Tilapia?

pbm · Sep 12, 2015

I just read the thread on salmon and since I love fish for both taste and health I wanted to ask opinions on Tilapia. It tastes good and is reasonably priced but I've been told it's a '[censored] eater' and advised against it. Opinions?

PS: I definitely avoid any fish from china because they can't be trusted....

* I didn't use the S-word but rather the Cr*p word and still got censored...

Shannow · Sep 12, 2015

It was the survival fish of choice leading up to Y2K, and the staple for homesteaders who are practicing aquaponics.

So it probably is very omnivourous.

pbm · Sep 12, 2015

Originally Posted By: Shannow
It was the survival fish of choice leading up to Y2K, and the staple for homesteaders who are practicing aquaponics.

So it probably is very omnivourous.

...but would you eat it regularly?

wirelessF · Sep 12, 2015

Tilapia sold in legit stores are farm raised and fed properly so the meat comes out tasty and juicy. The ones you see in rivers and storm drains are drudge eaters eating whatever scum is on the bottom of the river and the meat won't be good.

BRZED · Sep 12, 2015

Give me mackerel, tuna or trout. I can't stand any white fish. Too flaky, mushy and tasteless. Then there is this:

http://www.eatthis.com/tilapia-is-worse-than-bacon

Boomer · Sep 12, 2015

I have heard in China that they are raised in ponds over which chickens are raised. The chicken droppings are eaten by the fish.

I will not by talapia unless it says "Raised in the US" as it does in our stores here. Heavens ony knows where restaurant chains obtain theirs so I never order it when I go out to eat.

pbm · Sep 12, 2015

Originally Posted By: Boomer
I have heard in China that they are raised in ponds over which chickens are raised. The chicken droppings are eaten by the fish.

I will not by talapia unless it says "Raised in the US" as it does in our stores here. Heavens ony knows where restaurant chains obtain theirs so I never order it when I go out to eat.

I have heard something very similar and think your advice is sound. I try to buy as little as possible from China.

Propflux01 · Sep 12, 2015

Catfish are ground feeders as well. Many love it

hatt · Sep 12, 2015

Originally Posted By: wirelessF
Tilapia sold in legit stores are farm raised and fed properly so the meat comes out tasty and juicy. The ones you see in rivers and storm drains are drudge eaters eating whatever scum is on the bottom of the river and the meat won't be good.
So a fish in the wild isn't fed properly? Yeah OK. Around here we're covered up with nile perch. $1.49/lb for whole fish at the market. I don't buy much since right next to it is wild caught catfish and mullet for just a little more. I don't buy tasteless farmed raised fish.

LoneRanger · Sep 12, 2015

It has little of the beneficial things you eat fish for. No Omega 3, low protein density as compared to other fish, basically a trash fish. Plus, it's a poop eater. Fish farms rely on them to keep the bottom clean. And the thing about the Chinese using them to get rid of chicken terds is true.

Look elsewhere. You get what you pay for on the fish menu.

WhyMe · Sep 12, 2015

love talapia. it s a fish that lots of people don't like . kinda like asian carp. Asians have no problem eating it.

i buy the bags at WM. pan fry with salt and pepper to taste and its delicious.

JHZR2 · Sep 12, 2015

Originally Posted By: Boomer
I have heard in China that they are raised in ponds over which chickens are raised. The chicken droppings are eaten by the fish.

I will not by talapia unless it says "Raised in the US" as it does in our stores here. Heavens ony knows where restaurant chains obtain theirs so I never order it when I go out to eat.

I'll take salmon, tuna, dolphin, or a variety of others anyway. But if nothing's on sale, tilapia cooked up with butter, lemon and pepper is a good tasting meal.

HTSS_TR · Sep 12, 2015

Dolphin is so cute to be eaten !

edhackett · Sep 12, 2015

Originally Posted By: HTSS_TR
Dolphin is so cute to be eaten !

If you think this is cute, I'd hate to see your taste in women!

tom slick · Sep 12, 2015

Farm raised Talapia is part of the "filter" at the fish farm, that's part of the reason why it's cheap. Does it really matter what they eat as long as you like to eat them and they are nutritious? Lots of fish are bottom feeders.

JHZR2 · Sep 12, 2015

Originally Posted By: edhackett
Originally Posted By: HTSS_TR
Dolphin is so cute to be eaten !

If you think this is cute, I'd hate to see your taste in women!

I think they're absolutely beautiful and interesting looking fish. Cute? Even porpoises aren't particularly cute to me.

CT8 · Sep 13, 2015

Fish has so much toxic metals etc in them and as much as I like most fish I never eat it anymore.

LoneRanger · Sep 13, 2015

True.

HTSS_TR · Sep 13, 2015

Originally Posted By: edhackett
Originally Posted By: HTSS_TR
Dolphin is so cute to be eaten !

If you think this is cute, I'd hate to see your taste in women!

Cute probably wasn't a right word to say about Dolphin because it is a big mammal, beautiful/magnificent is probably the better word.

Mamala Bay · Sep 13, 2015

Tilapia has a negative view here brought long ago to be used as minnow(bait) for the fleet skipjack tuna cannery. It didn't work and tilapia became an invasive specie that cause damage when first released.

Tilapia seems to survive polluted areas where other fish can't. So most view tilapia a rubbish fish. Also Uhu was considered a rubbish fish years ago but if steamed correctly makes a great dish. Seem to catch on during the 80's.

I ate my first tilapia in the 70's caught with a lay net. It was in clean brackish water next to the ocean with white sand bottom. The tilapia was whitish in color adapting to the sand bottom. Lots of mangroves and other aquatic plants with loads of ghost shrimp. It was a rather large pond next to the beach/reef. During high tide with strong waves ocean water would flow into the pond. I suspected someone had released some tilapia into the pond as they were the only school of fish I could see. Rather large school. They fed on plant matter and algae. The tilapia probably kept the pond from getting stale from what I could gather.

Meat was neutral in taste(bland) but like most algae eating fish they tend to be tender. Grated ginger, garlic, green onions and daikon. I use chili pepper and soy sauce. Wasn't bad need to season it properly.

http://www.feedingmyohana.com/blog/alan-wong-and-the-blue-tomato-part-1-on-eating-hawaii

Some recipe available check the language section to translate.

http://www.tastinghawaii.com/2013/01/uhu-hawaiian-parrotfish.html

Tilapia?

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