Tuna fish sandwich

A **tuna fish sandwich**, also known as a **tuna salad sandwich** or a **tuna sandwich**, is a sandwich made from canned tuna—usually made into a tuna salad by adding mayonnaise, and sometimes other ingredients such as celery or onion—as well as other common fruits and vegetables used to flavor sandwiches. Common variations include the **tuna boat** (served on a bun or roll) and the **tuna melt** (served with melted cheese). The more general term of *tuna sandwich* may also refer to cuisine utilizing filet of raw or cooked tuna, rather than canned tuna.

In the United States, 52% of canned tuna is used for sandwiches. The tuna sandwich has been called "the mainstay of almost everyone's American childhood."

# History

Dell Montjoy Bradley, a New York socialite, wrote a gourmet cookbook in 1893 called *Beverages and Sandwiches for Your Husband's Friends*. She included a recipe for a sandwich made out of imported tuna that she described using the Italian word "tonno" .

Canning of tuna began in the United States in around 1904, and it was increasingly popular as a lower cost alternative to canned salmon by the 1920s. Demand in the 1930s was heavier than supply could keep up with. During World War II, the Office of Price Administration required restaurants in the New York City metropolitan area to prominently post prices of 40 "basic food items". Among them was a "Tuna Fish Salad Sandwich". Canned tuna became more plentiful in the United States in the late 1940s. In 1950, 8,500,000 pounds of canned tuna were produced, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture classified it as a "plentiful food".

Well known 20th century American chefs including James Beard, Julia Child, Craig Claiborne and comfort food cookbook author Sue Kreitzman were advocates for the tuna sandwich. David Rosengarten is an American chef who is an advocate for a very simple style of finely chopped, easily spreadable tuna salad, almost like a fish pâté, reminiscent of New York City delicatessen food. New York is a city where a very wide variety of tuna sandwiches are available.

In 2021, Subway Sandwiches was sued by two California consumers who claimed that the fast food chain had sold purported tuna sandwiches that were "completely bereft of tuna as an ingredient". A representative of the company which operates over 40,000 locations worldwide, denied the allegations, saying "These claims are meritless,” adding “Tuna is one of our most popular sandwiches. Our restaurants receive 100% wild-caught tuna, mix it with mayonnaise and serve on a freshly made sandwich."

# Ingredients

A tuna fish sandwich is usually made with canned tuna mixed with mayonnaise and other additions, such as chopped celery, pickles or pickle relish, hard-boiled eggs, onion, cucumber, sweetcorn, and/or black olives. Other recipes may use olive oil, Miracle Whip, salad cream, mustard, or yogurt, instead of or in addition to mayonnaise. The sandwich may be topped with lettuce, tomato, cucumbers, bean sprouts, or avocado in any combination.

# Variations

* A **tuna melt** has melted cheese on top of the tuna or on a tomato slice and is served on toasted bread. The *New York Times* published a recipe for this variation in 1951, which it called a "Tuna sandwich au gratin". In 2020, U.S. Senators Mark Warner and Kamala Harris debated methods of preparing a tuna melt, with Warner advocating a quick microwave oven technique, while Harris took a more complex gourmet approach. Ina Garten is a 21st century American chef who is fond of tuna melts using gourmet ingredients.

* A **tuna boat** is a tuna fish sandwich served in a hot dog bun or long-split bread roll.

* A **grilled tuna sandwich** is based on fresh tuna instead of canned tuna. In 2001, Cindy Pawlcyn published a recipe for an Ahi tuna sandwich, consisting of a grilled Ahi tuna steak served on a poppyseed bun. California based restaurant chain The Habit Burger Grill serves a grilled ahi tuna filet sandwich at its over 300 restaurants.

# Nutrition

Tuna is a relatively high protein food and it is very high in omega-3 fatty acids. A sandwich made from 100 grams of tuna and two slices of toasted white bread has approximately 287 calories, 96 of which are from fat (10.5 grams fat). It also has 20 grams of protein and 27 grams of carbohydrates.

A larger, commercially prepared tuna fish sandwich has more calories than noted above, based on its serving size. A 6-inch Subway tuna sub of 238 grams has 480 calories, 210 of those from fat, 600 milligrams of sodium, and 20 grams of protein.

# See also

* List of American sandwiches
* List of fish dishes
* List of tuna dishes
* List of sandwiches
* Skipjack tuna