After Tasting Every Fishwife Flavor, This One Came Out on Top

Growing up, tuna sandwiches and tuna salad were routinely on my mom’s list of quick lunches for my brother and I. And over the years, I’ve become accustomed to keeping some form of tinned fish in my pantry for an easy snack or no-fuss dinner. So, when Fishwife, a tinned seafood company, came across my TikTok FYP, it immediately caught my attention.

After seeing several creators rave about the brand and the quality, I tapped GH Recipe Editor Susan Choung to help me try it out. With our combined love for tinned fish, we snacked our way through Fishwife's entire line up (minus flavors that were sold out at the time of my writing including Sardines with Preserved Lemon, Mussels with Sweet Pepper + Garlic, Mussels with Basil Pesto, and Smoked Salmon with Sweet & Spicy Zhong) and detailed the results for you here.

Albacore Tuna in Olive Oil

At first glance, I could already tell that this wasn't going to be your average grocery store canned tuna. To my surprise, when I first peeled back the fish tin I wasn't greeted with a beige confetti of mashed fish, but instead with plump chunks of pale pink flaky tuna.

"It looks meaty and smells clean, not fishy. You can tell it's high quality right away," Choung said. "The oil keeps it silky—not mealy or dry—and the fish holds its shape, like it was gently poached.

Albacore Tuna with Spanish Lemon

Consistent with the previous tuna, the chunks were perfectly coated in the oil and had a luscious texture. But the Spanish lemon was clearly the star here. Without being overpowering or creating a puckering sour taste, the lemon added just the right hint of acid that brought a delightful brightness to the fish. I would compare it to adding a squeeze of fresh lemon onto your fish after cooking.

"The lemon is really subtle—just enough acidity to lift it," Choung said. "It's not too salty, like you could just eat this on its own."

Albacore Tuna with Soy Ginger

Packed with flavor, the Albacore Tuna with Soy Ginger easily topped our list of tinned tunas. It was very well seasoned with rich umami flavor and a hint of sweetness that was perfectly balanced. This tuna was super tasty on it's own, but if you wanted to add toppings, Choung suggests sesame seeds or fresh scallions.

"The soy and ginger enhance the flavor of the tuna, making it perfect for a rice bowl or seaweed wrap," Choung said.

Albacore Tuna in Spicy Olive Oil

Housed in a neon orange oil, the Albacore Tuna in Spicy Olive Oil appeared a bit intimidating at first. I fully expected the spice level to hit me over the head with heat, however looks can be deceiving. Instead of a body warming spice that you might expect from chilies, the oil seemed to be spiced with paprika, leaving more of a smoky flavor on the tongue.

"Maybe on the back end, you get a little humming; it's not burning at all, but it's just like a gentle heat,"Choung said.

Smoked Rainbow Trout

The first thing I noticed about this trout was that it seemed as though a filet was nicely preserved in the tin. It didn't come in chunks, but easily flaked apart with a fork. The texture was very buttery and even though it was seasoned with garlic and salt, according to the packaging, the garlic was very subtle and pleasant instead of pungent. Overall, I found myself wanting to go back for more.

"Compared to the tuna, it's a lot more fatty. So, it kind of has that melt-in-your mouth unctuousness," Choung said. "It's also nicely smoked. The smoke is there, but it's not overpowering the fish."

Smoked Trout with Red Chimichurri

As a fan of the bright, fresh notes of chimichurri, I had high hopes for this flavor profile. But instead of getting fresh hints of parsley, garlic or oregano, the flavors came off a bit stale and left an unpleasant, sweet aftertaste. The trout itself did not have the same silky, buttery texture as the previous flavor. It was dry and tough.

"The herbs didn’t hold up well in the canning process, and the fish turned firm," Choung said. "It almost feels overworked—like the seasoning altered the texture."

"Because every other seasoning we tried was on point, I'm kind of surprised at this one. It just missed the mark," she added.

Smoked Salmon

Admittedly, this was my first time trying smoked salmon from a can. I typically pick up cold-smoked salmon from the refrigerated aisle, so this was a bit of a departure for me. In the can, the smoked salmon was generously covered in oil and had a nice silky texture. The flavor was good, smoky, but a bit oversalted in my opinion.

"The texture is fall-apart tender. The fork slid right through the salmon," Choung said. "This is one where I would serve on a cracker, bagel, or piece of toast to balance the salinity."

Gold Label Smoked Salmon

Fishwife's Gold Label Smoked Salmon features dark brown sugar as an ingredient, which gives it a very different flavor from the other smoked salmon. This can featured chunks of salmon with the skin intact, and it appeared to be dry, without the oil coating that was present with other fish. But after sinking my fork into it, it was clear that this fish still had a nice, fall-apart flaky texture. It did not taste dry at all, and it's smokiness was more subtle, which I preferred to the previous salmon.

"This feels less smoky, and maybe it's because the sugar kind of offsets some of the saltiness and smokiness," Choung said. "But again, it's very luscious. It's very flavorful."

Smoked Salmon with Sichuan Chili Crisp

With seasonings like dried chili pepper, preserved black bean, garlic, and sesame oil, I expected the Smoked Salmon with Sichuan Chili Crisp to have bold flavor—and it delivered. It reminded me of the same soy-forward taste that the soy ginger tuna had.

"It has a deep savory, umami-forward profile," Choung said. "Almost like the fish was braised in a soy-based sauce."

"This is the kind of shortcut I’d actually use," she added. "I could see myself coming home, tired from work. Just pop open one of those tins and put it over rice—and that's dinner, done."

Slow Smoked Mackerel with Chili Flakes

The slow smoked mackerel caught us by surprise with it's firm, almost tough, texture. "I think texturally, it's very different from the other fish," Choung said. "This one's much more firm. It almost tastes like fish jerky softened in oil."

But aside from texture, the flavor of the mackerel was deep and smoky with a hint of sugar to round it out. The chili flakes were also extremely subtle. I didn't really taste any heat or spiciness from them.

Sardines with Hot Peppers

My first impression of the sardines were that they were well coated in the pepper oil and that they were tender and flaky when pierced with my fork. The hot peppers really delivered on the spice level I was anticipating from the other "spicy" fish we tried. After eating, I could feel the heat from the pepper linger in my throat, but not in an overwhelming way. I would definitely recommend this flavor to anyone who likes a spicy kick.

"Just pulling one out, it's plump, meaty, and fully intact—which is exactly what you want to see," Choung said of the sardine appearance.

"This is easily the most aggressively spicy of the bunch," she added. "The heat coats your whole mouth—it’s not subtle."

Anchovies in Spanish Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Outside of a Caesar salad, I haven't had much experience eating anchovies. But these pleasantly surprised me. Appearance-wise, the anchovies were full filets and not broken into pieces. They also maintained a sort of plum, color. I also really enjoyed the taste. They weren't overly salty, but comparable to the brininess of a black olive. I could easily see them at the center of a Savory Snack Plate or enjoyed with crackers.

"There's a beautiful rosy tint, and the fillets stay intact and meaty," Choung said.

She also described the anchovies as "less fishy than typical anchovies—more refined." She enjoyed the briny, slightly smoky flavor, saying, "These are the kind of nice anchovies you'd serve simply, like on buttered bread—not cooked down in a pan."

Fishwife excels at maintaining the quality and integrity of the fish despite it's tinned state. Throughout the taste test both Choung and I commented on the consistency of the quality of the fish. That said, when it came down to flavors there were clear standouts.

If you're into umami and Asian flavors, the Smoked Salmon with Sichuan Chili Crisp and Albacore Tuna with Soy Ginger are excellent options. Both provided bold seasonings and could easily stand alone as a flavorful snack.

It's also clear that the Smoked Rainbow Trout is a fan favorite for a reason. The buttery texture and smokiness make it versatile enough to be paired with multiple sides or toppings.

Overall, you can't really go wrong with Fishwife's tinned fish. You're bound to find quality in flavor and texture mostly across the board.