Pond Boss Forums STOCKING A NEW POND Types of fish to choose info about swai?

Ok Bill. You have sold me. I will give US swai a try. When I saw the water they were raised in in Asia I had them pretty near the top of my list of "things not to put in my mouth."

Hey, lobster and shrimp are nothing but cockroaches of the sea, but people eat them and smack their lips.

There was something else that kind of looked like shrimp I liked. I think it was called a mantis maybe. Excellent! Getting old and memory is shot.

Edit:

Kind of looks like a cross between a shrimp and a lobster.

Many consider snails (escargot) a delicacy. I think they are too rubbery and fishy tasting.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Escargot
If most saw some of the water that the US catfish are raised in many would not eat catfish either. Pen raised pigs, cows, turkeys, and chickens are usually held in pretty filthy conditions walking around in their own deep manure layer in the pen. Most non-farmers do not ever see this. I once saw cows in knee deep manure with dried manure on their lower legs. All this does not affect the meat flavor. Food production animals are not always washed clean like those you see at the county fairs.

It's all about the garlic butter. Yum!

Bill D., I think you are talking about Mantis Shrimp.

If you find any alive, don't pick them up unless you have armored gloves on.

http://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/worlds-deadliest/deadliest-mantis-shrimp

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mantis_shrimp

I caught one once near San Diego and was told not to pick it up or grab it or I could get speared. HUH? O.K. IIRC it was around 8"-9" long.

Yep, Those are the guys. The ones I ate look like this photo from the Wiki link you provided. They were awesome barbecued.

I was back at the store again today. I checked the fine print on the bag of swai. It said 'product of Vietnam' Maybe it was good I passed. Someone has to look at fish farming these in the south!

I was just checking the ad's for Meijer in Grand Haven (about a mile away) and this is the first time I have ever seen these. Same price as Tilapia, which is another fish I'll never buy in a store.

Last Thursday I had one swai 'loin' fillet individually vacuum packed from Meijer Markets. The loin was thick at least 1" probably from a larger fish. I sliced it in half for two 1/2" long slender pieces. I often do that with thick back pieces from a fillet of a larger fish. I deep fried one and broiled the other fillet. Taste and texture was very similar to other swai that I have eaten. What amazes me is how they always taste the same even if they are raised in 'bad water'. Taste is very similar to crappie in taste and texture.

Then Friday I was at Captain D's - again. This time I tried their Southern Whitefish Tenders $4.99. Still swai. Still very good tasting although not quite as much fish to eat since it was $1.00 less than the Southern Whitefish meal. As a side note. I saw my old Lk Erie fishing buddy also at Captain D's. He has access to fish of walleye, YP and crappie that he regularly catches. He was eating swai at Captain D's and says that is what he now always gets when eating there. He too said swai is similar to crappie; sort of soft, very white, and mild tasting.

Anything that resembles crappie in taste has to be good eats.

Now you guys got me interested so had to look it up.

What the heck is Swai?

Will have to give it a try next time around a Captain D. None real close to our home.

Long John Silvers has always been my favorite which I understand is Alaskan Pollock (a variety of Cod).

I emailed the cafeteria where I work. From time to time they serve catfish of all types, cod, more and more tilapia lately, rarely some salt water fish (costly). I asked them to try some recipes for swai. They said that last week they introduced it already. They called it 'Basa' When they introduce new fish they usually try it for short runs in limited quantity. IF feedback is good they keep going with it. Much of the success depends how they do it (baked, steamed, topped with cucumber relish, blackened, topped with chili powder etc)

I missed it, but will look for it again. Maybe at the PondBoss conference you can have a Cajun Crawfish and BASA Boil.

Snrub, your link to CR was most informative and helpful, thanks.