The Fish Wars in Houston: SWAI vs CATFISH

Houston, we have a problem. Yes, the problem is a word that starts with an F; no, the problem isn’t necessarily flooding, but it’s fish. You may wonder what’s wrong with Houston’s fish. Let’s dig deeper...

When purchasing fried fish at a particular restaurant, have you ever noticed that the menu only says “Fried Fish”, “Fish Basket”, or “Fish and Shrimp”? In this case, the menu doesn’t specify what kind of fish you’re purchasing, which leaves you wondering or asking questions, if you pay attention to what you’re reading. Now, here’s the issue; when this situation presents itself, most of the time, the fish is swai or some Asian-imported white fish that’s cheaper than and is used as a substitute for catfish, which is more expensive for restaurants’ budgets.

But wait. It gets worse. Catfish is loved by many people in the South and is very popular. As a result, many restaurants mislabel swai as catfish, which is against the law; they do this to make a greater profit off their substitute products. In 2003, the FDA passed a law stating that restaurants can not label swai and any other fish as catfish; if restaurants disobey this, then they are subjected to getting fined.

No, Houston isn’t the only place where this phenomenon happens. It’s just unfortunate that it’s very common in Houston, an area that’s surrounded by all types of water sources and that has a reputation for having great food.

Furthermore, many people love swai for its less fishy taste, but for the people who love catfish, being fooled or not having catfish as a fish option at restaurants can be quite frustrating. To not be fooled by restaurants that perpetuate, let’s take a look at the major differences between swai and catfish by describing their appearances, smells, and tastes.

Appearance

This can get confusing because they look similar, especially when fried. Swai appears very stiff and MAY curl at the ends. Its meat looks mushier and doesn’t have the stringy meat that catfish does. Catfish is more fluffy and has several ridges in the meat, when fried. Depending on the restaurant, the meat may also contain a silver lining, which can be removed. Catfish does curl more than swai. However, depending on how long it’s fried, it may not curl, which may cause it to get mistaken as swai; if catfish is fried hard, then it may not curl as much and may not appear as flurry.

Smell

Now, if you you’re still confused about the appearance of your fish, then the smell is a better test. Swai has a mute smell; it doesn’t smell as fishy as catfish. You may smell the seasonings used to cook it. On the other hand, catfish has a stronger smell; it smells like fish.

Taste

Lo and behold, if you can’t distinguish between the smells, then taste is the ultimate test. Just like its smell, swai’s flavor is more on the bland side; the meat itself isn’t as flavorful as catfish, so swai takes on the flavors of the seasonings used to prepare it. Most people will argue that swai has a cleaner taste than catfish. Contrarily, catfish can be very fishy and can have a muddy taste, depending on whether it’s US farm raised or wild caught. Farm raised catfish’s taste depends on the food (pellets) it eats at the farms; unfortunately, many farms inject the catfish with antibiotics to deplete any muddy or fishy taste. Depending on their aquatic environment, wild caught catfish can taste muddy due to their feeding off a river’s muddy bottom or can taste “clean”, not bland, due to their eating the living organisms in the water.

In conclusion, I hope that these details have given you more insight on how to distinguish between swai and catfish. Just pay close attention to the appearance, taste, and smell. Again, many people prefer swai over catfish; just as many people or more prefer catfish and/or don’t know what kind of fish they’re eating because they’re not well versed on knowing the tastes of different fish. In the end, don’t be fooled! Use all of your senses! Literally!

https://www.ehow.com/info_8316361_differences-between-swai-catfish.html