Seafood Watch

I don't know about you guys, but sometimes I get overwhelmed by all the dueling information about seafood there is out there. What's safe to eat in which areas at which times of year? Who can you trust? Where does my fish come from? Which types should I avoid and why? What about overfishing? The environment? Omega 3's?

The list goes on and on and on. It's hard to keep track and keep a clear head. Luckily, there are a few organizations out there attempting to help people make educated choices. Check out Monterey Bay Aquarium's Seafood Watch for starters.

Waiter, there's a tapeworm in my sushi

I kind of wish I hadn't read this, but oh well.

One of the known dangers of eating sushi is the slight possibility of ingesting a parasite. Restaurants freeze their fish in order to kill these lovely little creatures (which can become BIG, 39-foot-long creatures), but all it takes is one that doesn't get frozen all the way.

The salmon parasite, Diphyllobothrium nihonkaiense, appears to be spreading to regions it hasn't been seen in before (like North American and Europe), according to a report published in the June issue of Emerging Infectious Diseases.

Additionally, farm-raised salmon in South America has been plagued by a similar parasite. Fun stuff.

Though the chances of getting a tapeworm are pretty slim, it's probably best to make sure your salmon is cooked. If you do choose to eat raw fish, stick to tuna and other saltwater fish, which aren't as susceptible as freshwater fish like salmon.

I don't know, I almost ate a rubber band yesterday at a diner (it was in my spinach pie), so the gross-out bar is set pretty high today, which is saying a lot, since I have a pretty high threshold. Half of me is like, "eh, what's a tapeworm?" But on the other hand, imagining said tapeworm is pretty unsettling. All part of the adventure of eating outside the home, I suppose...

"It's on the menu, but I wouldn't order it if I were you."

Nobu is now telling its patrons not to eat the bluefin tuna on the menu because it is endangered. The menus in the London restaurants now offer some "advice" to diners, stating that the pricey fish is "environmentally challenged" and that they should ask their server to suggest an alternative. 

This move comes after a five-year campaign against the chain's refusal to stop stocking bluefin. 

Personally, I don't see why they don't just take it off the menu, but you know how these "celebrity restaurants" can be. Or something. Very, very strange. It's weird enough to me that a restaurant would knowingly stock an endangered species, but what of the forewarned consumer who orders it? 

You can read more about it here.