Basa Fish ?

[Chipchopper]

I saw some breaded fillets of this fish in the supermarket yesterday and decided to give it a try, for today's lunch.
I've since discovered by googling that its a type of catfish.
Any oppinions on this fish ?

TIA

[rockyracoon]

I think it is used a lot in restaurants, when they advertise fish and chips it will generally be basa rather than the presumed cod. I've had it a couple of times and it was ok.

[retrocop]

I think it is a good meaty,firm fish and quite tasty.I use it for curries as it tends not to disintegrate because of its firmness.I will always buy it when I can.However.If you look up the fish on google you will find loads of horror health scares about the way this fish is farmed in highly polluted rivers of S.E. Asia and is considered a NO No.I live to tell the tale.I'm sure the top Supermarkets have researched it and sourced the farming methods to ensure it is safe.It comes with a few other regional names but as you say is a type of catfish.Enjoy it.

[sunny-dave]

It's ... OK - but not a patch on 'proper' white fish from cold water oceans.

Some people seem to be (mildly) allergic to it, but that may be communal hysteria rather than actual fact.

[hc4361]

Also called panga and vietnamese river cobbler. I have eaten it but avoid it as I just don't like it.

There have been numerous reports in the media about contamination in the rivers it is caught in; it is a fact that some people are allergic to it, occasionally it has caused death.

If you like it, I really see no reason not to eat it in the UK. I'm sure it has passed all the quality and health controls.

[treetops68]

I've had it on several occasions with no ill effects and enjoy it as a change from cod or haddock.

[New Judge]

I like almost all fish and seafood but this fish does not do much for me.

Native species such as haddock and cod are far superior, but becoming increasingly scarce. In fact, fish as a whole in the UK is becoming increasingly scarce.

What amuses me is that in some restaurants (usually larger chains) the fish option is simply listed as "fish". No idea what it might be and many Brits happily go for it and I imagine most of the time it is this sort of stuff. Imagine if on the same menu instead of steak, chicken, lamb, pork and so on they simply listed "meat". !!!!

[hc4361]

NJ, that doesn't amuse at all. It is illegal to sell meat and meat dishes in supermarkets, butchers, restaurants without specifying what it is.

It's not just restaurants. Supermarkets are selling 'fish fingers' and 'battered (or breaded) fish fillets' made from 'white fish'.
Basa/panga is very cheap compared to haddock and cod and I don't want to pay cod prices for it. People who allergic to it can go in to anaphylaxic shock very quickly, with devastating consequences.

I have asked restaurant staff what the fish is in their 'fish and chips' and often I'm told it's cod but when pushed I find out it's basa. 'Traditional fish and chips' is frequently on the menu to disguise basa. I'm campaigning trading standards and my MP about it.

[Chipchopper]

Thank you all for your comments
My verdict is that they were quite good.
They was lightly dusted with a bread crumb which was well seasoned.
I think they would have been a bit bland without the seasoning though.
At around £2.19p for two good sized portions seemed good value.

[woofgang]

HC in supermarkets it says on the packet what the "fish" is.
I like basa.

[hc4361]

Woofgang, what fish is in this?
http://groceries.iceland.co.uk/iceland-40-breaded-fish-fingers-1kg/p/41369

and this?
http://groceries.asda.com/asda-webstore/landing/home.shtml#/product/910000043111

This one describes itself as 'fish shop fish fillets in beer batter'
http://groceries.morrisons.com/webshop/product/Youngs-Chip-Shop-Extra-Large-Fish-Fillets-in-Beer-Batter/110909011?from=search&tags=%7C105651&param=fish+fillets+frozen&parentContainer=SEARCHfish+fillets+fr_SHELFVIEW
You need good eyesight to read the back of the box that says it is pollack. This sets out to deceive, in my opinion

I've been chasing this up over the last few years and labelling is getting better but it is still not good enough. The type of fish should be in big lettering on the front of the packet, not in minute font somewhere on the back or side.

[New Judge]

Well, hc, when I said "amusing" what amuses me is that people still go for it. I made the comparison with meat dishes because I cannot imagine anybody of sound mind choosing to order a dish which was simply described as "meat" but they happily order one described as "fish".

There is widespread ignorance in the UK about fish. Lots of people do not know the different varieties and that is hardly surprising when most of the stuff is bought in rectangular blocks covered in batter or breadcrumbs and labelled "white fish". When faced with a whole fish many people would not have a clue how to prepare and cook it.

Good luck with your campaign. You could call it "CARF" - the Campaign for Real Fish :-). It is scandalous that fish is sold in this country where customers have to search on the pack to find out what sort of fish they are buying. As with all these things it is the big retaillers who have generated this situation and indifferent customers have been complicit in allowing the situation to develop. They should have refused to buy any product not clearly labelled (after all, it is not too much to ask to be told what exactly it is you are buying). But customer apathy in the UK, particularly where food is concerned, is rife.

[hc4361]

Thanks, NJ. I won't buy farmed salmon if I can help it - it is far too flabby and that nasty white stuff that comes out of it (fat) puts me right off.

I will campaigning, the same as I am campaigning about Halal meat being sold mainstream without being marked as Halal.

[hammerman]

Basa is a tropical freshwater catfish called Pangassius, that swims in the lower to mid water levels of the rivers. It's not one of those catfish that grub around in the bottom of lakes.

They're readily available as 3" fish from aquarium shops

[woofgang]

NJ, people do buy "sausages" "salami" "pate" and other prepared and recipe dishes without necessarily checking to see what the meat component consists of.
I don't, but there are folk (I would suggest in the majority) who are happy to do so.

HC two of the links that you posted state clearly what the fish component is. You may cavil that one of the links uses latin species names and I agree that it is therefore not immediately clear what the fish is, but on the other hand, the latin species name does clearly identify the fish without any confusion caused by local names, eg "rock salmon" "huss" and so on.

[Nibble]

Perfect, now we all traipse off to the local aquairium shop, buy a really large tank, buy the fish & wait for quite a long time ..........


There we are full traceability of our food from water to fork......


Not quite sure about the cost/benefit analysis of the fish though ;-)

[hc4361]

woofgang, my point is that the type of fish should be printed clearly on the front and that words and phrases such as 'traditional' and 'chip shop style' should not be used for panga.

Having to search the small print on the packaging really is not good enough.

Comparing a battered or breaded fillet of fish to a highly processed meat product such as salami or pate is not a fair comparison.

[Graham-W]

The ASDA Smartprice Battered Fish looks OK until you get to the 4th possible ingredient. If it just said hake I'd be comfortable.
n.b. total fish content only 54%
Ingredients:
Gadus morhua, Atlantic cod
Theragra Chalcogramma, Alaskan Pollack
Melanogrammus aeglefinus, Haddock
Macruronus Novaezelandiae, Also Known As: blue grenadier, hoki, blue hake, New Zealand whiptail, whiptail or whiptail hake

[beeseejay]

What is the matter with buying fish from a fishmonger? You see what you get. Not all fish comes in packets. Although a good percentage of people cannot tell cod from salmon, let alone haddock. Sorry - speaking as a former trawlerman.

[Tilly2]

I like Haddock bot my favourite is Turbot.

[Tilly2]

but