IN FRATERNAM MEAM: TILAPIA...ST. PETER'S FISH

IN FRATERNAM MEAM

Tuesday, July 05, 2005

TILAPIA...ST. PETER'S FISH

04July --U.S.Independence Day.
I took a day off for this special holiday. I have never taken a holiday on this day, because if i work, I get paid time and a half. So my wife and the two boys asked me to take this day off and do some backyard grilling and cooking. But it rained like hell for two hours and the backyard grilling ang family fun at my backyard was cancelled. I have to do it indoor, which is not fun. I wanted to do my grilling under my apple trees in my backyard and sit on my lounge chair and have some cold "Sago and Gulaman" (Tapioca and Gelatin)

So, instead of grilling some steak outside the gas grill, i have to wait for the rain to stop and grill afterwards, underneath the back door canopy, even the ground is wet and the sun was covered with rain clouds. Even the fireworks in my area was cancelled. First time,I took this particular day off and this is what happened.

I bought some Rancher's cut steak and pork chops and chicken. My wife bought this particular type of fish that I never eat. TILAPIA (Til-AH-pe-ah). I hate this fish, because back home in Pinas when I was growing up, my grandma cooks this for us and the taste and the semll is like mud. Yuckkkkk! My wife encouraged me to eat more fish and less meat. She said this is good for my gout problem. She was doing all her best to really make me eat TILAPIA. Being a good husband and showing that my wife WEARS THE PANTS AT HOME, I ate a piece of the meat of the fish. It does not smell and taste muddy to me. So I ate one side of the fish and started asking myself, why am I so prejudice about this fish. Then I did some reasearch.

Check : THE RAINFORST AQUA CULTURE and wmarshall@tilapia.com/

"TILAPIA" is hailed as THE FISH OF THE MILLENIUM, Tilapia has rapidly gained consumer recognition in the USA. Consumption in America is almost 145 million lbs of whole weight in 2000, and has been growing at 35 percent a year for the past 8 years.

TILAPIA traces its origin to the Nile River and has been raised for decades. It's culinary potential was appreciated by Ancient Egyptians and the epicurian Greeks.

Aristotle believed to have given the fish its name Tilapia Niloticus (fish of the Nile) in 300 B.C.

Legend says, that TILAPIA was the fish Christ multiplied a thousand fold to feed the masses (MATTHEW 14:15-19).

TILAPIA is also referred to as St. Peter's Fish, a member of CICHLID Family , these fish look much like a snapper and can live in either frsh or salt water."

TYPES OF TILAPIA:

"There are many TILAPIA. However, the two best suited for acquaculture are the Red Tilapia(OREOCHROMIS MOSSAMBICA) and the Black Tilapia (OREOCHROMIS NILOTICUS). Although both stains can be raised in either fresh or brackish water, Black Tilapia usually are the best suited to the fresh water than the Red Tilapia. The fillets are slightly different in color. Fillets of both red and black, when raised correctly, will have a similar mild taste."

"Since TILAPIA absorbs flavor from the water its raised in, wild TILAPIA can have a muddy or inconsistent flavor while acquacultured TILAPIA with reliable water sources, the right feed and carefully monitored growth will taste mild and sweet."

(see:RAIN FOREST AQUACULTURE)

Now I know why some of the Tilapia, my grandma feeds us when I was a kid taste muddy and looks weired, especially after the strong typhoon, when all the streets in Metro Manila gets flooded and the wet market is selling Tilapia en masse.

posted by infraternam meam @ 3:09 AM

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