COD.....the story....

I work for food distributor in louisville and am involved with frozen and fresh seafood. The games that are played with a variety of species would make your head spin. Cod can come from a variety of countries and is not regulated by our government. Just recently the U.S. started getting involved with Basa also called Swai or the real name Pangasius bocourti. Most of this product comes from Vietnam or China and some packer were putting any type of species that was close to this type of fish. They found hormone added product in it which open the door for us to get involved with. What was happening it was a free for all and you really never knew what you were getting. So the U.S. government got involved and did DNA testing on the large packers overseas and changed the standards to Specie specific and Hormone free and labeled Pangasuis. Our company stopped buying this product until our home office felt it was safe to sell again. So now we hear of people using Tilapia as red snapper and who knows what is next. Basa has been used as Grouper for years. So about cod. There is a big difference between Pacific and Atlantic cod due to the tempeture of the waters. Yes there is also a big difference in price. Some people are switching to a formed product vs a solid muscle because of price. Some are going to pollock and hoki has been know to be used. There is also twice frozen cod that is less expensive due to the layering of water to add weight. It is a suprise to a lot of customers when they see the difference in the weight they paid for and what they get when it is thawed. All I can say is buy from a company that has someone to explain the difference and lets you feel, taste and touch the product. A deal is not always the right move. This trick is also used in pollock. Louisville is the largest market for Icelandic cod in the country. This comes from Icelandic. I sure hope customers raise their prices as cod goes up. It is forcasted to go up into the 6 and maybe the seven dollar per pound range during lent.This is due to the 30% cut back in cod distribution to wholesaler.We have a great town that understands quality in products and restaurants and It only takes a few bad visits with below standard quality to get us to go somewhere else. I hope you take that in consideration before lowering your standards. Also farm raised tilapia has a much better flavor and is not raised like rain forest or other wild species. Unlike the story aired about what it eats farm raised is top feed and actually is becoming the new cod. I hope the price stays consistent because it is farmed raised. There is some companies testing farm raised cod right now. I would bet it has a different flavor than what we can get from a catholic fish fry during lent. Now that is where you can get a bargain on a great fish sandwich.

I do worry a little about over-fishing and the shrinking cod reserves. A while back I reviewed a good book, Mark Kurlansky's "Cod: A Biography of the Fish That Changed the World," which covers this issue (and the entire history of the cod industry) in readable detail. Worth a look.[/quote]

Speaking of over fishing, my doctor gave me a credit card sized thing that lists fish mercury levels and notes those fish that are being overfished. I am trying (sigh) to cut out eating too much fish with high mercury levels. Here's the card in a nut shell:
High Mercury Levels:
Grouper, Marlin, Halibut, Tilefish, Shark, Swordfish, Orange Roughy, Saltwater Bass (this group are considered overfished)
Bluefish, Croaker, Sea Trout, King Mackerel, Amberjack, Lobster, Ahi - Fresh Bluefin - White Albacore Tuna
Medium Mercury Levels:
Snapper, Rock Cod, Monkfish, (Overfished)
Carp, Skate, Blue - Snow - Dungeness Crab, Freshwater Perch, Fresh Pacific - Albacore - Chunk Light Tuna
Lowest Levels:
Flounder, Haddock, Shrimp, King Crab (Overfished)
Anchovies, Butterfish, Calamari, Oysters, Catfish, Whitefish, Scallops, Sardines, Sturgeon, Tilapia, Clams, Herring, Shad, Crawfish/Crayfish, Freshwater Trout, Farmed Caviar, Spiny - Rock Lobster and Perch

Interesting, huh?

King Louie One Man Band has an album called Chinese Crawfish based on a similar topic.

I've seen this scenario coming down the "pike"

I feel that the people that I feed on a regular basis don't seem to get it....
What will happen when a whole city, that was brought up on "fried whitefish",(You Know The Fish Fry people) that don't understand that the well is running dry on what they know and love as "NOT FISHY" tasting fish!??? And now they have to eat something else???

There is already almost a whole generation of kids that won't eat anything except "Chicken Fingers"

What is the next "Fish Fry" fish going to be?????

Since we're talking about COD, and since I'm really proud of his work, I'm going to take this opportunity to post that my son has just finished the design and implementation of a brand new website for Moby Dick Restaurants:

http://www.awhaleofasandwich.com/

He has put a great deal of work into this project and I think it has turned out really well.

The "History" page emphasizes the fact that the white fish served at the 20 local Moby Dick restaurants is hand-cut cod.

My son's webdesign site is at http://www.hummingbirdstudios.net

Lois

[Robin Garr]

Since we're talking about COD, and since I'm really proud of his work, I'm going to take this opportunity to post that my son has just finished the design and implementation of a brand new website for Moby Dick Restaurants:

http://www.awhaleofasandwich.com/

Well done! I like it when a site is clean and easy to navigate and has real content. My compliments to your son, Lois. I've added the Moby Dick site to our Louisville Restaurant Hotlinks page.

[quote](You Know The Fish Fry people) that don't understand that the well is running dry on what they know and love as "NOT FISHY" tasting fish!??? And now they have to eat something else???

Folks don't seem to understand "There ain't no more" here in the good ol USA" They will most likely do the same thing they've done re:oil.... increase demand.

Actually shortage isn't the issue right now. Icelandic USA could acquire north Antlantic cod for us, but it would be sold at a cost of around $8-$9 / lb. The market can not sustain that much of a price....the Euro is much stronger than the dollar right now. When they economy levels out, we should be ok on Cod.

That is the problem for those of us who have to BUY and Sell cold water cod on a regular basis...The large majority of the "fish sandwich" eating market is used to paying $5.00 to $7.00 for their dinner..

How many folks do you suppose are willing to pay $14.00 for an 6 to 8 ounce fish sandwich once the price of cod escalates to the price of say Chilean Sea Bass?

All the talk about cod has not only made me hungry but curious about where amateurs execute the "fish fry" exceptionally well-- whether in church social halls, American Legion Posts, community clubs, etc.

Are there 'underground' celebrity fry cooks in these places or just good ol' folk that know how to do it right?

And is there any difference between the batter-dipped or lightly dredged versions in the meals you've liked?

--To keep from cluttering this thread on fish, I've posted a new topic called "Best Community Fish Fries".

I know that St. Patrick's Catholic Church does a great fish fry during lent...they use real COD, ZTF shortening...etc..