Canned tuna is skipjack. Fresh steak is albacore. Sushi is bluefin.

Right. Three different fish, three different jobs.

Skipjack (the “light” tuna in most cans) is darker, stronger tasting, and softer. It’s fine for salads, sandwiches, and casseroles. You don’t want to grill it – it falls apart and gets dry. Cheap and workable.

Albacore (the “white” tuna in cans) is milder, lighter in color, and firmer. Fresh albacore steaks hold up on the grill or in a pan. Good for searing, not great raw – it’s not fatty enough for sashimi. This is your eat-like-a-real-fish tuna.

Bluefin is the luxury one. Rich, buttery, almost beef-like in texture when raw. You do not cook this. You eat it as sashimi or nigiri or maybe a very quick sear. It’s expensive and overfished, so save it for special occasions.

Skipjack for daily protein. Albacore for dinner. Bluefin for the sushi counter.

If you grill bluefin, you’ve wasted your money and the fish.