Tuna salad is one of those wonderfully humble recipes that seems to have a permanent place in the family-recipe box.

It’s quick, inexpensive, filling, and made with ingredients many of us already have tucked away in the pantry and refrigerator. A little tuna, some mayonnaise, crunchy celery, maybe onion or relish, and suddenly lunch is ready.

But there’s one question that comes up again and again:

What actually makes a tuna salad taste really good?

I’ll admit it—I didn’t have the faintest idea how much difference a few small details could make.

For years, I thought tuna salad was one of those recipes where you simply opened a can, stirred in some mayonnaise, and called it lunch.

And technically, you can.

But once you start paying attention to the little things—the type of tuna, how much moisture you drain, the mayonnaise-to-tuna ratio, the crunch, the seasoning, and even how long

There’s more to discover. Continue to the next page for the rest of this article.