Tilapia

Common Name: Tilapia
Scientific Name: Oreochromis spp.
Availability: Year-round

About Tilapia
Tilapia is a firm, flaky white fish with a mild taste, well suited to any recipe requiring white fish. It’s also a great environmental choice. Originally from Africa, tilapia are currently farmed in over 50 countries that produce around 1.5 million tons each year globally. Depicted as a food fish in ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics, tilapia has been farmed for 2,500 years.

Farming Methods
Modern production most often occurs in ponds, but other methods include raceways, floating cages and large indoor tanks. Seafood farmers like to raise tilapia because they are hardy and fast growing, reaching market size in around six months.

Country of Origin
Currently the tilapia we sell in our stores comes from Ecuador.

Management
Tilapia farms in Ecuador are regulated by the government under the jurisdiction of the Under Secretariat for Fishery Resources. Farms are required to obtain an environmental license, for which they must undertake an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA). The EIA looks at environmental, social and cultural changes that would be caused by the farms’ actions. The results are used to develop a farm specific Environmental Action Plan, which is geared towards reducing or eliminating these impacts. Farms are monitored based on the Environmental Action Plan to ensure that impacts are not excessive.

Conservation Notes
Tilapia is a good choice for the environment because they are fed a mostly vegetarian diet, which reduces the need to harvest wild fish to feed them. This is becoming increasingly important as wild fish populations are decreasing. In some small-scale farms, tilapia eat only the algae and plankton that naturally grow in the pond. By controlling feed and inputs into the environment, farmers are able to produce a healthy, great tasting fish. As a whole, tilapia farms have few environmental impacts making them an ocean-friendly seafood choice.

---

Try substituting tilapia in your favorite recipes that call for white fish. It works well in place of Atlantic cod in your beer-battered fish or grouper in a blackened Cajun fish sandwich. Baked, roasted or broiled tilapia is a great choice for you and the environment.

Pecan & Almond Crusted Tilapia

Ingredients:
1 lb fresh Tropical™ Tilapia fillets
1/2 cup finely chopped almonds
1/2 cup finely chopped pecans
1 tbsp. finely chopped parsley
2 tbsp. bread crumbs
2 eggs, beaten
1 scallion, finely chopped
2 tbsp. olive oil
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 lb fresh spinach, cleaned & chopped

Directions:
Heat 1 tbsp. olive oil in a non-stick skillet over high heat, stir in garlic and scallions and sauté for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Add spinach and cook for an additional 3 minutes, just until wilted then transfer to a platter and set aside. Keep warm.

Heat 1 tbsp. olive oil in a non-stick skillet over medium high heat. Combine the almonds, pecans, parsley and bread crumbs in a shallow dish. Break eggs into a separate shallow dish and beat. Dredge tilapia in eggs and then roll in the nutty mixture until thoroughly coated. Sauté tilapia about 2 minutes on each side until it's cooked through and the coating is browned.

Place tilapia on top of wilted spinach, sprinkle with lemon juice and serve immediately.

Per Serving: Calories: 255 | Total Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 216mg | Fiber: 4g | Total Carbohydrate: 9g | Protein: 29g