad is a fairly versatile meal, so you can experiment with your options well before your next picnic.