BajaNomad

TRASHFISH ALERT

bajabuddha - 7-17-2015 at 04:06 PM

I have mentioned on a few threads about eating Tilapia, a.k.a. ''Turd-Eaters" and how they're raised. We recently have had 'Swai' introduced into our little tiendas here in remote Baja, NM., inexpensive fish that doesn't look..... that bad. Tastes ok, mild white meat, so ok. Tried it. Then, made the mistake of looking it up on Google:

https://globalseafoods.com/tilapia-basa-swai/

Hoooo boy. Also a fast-breeding, eat-anything fresh-water species. Raised mainly in the Mekong River of Vietnam (lower reaches.... mucho humanity above) and I thought Tilapia was no more fun. I guess as the old saying goes, ya gets what ya pays for! Buyer beware.

For those what didn't read it earlier, we were in a sushi bar that was passing off Tilapia RAW as red snapper sushi. I still debate turning 'em in to the Dept. of Health.

Bajahowodd - 7-17-2015 at 04:25 PM

The commercial fishing industry is very quick to deplete species that are in demand around the world. Once they have done one, they go on to another.

And often, they give fake names to the fish to appear more palatable. For instance, Chilean Sea Bass is not even a bass, is not fished anywhere near Chile, and is actually Patagonian Toothfish.

monoloco - 7-17-2015 at 06:55 PM

They sell it in the local tiendas here as individual vacuum packed fillets. They probably buy it from Walmart, it's quite a bit cheaper than locally caught fish. Much of it comes from China or SE Asia.

AKgringo - 7-17-2015 at 07:20 PM

Quote: Originally posted by Bajahowodd  


And often, they give fake names to the fish to appear more palatable. For instance, Chilean Sea Bass is not even a bass, is not fished anywhere near Chile, and is actually Patagonian Toothfish.


The area of South America know as Patagonia is shared by Chile and Argentina. The Chilean side runs right down to the cape, and is comparable to the inland passage going north along the British Columbia and Southeast Alaska coastline.

I don't know anything about the fish in question, but there is a hell of a good environment for rock fish in Chile.

[Edited on 7-18-2015 by AKgringo]

treuboff - 7-17-2015 at 08:38 PM

Swai is like eating mush. Talapia has no flavor, but texture is better.

55steve - 7-17-2015 at 11:29 PM

Quote: Originally posted by bajabuddha  
I have mentioned on a few threads about eating Tilapia, a.k.a. ''Turd-Eaters" and how they're raised. We recently have had 'Swai' introduced into our little tiendas here in remote Baja, NM., inexpensive fish that doesn't look..... that bad. Tastes ok, mild white meat, so ok. Tried it. Then, made the mistake of looking it up on Google:

https://globalseafoods.com/tilapia-basa-swai/

Hoooo boy. Also a fast-breeding, eat-anything fresh-water species. Raised mainly in the Mekong River of Vietnam (lower reaches.... mucho humanity above) and I thought Tilapia was no more fun. I guess as the old saying goes, ya gets what ya pays for! Buyer beware.

For those what didn't read it earlier, we were in a sushi bar that was passing off Tilapia RAW as red snapper sushi. I still debate turning 'em in to the Dept. of Health.


The sushi bar our son bartends at just switched red snapper for tilapia last week - yes raw tilapia.

redhilltown - 7-17-2015 at 11:44 PM

Tilapia? There is no there there.

mtgoat666 - 7-18-2015 at 06:13 AM

Quote: Originally posted by 55steve  
Quote: Originally posted by bajabuddha  
I have mentioned on a few threads about eating Tilapia, a.k.a. ''Turd-Eaters" and how they're raised. We recently have had 'Swai' introduced into our little tiendas here in remote Baja, NM., inexpensive fish that doesn't look..... that bad. Tastes ok, mild white meat, so ok. Tried it. Then, made the mistake of looking it up on Google:

https://globalseafoods.com/tilapia-basa-swai/

Hoooo boy. Also a fast-breeding, eat-anything fresh-water species. Raised mainly in the Mekong River of Vietnam (lower reaches.... mucho humanity above) and I thought Tilapia was no more fun. I guess as the old saying goes, ya gets what ya pays for! Buyer beware.

For those what didn't read it earlier, we were in a sushi bar that was passing off Tilapia RAW as red snapper sushi. I still debate turning 'em in to the Dept. of Health.


The sushi bar our son bartends at just switched red snapper for tilapia last week - yes raw tilapia.



I would not eat in an establishment that serves fresh water species for sushi. You get what you pay for. If you want raw fish, don't eat at the budget restaurant

55steve - 7-18-2015 at 07:03 AM

Tilapia is one of those fishes that can live in salt water is now being farmed in it at several locations.

http://seattlefishnm.com/products/factsheets/tilapia/



[Edited on 7-18-2015 by 55steve]

BajaBlanca - 7-18-2015 at 07:22 AM

Tilapia is such a beautiful word for trashfish!

desertcpl - 7-18-2015 at 10:52 AM


I read several years ago,, that Talapia was the worst fish to eat

not healthy, haven't touched it since,

rhintransit - 7-18-2015 at 04:33 PM

One grocery in Loreto, and probably more, is selling basa along side of tilapia. Similar to swap, same description, same origin, same warnings as swai.

bajabuddha - 7-18-2015 at 04:41 PM

Ya Gits whatcha Pays Fa ! :barf:

Bajahowodd - 7-18-2015 at 04:53 PM

Quote: Originally posted by AKgringo  
Quote: Originally posted by Bajahowodd  


And often, they give fake names to the fish to appear more palatable. For instance, Chilean Sea Bass is not even a bass, is not fished anywhere near Chile, and is actually Patagonian Toothfish.


The area of South America know as Patagonia is shared by Chile and Argentina. The Chilean side runs right down to the cape, and is comparable to the inland passage going north along the British Columbia and Southeast Alaska coastline.

I don't know anything about the fish in question, but there is a hell of a good environment for rock fish in Chile.

[Edited on 7-18-2015 by AKgringo]


The simple fact is that most of what is considered Patagonia is Argentine. From what I have read, these toothfish are caught quite South of Chile. No biggie. My post was about how marketers change names to make them more appealing.

vgabndo - 7-19-2015 at 03:13 PM

At the Sotres Market in Vizcaino I saw individually wrapped fish fillets being sold to a customer, I asked what it was, I was told by the butcher that it was Halibut, when I got home with it, my receipt said Tilapia! The dog liked it.

bajabuddha - 7-19-2015 at 03:16 PM

Perry, was it all white, or did it have a slight 'vein' like snapper does? This new 'Swai' fish is all white, like halibut. Tilapia unfortunately looks like snapper, has a little red color to the meat; i'll never eat snapper again.

....That is, unless I catch it myself.... ;)

[Edited on 7-19-2015 by bajabuddha]

treuboff - 7-19-2015 at 09:17 PM

The fish market in Ensenada. No trashfish. 90 pesos kilo for all except 100 pesos for Halibut, Black Sea bass. The trash fish are the ones that get old and are discarded back to the sea, which is a shame.

vgabndo - 7-19-2015 at 11:55 PM

Quote: Originally posted by bajabuddha  
Perry, was it all white, or did it have a slight 'vein' like snapper does? This new 'Swai' fish is all white, like halibut. Tilapia unfortunately looks like snapper, has a little red color to the meat; i'll never eat snapper again.

....That is, unless I catch it myself.... ;)

[Edited on 7-19-2015 by bajabuddha]


White like Halibut. Very uniform pieces and rolled in a plastic sheet, one piece at a time.

CaboMagic - 7-20-2015 at 09:05 PM

eeeewwwwww is all that comes to mind!

Bajatripper - 7-21-2015 at 08:57 AM

I guess it depends on one's perspective. What is trashfish for some is wonderful to others. Ask a Filipino their opinion on tilapia.

Reminds me a story my Mom once told about feeding a bunch of anthropologists who were over at the house for a faculty party catfish nuggets. This was in the early 60s, when catfish was considered "black peoples'" food. Everyone was delighted with the fish, until they were told what it was. Then, they grudgingly admitted it was pretty good.

55steve - 7-21-2015 at 09:25 AM

There is absolutely nothing wrong with the fish itself - it is actually a semi-firm white meat tasty fish. It gets its trash fish moniker from being farm raised in less than ideal conditions in some countries.

In its wild state, it is delicious - the Salton Sea was teeming with them when it was healthy and they are still sought after in the fresh water canals.

[Edited on 7-21-2015 by 55steve]

bajabuddha - 7-21-2015 at 09:52 AM

I'd eat tilapia in a minute if it was fresh-caught from normal freshwater conditions. Commercial tilapia are raised as pen-cleaners mainly for white and striped bass pens, commercial and gov't. The bass get the food, eat it, and the tilapia eat their waste, and any detritus in the tanks. The Salton Sea used to be viable water; would you eat from it now?

Tilapia is a large food source throughout the world, and is a very nice tasting fish. So's Swai. But did anyone bother to read the link first posted? The Swai production is almost exclusively out of the lower Mekong River, one of the most polluted in the world.

Hey, it's your choice. I've eaten catfish all my life, and prefer it over trout. My choice. You want tilapia or swai, go for it... $2.99 can't be beat. Buén Gusto!

treuboff - 7-21-2015 at 07:04 PM

Can't beat the price at the Fish Market.

sbsyncro - 8-4-2015 at 08:59 AM

When I was in Baja last month I met some guys that had a aquaculture farm for tilapia. Each day they would visit us in the afternoon to pick up all our fish scraps and cleanings. One day another guy that was there explained to me that the fish pens were adjacent to pig stys and the runoff from the pigs was mixed in with ground fish remains (from us and other fishermen) to feed the fish.

When I reacted with disbelief, the rest of the group assured me that it was true and that I could visit and see for myself.

I never liked tilapia to begin with, but I SURE AS HECK will never eat it now!

bajabuddha - 8-4-2015 at 10:05 AM

Bingo, Syncro.
I dined at a little hole-in-the-wall sushi bar in El Centro CA (of all places) a few nights ago (a balmy 111º outside). On their menu the 'Red Snapper' was blackened out, and a Japanese word was penned in its' place. I asked the owner what it was, and she told me it was "a tilapia-like fish, but very clean, from Indonesia". Needless to say, I did not order that Nigiri. Sushi eaters beware, I think the days of Red Snapper on the menu are done for. And, as I have mentioned a few times, if it trips your trigger, go for it. I for one don't relish the thought of raw fresh-water turd-eaters. If caught wild from a river or lake, would make good dinner fare. But farm-raised...... no-thankyew.

Tomas Tierra - 8-4-2015 at 12:53 PM

I caught and ate wild Tilapia in lake Arenal, Costa Rica.. It was good enough I guess , for a fresh water fish.. Certainly clean enough water there, we were drinking it while windsurfing.
We had it deep fried with black beans and rice.... Like every other thing in Costa Rica

luv2fish - 8-4-2015 at 02:42 PM

Quote: Originally posted by sbsyncro  
When I was in Baja last month I met some guys that had a aquaculture farm for tilapia. Each day they would visit us in the afternoon to pick up all our fish scraps and cleanings. One day another guy that was there explained to me that the fish pens were adjacent to pig stys and the runoff from the pigs was mixed in with ground fish remains (from us and other fishermen) to feed the fish.

When I reacted with disbelief, the rest of the group assured me that it was true and that I could visit and see for myself.

I never liked tilapia to begin with, but I SURE AS HECK will never eat it now![/quote

I was down in La Chorrera B.C.N. for a week a couple of weeks ago visiting some friends who farm oysters for export to all over the world, I was pleasantly surprised at how clean and sterile the facilities were kept. Even the now debunked abalone farm was kept and still is very clean. I was told that the equivalent of the usda is very strict and that any facility that produces or processes food must follow
guidelines set by Mex Da. So I think your compas are pulling your leg.