Tunacado

By Giselle Wright

Photo by Pexels

With 64 US locations and 338 locations worldwide, Joe and the Juice has infiltrated the

everyday lives of thousands of TikTok users. Thanks to user Danielle Zaslavsky, consumers have been awakened to the delicious, crunchy, and mouthwatering viral Tunacado sandwich.

So, what’s the hype all about? When you bite into the sandwich, the crispiness of the thin whole grain bread pairs perfectly with the juicy tuna salad, topped with avocado, tomato, and vegan pesto. Your taste buds will be dancing around your mouth with every bite. However, don’t go jumping on the T to the nearest Joe and the Juice... Here in Massachusetts, Tunacado lovers have to get creative to enjoy this viral sandwich.

As a student living in Boston, I realized early on that there isn’t a Boston sandwich that can top this tuna sandwich. So, I was forced to get creative.

I went to my local grocery store and purchased the ingredients closest to what I believed would match the perfect Tunacado. My first goal was to find the closest comparison to the crispy whole-grain bread that holds the sandwich together. I decided on a thin ciabatta bread that I could cut in half to create two thin cracker-like slices.

Next up was my tuna salad mixture. I went for something classic that I know would be delicious. Tuna, mayo, celery, and dijon mustard. I had all the seasonings I needed already. I also picked up tomato, avocado, and some pre-made vegan pesto.

When I got home, I immediately began constructing my sandwich. I toasted my bread with some olive oil on a hot skillet to elevate the crunch of the sandwich. Next, I pureed my tuna fish with mayo, dijon, salt, and pepper. After, I added my chopped celery for a crunch. I thought that pureeing the tuna would create a mousse instead of a salad-like consistency.

Now it's time to put the sandwich together: I layered my bread flat on my table, spread my vegan pesto generously on both pieces of bread, added three giant dollops of my tuna mousse, and lastly laid my slices of avocado and tomato on top. My sandwich looked exactly like the Tunacado I had been craving for months. My taste buds were dancing around my mouth after the first bite.

In less than two minutes the sandwich I had strategically crafted was gone. Thankfully, I have all the ingredients I need at home to make the sandwich again without having to spend an extra $12 that I otherwise would have had to spend at Joe and the Juice.