History of Catfish
Catfish have been consumed as food for thousands of years. They have been caught and farmed for food for centuries in Africa, Europe, Asia, and North America. They are easy to farm in warm climates, hence them being inexpensive and easy to find.
In popular culture, Japan has a mythical catfish named Namazu, which is a giant catfish that lives underground and is known to cause earthquakes.
Flavor of Catfish
Catfish has a chewy, firm, and somewhat watery taste. Catfish is a polarizing ingredient; you either love it or you hate it. While some people describe the taste as excellent with rich, sweet, mild, and moist flavors, detractors describe it as muddy, watery, and tasteless fish. What cannot be denied, is catfish’s firm flesh and strong flavor. It is definitely unique and is unlike most fish.
Health Benefits of Catfish
Catfish is high in Vitamin D and B12. While almost every fish is high in vitamins, catfish is an especially good source for Vitamin B12, which is known to help eradicate a variety of health issues including the treatment of anemia, protection against heart issues, and improved mental health.
Catfish also contains low levels of Omega-3 fatty acids, which help moderately to fight against cardiovascular diseases and to some extent breast cancer. But Omega-6 fatty acids, which are found in high proportions in catfish, is the real game-changer. Omega-6 fatty acids are associated with decreasing the chances of having a stroke, heart attack, and premature death, and cancer.
Other nutrients found in catfish include protein, sodium, phosphorus, potassium, fat, and calories.
Culinary Benefits of Catfish
Every country has its own twist on a catfish recipe. One of the best recipes comes from Indonesia where catfish is either fried or grilled and is served with sambal, vegetables, and rice. Another famous recipe is a Filipino fried fish dish served with vinegar and calamansi dipping sauce.
The Hungarian style of serving catfish is with paprika smothered pasta and fresh cheese. In the United States, catfish fries are a classic meal best washed down with a cold beer. Another brilliant way to consume catfish would be to pan-fry it and serve it with spicy pecan gremolata. You can also try adding catfish to a classic BLT sandwich. Fried catfish filets taste fantastic alongside crisp bacon and juicy tomato slices.
One way to eat the catfish and a highly recommended dish would be the Nigerian-style stew. It is cooked in a variety of stews and enjoyed as a soup. A soup never disappoints and neither does this recipe. Catfish served with a silky herb butter would be a great combination for dinner, wouldn’t it? Check out this awesome recipe.
Health conscious people can gently steam the catfish and serve it with some lime for a high protein, low-cal meal. You can also sous vide the catfish for a calorie-reduced meal. Take a look at how this can be done here.
Types of Catfish
There are many types of catfish but the 13 main ones are listed as.
● Channel catfish
● Blue catfish
● Flathead catfish
● Cory catfish
● Glass catfish
● Pictus catfish
● Upside down catfish
● Otocinclus catfish
● Bristlenose catfish
● Striped Raphael catfish
● Bumblebee catfish
● Chinese algae eater catfish
● Wels catfish
Storage
After catching or buying catfish, refrigerate it for up to 2 to 3 days at max. Frozen catfish can last up to 4 to 5 months in the freezer, but it is advisable to consume the fish as soon as possible.
