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Tilapia - putting a good word in

CruiseRQA

By CruiseRQA,
in Celebrity Cruises

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CruiseRQA

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Tilapia is a featured subject in a few threads on this board that center around cutbacks, first in the OVC, then MDR and now Luminae.     Posters are complaining that Tilapia is being substituted for other more desirable fish.   I love seafood of all kinds.   Shellfish - yes, look for me in Raw on 5.    I probably go with the seafood selection 5 nights on a 7 day cruise.   And yes I miss some of the seafood selections I used to enjoy like a smoked trout appetizer.   Heck I remember having Dover Sole in the MDR on HAL.

 

Which brings me to Tilapia.   We have a go to fish taco recipe that we make at home that we got from our local newspaper from a column called "Healthy Table".  This recipe came from  a dietician at a local hospital and she commented as follows on tilapia.   "Tilapia got a bad name years ago because of unsafe farming practices.  Today, it is farmed safely and the EPA and FDA have identified it as a good choice for children and breastfeeding mothers because of its low levels of mercury.  As a bonus, it is inexpensive!"

 

Like many white fleshed fish Tilapia is not strong flavored and will do best when cooked properly and incorporated into a sauce or other ingredients.  I wouldn't call it a "trash" fish as some have.   It isn't Dover Sole but makes for a tasty lunch or dinner when presented properly.   Which I suspect Celebrity knows how to do.  

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Georgia_Peaches "Live from...." Rare

Georgia_Peaches

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Just because it may have some health benefits doesn't make it luxurious.  When I'm on a "luxury" cruise line, as Celebrity professes to be, I want at least the illusion of luxurious food.  Tilapia and luxury never belong in the same sentence.  But, OP I appreciate what you're trying to do here...😊

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WonderMan3

WonderMan3

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2 hours ago, didicruiser said:

Tilapia are bottom feeders. If the area where they are farmed are provided with “good food”, the tilapia is great. However, tilapia eat their poop and others poops from the sea floor.

 

That does not appear to be true. They generally do not spend time at the bottom of the sea and while they might eat anything that's only when they don't have an active food source available. It sounds like they are mainly vegetarians.

 

https://aquaponicsadvisor.com/are-tilapia-fish-bottom-feeders/

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WonderMan3

WonderMan3

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32 minutes ago, Georgia_Peaches said:

Just because it may have some health benefits doesn't make it luxurious.  When I'm on a "luxury" cruise line, as Celebrity professes to be, I want at least the illusion of luxurious food.  Tilapia and luxury never belong in the same sentence.  But, OP I appreciate what you're trying to do here...😊

"Luxury" is in the eye of the beholder. I've had some fantastic meals at cheap greasy diners and some awful meals at expensive 5 star restaurants. I mean lobster was considered a low-end food up until about 150 years ago even though it tastes the same now and then.

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yknot13

yknot13

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Talapia is in the lowest rated class of fresh fish. It is equivalent to carp

Salmon and cod both rate higher. 
Do not eat the Talapia

No one eats it, then they likely change the selection or remove fish from the menus 

 

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sasset

sasset

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2 hours ago, didicruiser said:

Tilapia are bottom feeders. If the area where they are farmed are provided with “good food”, the tilapia is great. However, tilapia eat their poop and others poops from the sea floor.

 

Halibut are also bottom feeders as are many food fish, ie. catfish, grouper, snapper and many others common on menus.

Edited by sasset
clarification
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C-Dragons Holiday Sharing Rare

C-Dragons

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36 minutes ago, sasset said:

Halibut are also bottom feeders as are many food fish, ie. catfish, grouper, snapper and many others common on menus.

Tilapia also has the highest amount of Vitamin B12 than any other fish. 👍

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talljules1

talljules1

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4 hours ago, didicruiser said:

Tilapia are bottom feeders. If the area where they are farmed are provided with “good food”, the tilapia is great. However, tilapia eat their poop and others poops from the sea floor.

 

Lobster are bottom feeders too, and some people seem to love them. (Personally, I don't like it)

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SkystheLimit

SkystheLimit

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1 hour ago, Jim_Iain said:

 

Or Crab or Lobsters -   Or Flounder of Fluke.   All are also bottom feeders.  

 

BTW I love Catfish as well as Shark.

Interesting thing about catfish is that whatever they are fed they take  on that flavor.  We have friends that have a huge catfish operation.  Feeding bananas yields great protein for baby food, etc. that tastes like bananas. 

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retird

retird

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5 hours ago, didicruiser said:

Tilapia are bottom feeders. If the area where they are farmed are provided with “good food”, the tilapia is great. However, tilapia eat their poop and others poops from the sea floor.

 

As do lobster

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NMTraveller Holiday Sharing Rare

NMTraveller

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9 minutes ago, CruiseRQA said:

Where can I find these fish ratings? 

Well let's put it this way.  It does not show up on the fish ratings as it most frequently is the ingredient in fish sticks.  It is not a fine culinary delight.

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yknot13

yknot13

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32 minutes ago, CruiseRQA said:

Where can I find these fish ratings? 

Many chefs rate fish by order of taste and appeal to diners. I just saw an article on this recently. A Google search could produce some ratings

sorry but I love fish and can not bring myself to eat catfish or Talapia

 

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JeanieC,Aston

JeanieC,Aston

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9 hours ago, yknot13 said:

Talapia is in the lowest rated class of fresh fish. It is equivalent to carp

Salmon and cod both rate higher. 
Do not eat the Talapia

No one eats it, then they likely change the selection or remove fish from the menus 

 

I read a report that Tilapia is the 4th most popular fish in the US so someone must eat it.

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