This Japanese Condiment Brings A Tasty Kick To Tuna Salad

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In general, the best ways to punch up tuna salad involve messing with its texture or flavor. With the latter, adding an ingredient with a kick is often a good place to start; mild and creamy tuna salad can really benefit from strong, spicy flavors. If you've never tried it, Japanese yuzu kosho is one of the kitchen staples you shouldn't pass up at the grocery store, and one of its many qualities is what it can do for tuna. We spoke to Maricel Gentile, chef and owner of Maricel's Kitchen in East Brunswick, New Jersey, for more about this pairing.

Think of yuzu kosho as a citrus-flavored hot sauce with a texture similar to relish, made from the East Asian yuzu fruit (which is similar to an orange or lime). According to Gentile, "Yuzu kosho is a fermented paste made from yuzu peel, chili, and salt. In tuna salad, it adds citrus brightness and gentle heat. It wakes everything up without overpowering the fish." Yuzu kosho is often at its best when blended with savory proteins like tuna. If you've ever added hot sauce or a squirt of lemon to tuna salad, yuzu kosho essentially does both at once, while lending salty notes to your tuna salad. 

As with plenty of other hot sauces, you'll discover how much yuzu kosho is too spicy for you through trial and (tragically spicy) error. Maricel Gentile, however, suggests going light, at first. According to Gentile, "About a quarter teaspoon for two cans of tuna is enough. Add it when you mix the dressing so it spreads evenly. You can always add more, but you cannot take it out." If you have access to yuzu fruit, you can make yuzu kosho yourself and take some control over the spice level. If you don't have access to a homemade version, yuzu kosho can be found at some supermarkets like Trader Joe's (although maybe for a limited time), and plenty of specialized online stores. Even Amazon offers several brands, like YUZUCO Yuzu Kosho.

You're not limited to yuzu kosho in your tuna salad, of course. Similar to how pickles give tuna salad a little crunch and tang, Gentile suggests a number of extras to complement yuzu kosho. She suggests, "Japanese mayonnaise, finely diced celery, scallions, and a little lemon juice. Avocado also works nicely. These ingredients support the citrus and heat while keeping the salad clean and balanced." You might even add a sprinkle of toasted sesame seeds, which are mild and crunchy and easy to pair with tuna already.