Few fish are as controversial as the tilapia.
The flaky white fish that is commonly served in restaurants here in Montreal is seen by some as a tasty and high-quality source of protein. To others, it's considered the quintessential "dirty" fish - and shouldn't be touched with a ten-foot pole.
With so many opinions about the fish, it can be hard to figure out the fact from fiction. So what's the deal with this fish? Is it really the “dirty” fish people make it out to be or is there some kind of misunderstanding here?
The “Dirty Fish”
Well, a couple of years back, a slew of sites published articles highlighting the tilapia as the unhealthiest fish a person could consume. Some sites, such as Eat This, Not That! even went as far as to say that eating the fish was even more unhealthy than a plate of bacon. In a nutshell, the consensus seemed to be that people should avoid it whenever they can.
While some of this is clearly fear-mongering, there is some truth to this when we look at tilapia that's heavily farmed in countries with different health regulations than our own. A couple of studies have warned against the high mercury content in these fish as well as how they were often raised eating animal waste products. However, it should be noted that all factory farmed fish come with similar warnings.
The health benefits of the fish are also mixed and have received a bit of online scrutiny as well. For starters, tilapia doesn't have the omega-3s that salmon and sardines offer. It's also loaded with omega-6, an fatty acid which gets a bad rap because the saturated variety found in bacon is a contributor to heart disease (while the unsaturated variety in tilapia might actually reduce the risk).
On the bright side, it is very low in fat (around 3 grams per serving). Also, there can be as much as 26 grams of protein per 100 gram serving!
Fortunately, some of our fears about the fish might be outdated.
Surprisingly, according to a recent review of which fish are best to eat by Seafood Watch, most varieties of tilapia have been listed as being among the best choices for seafood. Of course, there are some varieties that it does recommend avoiding (notably, several varieties commonly exported from China), but it’s nice to see that there are ways of enjoying this fish without worrying about its reputation!
In the end, there are some pros and cons of all farmed fish. Tilapia can be enjoyed or avoided, but don’t base everything on its reputation.
