Canned tuna. People either love it or hate it. There doesn’t seem to be a lot of fence-sitters on this food. It’s been an inexpensive and quickie lunch staple at our house for years. How about you? YES or NO on tuna?

But, in the off chance we have some Cook’n readers who’d vote YES, I thought I’d share some good information on how to expand the traditional tuna sandwich repertoire. Because whether water- or oil-packed, plain or smoked, tuna lends itself to a variety of inspired sandwich preparations. Take a look at these delicious interpretations of the classic tuna sandwich to see what I mean. I found these ideas on the terrific site, Saveur (www.saveur.com).

There are no recipes for any of these. It’s all about combining the suggested ingredients to your personal preference. The advice, though, is to start out with small amounts and increase as you taste.

For instance, there’s the TUSCAN TUNA SANDWICH. Mixed with capers and sun-dried tomatoes, tuna salad pairs well with classic Italian ingredients in this Tuscan-inspired sandwich served on ciabatta with mozzarella and basil.

Or how about the LEMON PEPPER TUNA SANDWICH? Peppery arugula and zesty red onion are an ideal garnish for this flavorful, light, lemon-pepper tuna salad. We like the way the zesty arugula plays with the strong flavor of the tuna.

And the MEDITERRANEAN TUNA SANDWICH is another delicious way to serve your tuna. Cornichons and walnuts add nice crunch to tuna salad served on hearty multigrain toast. By the way, for those that don’t know (of which I was one), cornichons are very small pickles.

Then there’s the PROVENCAL TUNA SANDWICH. Marinated artichokes and briny niçoise olives dot this Provençal-inspired tuna salad, paired with hard boiled eggs and roasted peppers for an easy, dressed up sandwich. We like this a lot. The hard cooked egg is a nice touch.

The CURRIED TUNA SANDWICH is especially appealing to the folks who are fond of curry. Currants and chopped dried apricots bring sweetness to curried tuna salad, which we like to serve on folded naan.

The EDAMAME-MISO TUNA SANDWICH is a flavor and texture surprise in every bite. The edamame beans make this sandwich a protein-packed meal while the addition of sesame-chile oil gives it a kick.

Here’s a family favorite! The TACO TRUCK TUNA SANDWICH. The bright flavors of lime, cilantro, and jalapeño are puréed together and combined with canned tuna fish for a unique, taco-inspired wrap.

This FENNEL ORANGE TUNA SANDWICH is another flavor surprise. Mix your tuna with crème fraîche and fennel, then brighten it all by adding both orange zest and a touch or orange juice.

Lastly, there’s the SUSHI BAR TUNA SANDWICH. Sriracha, rice wine vinegar, and a liberal dash of sesame seeds bring the flavors of the sushi bar to these creative sliders. The photo shows the addition of very thin slices of cucumber for an added crunch.

Finally, how about a brief tutorial on tuna types? Tuna shopping can be a little confusing if you don’t understand the differences.

LIGHT TUNA typically comes from either Skipjack or Yellowfin tuna. The meat is darker in color (between light tan and tan-ish pink). It has a soft texture and is more flavorful than white meat tuna. Typically it comes as “chunk” pack, meaning it’s the fish loin that has been chopped into small pieces. It’s packed in water, vegetable, or olive oil.

Nutritionally, it’s slightly lower in fat than Albacore (White) tuna and therefore is slightly lower in Omega-3s.

Light tuna’s flavor, size and texture makes it perfect for the above mentioned sandwiches, tuna melts and classic tuna casserole. It also blends well with other flavors.

WHITE TUNA is Albacore tuna, and it’s the only species of fish that can be called “White Tuna.” It’s white to light pink with a fairly firm texture. People like Albacore because the fishy flavor is very mild. You’ll find it as a solid pack (tuna fillet or large pieces of fish), or as a chunk style, similar to the light tuna product.

Nutritionally it is a little higher in fat and so has more Omega-3 fatty acids than light tuna.

Albacore is the tuna-of-choice for fresh salads, appetizers or any dish where you want to see beautiful pieces of fish and want the flavors of the dish to stand out!

Both light and white tuna are available in low sodium varieties and some brands come in pouches as well as the typical cans.

I’ll close with a favorite tuna entrée recipe in case the tuna sandwich isn’t your deal. With zucchini coming on, you might want to try this Starkist® Tuna recipe out!

TUNA-STUFFED ZUCCHINI BOATS

1 (6.4 oz.) pouch - Albacore tuna in water

2 large zucchini, sliced in half length-wise and hollowed out (insides of 1, reserved)

1⁄4 cup chopped carrots

1⁄2 red onion, chopped

1 red bell pepper, diced

1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes with Italian seasoning, drained

3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1. Preheat oven to 375°F.

2. Dice the inside of one of the zucchini and place in a medium bowl. Add tuna, carrots, onion, pepper, and tomatoes and mix well.

3. Place hollowed out zucchini in a large baking dish. Place 1⁄4 of tuna and vegetable mixture in each zucchini half to stuff it.

4. Bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes. Top with 2 Tbsp. cheese and continue baking for 10 additional minutes until cheese has melted.

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