Walk into any restaurant in Nassau dese days and your chance of getting local grouper is less than finding the unicorn 🦄 that lives in Adelaide.
Disclaimer, before I go further, to the restaurateurs, chefs and cooks that this may offend, remember you clicked onto my site. I told you all before that this site is not for the faint of heart nor the non cerebral. Ok so back to the story..........
Does the word Swai mean into you or maybe you know it by its fancy name, Indonesian grouper. Well this fish was popularized as a source of protein to feed PRISONERS! YEAP is technically prison fish . The tilapia of the incarcerated trying to do their time and become better citizens.
Cheap, forcefed, low nutrient, fish. Sadly it has become what most pass of as grouper and usually goes the same price.
How to spot Swai!
It tastes cheap....Yeah yeah. Let me explain. Imagine having a steak at Ocean Club versus having one at Denny's, sorry Denny's. You get the point. It tastes cheap!
It has a wet, soggy texture. Almost taste undercooked no matter how long you prepare it.
Grouper is firm, flakes in clean chunks and is thick and round. Unlike swai that is flatter and leaner than grouper.
The cost of ingredients is on the rise, but this is an unforgivable compromise that makes a restaurant dishonest and should always be reported. In fact I've even been to a banquet where this "switcheroo" was used.
Help bring grouper back......you deserve it. Ps remember we now have a grouper season and please support it!
I could not have said it better! And as an Environmental Scientist that has worked on fisheries projects including the grouper closed season trust me as much as I LOVE grouper I understand the importance of giving them a chance to reproduce. I hate swai it’s nasty and I always know the difference! Make grouper great again!