Milk works for stinky tuna, but fresh tuna shouldn't need it.

If your tuna smells fishy, it’s not as fresh as you think. Good fresh tuna has almost no odor—just a clean, ocean-like smell. Soaking it in milk or acid is usually a bandage for less-than-fresh fish.

That said, milk is better than acid if you’re dealing with a slight smell. The casein in milk binds to the compounds causing the odor, and it doesn’t cook off weirdly. Acid (lemon, vinegar) can denature the surface proteins and make the texture mealy or mushy. Not ideal.

Skip the soak entirely for high-quality, bright-red tuna. Pat it dry, season it, cook it. If you’re stuck with tuna that smells strong, return it or toss it. No marinade fixes spoiled fish.

Trust your nose on this one.