Forget Plain Tuna Salad – Add This Japanese Condiment For A Major Boost

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A quick, basic tuna salad can come together very easily with a can of tuna, some mayonnaise, and a little salt and pepper. While this is fine for a speedy lunch or snack, you need not stop there. Turn this dish into a flavor bomb with one key addition: Japanese yuzu kosho. This unique item is a pungent, pasty condiment that blends red or green chili peppers, citrusy yuzu zest, and salt. Yuzu is a citrus fruit that tastes like a mix between lemon, grapefruit, and mandarin orange and is now considered part of Japanese cuisine. Sometimes, seaweed is also added to yuzu kosho. The result is spicy, zesty, and sharp, so you really only need a little bit to pack a lot of flavor in any given dish, like tuna salad.

Yuzu kosho works especially well with tuna salad because it cuts the richness of the mayonnaise and compliments the oceanic brininess of the fish. It brings huge umami flavor and adds complexity to an otherwise very simple dish. The citrus zest also brightens up tuna salad without adding outright sourness. You may or may not be able to find yuzu kosho in a general supermarket, but you'll likely have a better chance of getting it at a Japanese or Asian-focused store and online from Amazon or gourmet food purveyors.

If you love how a little yuzu kosho boosts your everyday tuna salad, you can make a few more adjustments to make this into a delicious dish with even more Japanese-inspired flavor. First, swap your regular mayonnaise for Kewpie mayonnaise, which also happens to be the missing ingredient in your egg salad. This Japanese condiment is known for being extra rich, tangy, and a little sweet. If you're wondering how much should go in tuna salad, start with about one tablespoon per five ounces of drained tuna. Instead of white onion (a popular add-in for tuna salad stateside), swap in some thinly sliced scallion, which gives extra color and is milder. Try mixing in a little miso for extra umami flavor and a salty boost, then fold in some toasted sesame seeds for crunch and savor.

Pile this tasty salad on rice crackers and top with paper-thin slices of cucumber. You can also spread your tuna salad on a nori sheet with julienned veggies to make a form of sushi roll. In the mood for something comfy? You won't regret turning the salad into a tasty tuna melt. For this version, we recommend adding avocado and a drizzle of Sriracha sauce as the finishing touches.