Tilapia

[Danielle]

So the dreaded Tilapia...

A young kid in my street was wandering past my place yesterday  with a rod and bucket in hand and like the good Mrs Mangle I am I stopped him and called him up for a chat...

Initially thinking to myself 'hahaha what are you planning to catch in Rochedale, ducks from the pond??'  He told me that he was heading to a little creek around the corner where heaps of people fish!

My dubious smart arsey judgement then turned to pure envy and confusion and why had I not known about this??!!  I though ok maybe he is talking about minnows or some little critter just for fun (but a rod??).  Anyway I wished him luck and he yelled back 'you got anything I can use for bait' so I whipped up a little bread ball with a dollop of minced garlic and a squeeze of S-Factor into a snappy bag for him. All I could think of without parting with a lure (and still not convinced he would catch anything more than some shoelaces and an empty packet of ciggies).

A few hours later he appears at my place proud as punch and wanted to show me photos... (WTF??)

He caught 4 Tilapia on my gourmet concoction! (Now given they were Tilapia it's no surprise they were attracted to it as they eat anything and everything) so as my shock wore off I prepared to educate him on Tilapia and the regs but he went to tell me I killed them all straight away of course. I did mention to him though to make sure he buried them a short distance away as the eggs in their mouth can survive for weeks.

So now with this information in hand I thought it could be a little activity for the kids and I and do my part for the environment and get some more out of the waterways.

Mknths ago someone (can't remember who but being freshwater possibly @rayke1938 or @Binder) did tell me that they are actually great eating - if you like the freshwater fish taste - and I do.  So if you are careful and fillet on the spot then bury safely is there any reason we can't eat them?? All online info advertising the risks seem to stem from farmed species and associated with the fed diet so as a 'wild' Tilapia who have probably only ever eaten smaller fish, weed and bugs what is the risk?

[Gad]

21 minutes ago, Danielle said:

So the dreaded Tilapia...

  So if you are careful and fillet on the spot then bury safely is there any reason we can't eat them??

Hi Danielle. The only reason I`m aware of is ,government regs, that say you can not have them dead or alive in your possession.

BUT.. I do know a few people who do fillet and eat them, apparently they taste ok.

[Tybo]

2 hours ago, Gad said:

Hi Danielle. The only reason I`m aware of is ,government regs, that say you can not have them dead or alive in your possession.

BUT.. I do know a few people who do fillet and eat them, apparently they taste ok.

I ate them quite frequently when I was in Vietnam, they have that 'fish tank, freshwater stream' taste to them. The flesh is nice and white, and flakes well, but yeah, the taste is a bit "how's your father". Maybe it was because they were out of ponds, who knows?

I'd give them a go again if they were local and maybe cooked differently, but my expectations aren't high. @Drop Bear may have a technique or two that might improve their eating qualities, ask him.

[Danielle]

So probably disguise them completely and make Thai fish cakes?

[Angus]

4 hours ago, Danielle said:

So probably disguise them completely and make Thai fish cakes?

What is the quality of the creek water would be my my concern over the general quality of the fish.

Angus

[Binder]

They are by far the best tasting fresh water fish I have ever eaten, have lovely firm flesh, so firm you might think they are valve rubber before cooking, but they soften up somewhat to a nice texture for eating -  Fisheries will fine you if they catch you with fillets just as quick as if you are transporting live fish, and it isn't a little fine.

NSW are far more progressive, they let you fillet pest species and take the fillets home. Apparently they have realised they dont swim away all that well...... Qld Fisheries excuse for the hard line is it will just encourage people to spread them if they know how good they are to eat..... Like there is a fresh water waterway in south east Qld that doesn't already have them in it.......

[rayke1938]

Egg and bread crumbs

Crazy thing is that you can buy them quite legally both as whole and fillets as they are imported, Seafood house at capalaba has them all the time .

 I have eaten them and think they may have been imported from overseas. ( northside of brisbane is overseas I think}

Cheers

Ray

[Tybo]

11 hours ago, rayke1938 said:

Egg and bread crumbs

Crazy thing is that you can buy them quite legally both as whole and fillets as they are imported, Seafood house at capalaba has them all the time .

 I have eaten them and think they may have been imported from overseas. ( northside of brisbane is overseas I think}

Cheers

Ray

My great uncle lives up near Tinaroo and says that when the Barra aren't biting, they go get a feed of tilapia. Reckons under the crumbs he barely knows the difference.

The fish shop in the valley sells whole tilapia, as does the one at Chermside occasionally. Even states product of Taiwan, $8.99.

[rayke1938]

All the fish shops at Inala and Darra also sell them.

I wonder if there is any possibility of any virus coming in with them.

Cheers

Ray