We're All Tired of Tilapia. Fortunately, Sea to Table Can Help.
Tilapia is popular for good reason—it’s inexpensive and widely available, plus it "goes with everything." Like a chameleon, tilapia blends almost seamlessly with other ingredients, absorbing the flavor of everything it’s cooked with. People who don’t generally like fish like tilapia because it is so unassertive to be almost tasteless. People who like fish tend to dislike tilapia for the same reason! But tilapia’s ability to absorb flavors from whatever it is swimming in can work against it, resulting in the “earthy” (a polite term) flavor of some imported fish. Nevertheless, tilapia has been steadily growing in popularity until it is now the fourth most consumed seafood item in the US after tuna, salmon and pollock. Fortunately for us, there are great wild, domestic, sustainable alternatives that do the job better.
A Couple of Tilapia Alternatives from Sea to Table
Gulf of Maine Redfish
Similar in shape and size to a tilapia fillet, Sea to Table Gulf of Maine Redfish (above, aka Sebastes fasciatus) makes for a great alternative to other white-meat fish like Snapper, and is perfect for a long list of recipes. Each fillet is hand-cut and boneless, and retains its tender, bright red skin that helps lock in moisture no matter how you cook it.
West Coast Dover Sole
Meanwhile, on the opposite coast, Sea to Table West Coast Dover Sole, aka Microstomus pacificus for our fellow fish nerds, cooks up quickly with sweet, delicate, flaky flesh that deserve a place at your table. More flavorful than tilapia, it does not need to be “hidden” and shines like the sea in much simpler preparations. Rated "Best Choice" by the Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch, this fishery sees much of the catch quota go uncaught. Our West Coast Dover Sole is landed by US vessels between Astoria, OR and Bellingham, WA, then quickly hand-filleted and flash frozen right at the dock. Sea to Table fish is never shipped overseas for processing.
Eat Better Fish
So yeah, Tilapia gets a bad rap. Some of the reasons… farm conditions, inflammatory omega 6’s… are deserved, but to give the fish some credit it is primarily a vegetarian species and can be an inherently sustainable choice when grown under safe and healthy conditions. We don’t expect you to never again eat tilapia. But admit it, you're getting tired of it. Next time you are looking for easy tho prepare, healthy seafood skip the supermarket and order some of the sustainable, delicious choices from American Fishermen and Sea to Table.
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