My go-to canned (jarred) tuna has long been Tonnino’s yellowfin tuna fillets in olive oil, not only because it’s easily found in most well-stocked grocery stores, but more because the tuna is meaty, rich, and flavorful, and its lush olive oil with its potent oceanic taste a delicious bonus.

So, when I had a chance samples of the new Tonnino Party Dip samples, I was intrigued.

Like all Tonnino products, each can carries a nifty lot number that you can enter into the company’s web site to find out what fishing vessel caught the tuna in your can (the Samurai, in the case of one of my cans), from what waters (Costa Rica), and by what method (hooks and lines). It may be more info than you might want if all you’re interested in is putting a sandwich together. But it’s kind of a cool feature.

The Party Dips are designed to be a ready-to-eat product, combining the yellowfin tuna with vegetable oil, veggies, and seasonings. You can dip tortilla chips into them. Spoon them into lettuce wraps. Or combine with mayo, Greek yogurt, or cream cheese to make a dip.

They come in two varieties: Chipotle Sauce, and Spicy Bell Pepper. The can directions instruct not to drain. But I found the tuna mixture a little too runny, so I drained each can partially before using.

The Chipotle one has visible pieces of red pepper, and has a faint fruity smokiness from the chipotle. Overall, it’s pretty mild tasting. I mixed it with mayo and chopped red onions, and turned it into tuna sandwiches.

The Spicy Bell Pepper lives up to its name. It has pronounced heat that really lingers. It would be a fun addition to an old-school tuna noodle casserole, giving it extra oomph.

Unlike my favorite yellowfin tuna in olive oil — which only contains fish, olive oil, water and sea salt — the dips do contain other ingredients that may be a deal-breaker for some. They include sodium benzoate (a preservative), artificial flavors, and food coloring.

Although I think I prefer the purity of flavor in Tonnino’s classic tuna in olive oil, the Party Dips would be a handy pantry staple when you want to mix things up a bit.

The Party Dips are available exclusively at Walmart for $6.15 per 10.4-ounce can. Each can is about three servings, with 110 calories per serving for the Chipotle Sauce dip, and 140 calories per serving for the Spicy Bell Pepper dip; 490mg sodium for the Chipotle Sauce and 590mg sodium for the Spicy Bell Pepper. Both contain 13g protein per serving.