Review: BumbleBee’s Spicy Thai Tuna Medley

Deserved or not, canned snacks have a pretty gut-churning reputation.

Just visualize poking your index finger through a metal ring and pealing back the lid of an aluminum can - what food do you see jiggling before you?

Is it anchovies, lined up in a row like soldiers in a trench, their shiny black eyes staring into an unknowable abyss? Or is it Spam, the reigning king of gelatinous meat products - a food so simultaneously revolting and alluring that I felt compelled to write about it TWICE this week? Or hey, maybe you’ve just imagined cat food, since that recent inheritance wasn’t quite what you’d been hoping for. (I guess you should’ve sent Grandpa Pete better birthday cards, huh?)

Incidentally, cat food is probably the first thing you’ll think of when you see an open can of BumbleBee’s Tuna Medley. BUT WAIT, KEEP READING! ‘Cause actually, they’re kind of good.

To begin with, a word of warning: this product is not for the casual tuna consumer. If you’re already on the fence about fish, you will be saddened and confused by what rests inside this tiny can. So hands off, bucko. Back to the carrot sticks with you.

However, if you treat each trip to the salad bar like a scavenger hunt for tuna topping, then this snack is worth your attention. It’s perfect for when you want something more substantial than pretzels, but less filling than a full-on sandwich. Just think of it as a Lunchable for grown-ups, sans the industrially processed cheese and greasy brownie square.

These tuna kits are multifaceted, so here’s a quick inventory. When you buy a BumbleBee Tuna Medley, you’re equipping yourself with one 3 oz. can of tuna, six Ritz crackers, and one very small plastic spoon - which you can use to act out a number of elaborate Hulk fantasies (Hulk smash! Hulk bend tiny spoon! Hulk recycle tiny spoon!! AAARRGGHH!!).

Also, BumbleBee makes several Tuna Medley flavors, so be sure to pick the variety that’s right for you. Really, I can’t stress this point enough. I first encountered Tuna Medleys in their Lemon Pepper form, and the translucent celery chunks and sour meat juice totally rubbed my taste buds the wrong way.

But, being a tuna enthusiast, I decided to give these snacks another try - this time with one of their fancier flavors. Thoughts of medleys past haunted me as I unsealed my can of Spicy Thai, but I summoned my inner John McClane and finished the job without balking.

Inside, I found a pink concoction of tuna, onion, and chili peppers. I kid you not, there was a whole chili pepper resting on top of my medley. Like, an inch and a half long. Needless to say, I popped the entire thing into my mouth… and immediately regretted it when my eyes started to water.

Yeah, it’s true. Mild spiciness makes me sweat. And if you have a similarly delicate palate, those first few mouthfuls of Spicy Thai Medley will definitely have you reaching for a tall glass of milk. Or the alcohol, depending on your neutralizing beverage of choice.

But by the fourth or fifth scoop, the sweet base flavor will take over, and you’ll be heaping mountains of medley onto your baby spoon. By the end, I was so determined to get every last scrap that I found myself scraping the bottom of the can.

Right then. Final verdict – if you’re a tuna enthusiast, do yourself a favor and pick up a package of Spicy Thai Medley the next time you hit the market. It’s even made in Thailand – which I’ve chosen to interpret as a sign of authenticity, rather than dodgy labor practices.

• Bumblebee Tuna Medley Website

Buy BumbleBee Tuna Medleys Online:

• at Amazon.com

4 Comments

Leave a Comment

Username (required) :
Email (required) :
Web Site :
Comment :

Comment moderation is enabled. Your comment may take some time to appear.