While shopping for groceries, I happened to come upon the
frozen meat section of the grocery store and I noticed a package of whole frozen
Tilapia. I then saw that the price was $12 for two medium size fish in the
pack! Twelve bucks! You might think, “That sounds just about right.” But I
remember a couple of years ago when the same fish was being sold at about $2-$3
for the pack. A whole heck of a lot cheaper than it is being sold today!
Thinking about it some more, I also remembered that when I
was a kid, there was kind of a stigma about eating Tilapia. It wasn’t eaten as
commonly as it is today. Not too many people really ate Tilapia because at one time
was considered dirty or a kind of “rubbish fish” that was found in all
reservoirs, ditches, canals, rivers and streams here in Hawaii, especially the
stagnant ones where they thrived.
The Tilapia , originating from Africa was introduced to Hawaii in the early 1900’s to help keep said waterways clean of weeds, aquatic plants and mosquitoes for the sugar cane plantations that relied upon the water for their fields. Eventually the Tilapia escaped into the rivers and streams becoming an invasive species. They immediately competed with the native species of fish and quickly spread throughout Hawaii’s waterways.
I remember catching them pretty much anywhere when I was young, both for fun and sometimes to eat. You had to be kind of quite though because the other kids at school would tease you for eating Tilapia. They would say, “Ew! You eat that stuff?” or “Do you live in the mountains or something?”
Back then, it was mainly Filipinos who would catch and eat Tilapia. But because of the stigma and what most people thought of the original purpose for Tilapia in Hawaii, even some Filipinos would shy away from the fish. My mom, a Filipina from the Philippines, wouldn’t eat Tilapia either because she believed the old consensus that it was “dirty” even though her son, me, would frequently catch and cook them. I was the original Bizarre Foods guy back then!
Somewhere along the lines between then and today, the
Tilapia became more of a mainstream fish and is now the 5Th most
popular seafood in the United States being served in many restaurants and sold in stores. My how times have changed!
It was really fascinating researching the history of the
Tilapia. Did you know that in Ancient Egypt, the Tilapia was thought of as a
symbol of regeneration and reproductive strength? Or that the Tilapia was most
likely the fish that was caught by Jesus’ disciples in the book of Matthew? Learning
of the origins of the fish and the species as a whole, I started to wonder why
anyone would be ashamed to catch and eat Tilapia.
Doing more research, one of the reasons I found that Tilapia
has become so popular all of a sudden is because of our dwindling resources and
overfishing. Tilapia has been found to be easy to farm raise and produce. They
put out more protein than they take in and reproduce very quickly. Also, being
mainly a vegetarian, the Tilapia has much lower levels of mercury than of other
predator type fishes making it the kind of fish you would prefer to eat.
Speaking of eating, the taste is also a contributing factor
for its growing popularity. The Tilapia is a white fish with a mild flavor that
can work well with many types of vegetables, spices or broths. My wife and I
prefer ours simply spiced and fried to perfection. I know that way is not as
healthy as having it steamed with vegetables, but I love the taste with spicy
vinegar soy sauce and white rice. It even tastes better when you eat it with
your hands. (Filipino Style)
So with the growing number of Tilapia farm, the fish became
more available to restaurants who then introduced it to a broader audience of
fish lovers who quickly embraced this long disregarded fish. It became so
popular, I’ve even seen commercials for the Olive Garden and other high class restaurants advertise it on their menus. I was really amazed!
I guess what I learned from my trip to the grocery store
is that we shouldn’t take for granted or dismiss where our next food source may
come from. Like bugs for example. They're high in proteins and nutrients but are considered disgusting today.
If you think about it, the way things are going and the way people's minds are opening up to try new things, I guarantee that in a few years from now, all
of us will be remembering the time when we thought eating bugs was gross. Just
wait and see! You’ll be like me in the super market remembering a time when
that bag of meal worms cost so much less.
Now I want to hear from you folks. What do you guys think will be the next popular food that used
to be thought of as gross or unappealing? Do you have a similar story or
thought about a certain food that is not “mainstream” to the public? Leave a
comment and let me know!
LINKS
Wikipedia - Tilapia
Mahalo.com - Tilapia
Allrecipes.com - Tilapia Recipes
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