What’s in a name? Grouper

by Richard Stavis

One of the biggest strengths of Seafood is also its biggest weakness- the incredible variety of species available.  A well recognized Seafood “name” is very valuable.  It has the power to drive consumption and to maximize its value.  In days past fishmongers would give these fish the name of the fish that they most closely resembled OR the name of a similar fish that had a high market value.  Thankfully this practice is behind us for the most part, but there remains a patchwork quilt of products that resemble “famous name” fish as well as some fish that are able to claim those names even though they may not taste or look as you might expect them to.  Our goal with this recurring column is to help consumers make informed choices, as well as, to make lesser known species more accessible.

The FDA defines Grouper as a number of subspecies in the Epinephelus genus of fish.  It has a mild white fillet that is moist, dense, and a bit chewy.  It’s a high value fish and it’s highly prized, especially in the southeast.  Demand for it outstrips supply.  It’s also the poster child for name fraud, and it’s rare in that the fraud still goes on to this day.   Sometimes the importer is in on the scheme, sometimes it is being scammed from the processor.  As this issue has come to the forefront most responsible importers (Stavis Seafoods included) have started DNA testing all incoming shipments of frozen Grouper to ensure that what they are selling is truly Grouper.  This is less practical on fresh fish as it is often harvested and sold in smaller quantities.

What are some of the more common Grouper imposters?  Historically exporters from Indonesia and Thailand have sold Sweetlip, Emperor fish, and Bonefish as Grouper.   Swai/Basa/Pangassius (a future “What’s in a Name” subject) from Viet Nam took the U.S. by storm in the early 2000’s.  One importer was convicted this past May of selling more than 1 million pounds of the fish as grouper, and that was just the tip of the iceberg.

A myriad of fresh fish have also been passed off as Grouper.  Some of the wild species used have included Tripletail, Corvina, KingClip, Snook, and Snapper.   We’ve also seen some farmed fish including Tilapia and Catfish being passed off as Grouper.

It is possible to ensure that what you’re selling can be or what you’re buying is legally Grouper, but is this the whole story?  What comes to mind when you hear the name “Reef Cod”?  Guess what- it’s a Grouper!  This fish has now become very popular because of its name cachet, but is it the best option if you want to replicate the experience of Atlantic Grouper?  Probably not- I’d go for Corvina! I ask again, what’s in a name?

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Eat Seafood Twice a Week!

I just returned from attending the Groundfish Forum held in Iceland.  The leaders of the world’s groundfish industry were all present discussing the status of groundfishstocks and markets.  As this is an invitation only event I always feel privileged to be included in such esteemed company.  Two presentations stand out in my mind given by speakers reporting on the retail and foodservice sectors of the US.  Independently, both presenters had come to a similar conclusion:  Seafood has an unprecedented, historic opportunity ahead!

As a protein, seafood is always fighting the price issues compared to beef, pork and chicken.  Seafood historically has been higher priced than these alternatives.  This price difference has been a detriment to expanding seafood consumption in the US.  However the trends ahead might just level this playing field. 

Due to a variety of reasons, there are less cows and pigs being raised than in the past.  If the economic data is to be believed prices on these proteins should rise as supply decreases.  The price difference between seafood and warm blooded protein should be much less than in the past.  Also, warm blooded protein does not offer the health benefits that seafood does.  We have an aging, fatter population in the US that truly needs fish in their diet.  The health benefits are well documented. We, the seafood industry, need to get the message out there!  Eat seafood twice a week!

In the macro picture of protein this could be unprecedented times. There will be the less of a price difference for seafood when compared to warm blooded protein alternatives. We, the seafood industry need to take advantage of this minimized pricing differential.  But in order to take full advantage, we need to present seafood as one industry to the marketplace, not fragmented into specie groups.

Having battle scars from earlier efforts to form a cohesive seafood marketing plan, (does anyone remember “Generic Marketing”?), it really is time to put our specie differences aside and approach the marketplace with the healthy, cold blooded protein known as Seafood.  Whether it is squid, tilapia, shrimp, octopus or bluefish….seafood consumption in the US has a chance to grow.  The pricing barrier vs. other proteins will be at its lowest level and the need for a healthy, fun protein alternative is at its highest level. Let’s take advantage of this historic opportunity, join forces, and with one voice send a clear message to the consumer:  Eat seafood twice a week!

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Imported Loligo Squid

There are several significant Loligo squid species imported into the US.  The two most significant are: Loligo chinensis (from China) and Loligo vulgaris (from India).  The one that offers the most value to the US consumer and is packed similar to US domestic squid is the Loligo chinensis squid from China.

Loligo chinensis is caught in the South China Sea and is typically brought to shore fresh.  There are Taiwan boats that freeze at sea, but the majority of the squid caught in the South China Sea is processed from fresh or first land frozen and then processed later.  Loligo chinensis is treated with a tenderizing agent during the cleaning process.  Very few US Squid importers list the tenderizing agent as an ingredient on their cleaned squid package.  BOSN calamari is one Chinese squid brand that has all the proper ingredients listed and is true net weight.

Loligo Chinensisafter processing is white, tender and neutral in flavor.  The US market prefers a tender squid with neutral flavor and this product meets those criteria. It is also packed in the recognizable format of tray and bag and is very competitively priced.   The squid is fully cleaned and tentacles are separated from tubes. The squid is sized by its tube length which mirrors the domestic loligo.

Loligo vulgarisis a loligo squid that comes to the US market primarily from India.  It is whole cleaned which means the tentacles are still connected to the tubes, but the tubes have been skinned and eviscerated.  The pack is typically in a block, not in a tray and bag, like the US or Chinese cleaned squid.  It is block frozen and wrapped in plastic.  Sizing is also typically tube count per kilo, not length of squid tube.

Loligo vulgaris is a very sought after specie around the world.  It is meaty, moderately tender; light colored and has a more pronounced flavor than the Loligo chinensis.  It is also chemically tenderized and the tenderizing ingredients are not usually declared on the package.

Regarding price, Chinese and Indian squid are similarly priced in the market.  The familiarity of the Chinese package versus the more obscure ct/ kg of the Indian squid and unruly block/bag means the Indian calamari is less likely to be found in retail.  Both Indian and Chinese squid packers are known to pack less than net weight, so once again it is critical to understand what one is purchasing.

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 What’s my fish worth?

I remember a conversation I had with my Uncle Eddie back in the late 80’s when I was a relative greenhorn in the business.  I’d had 3 or 4 years of buying experience under my belt and thought that I had a pretty good idea what this business was about.  Ecuador was king when it came to Shrimp, and shell-on was the only way to go.  The import cost of 50/60 count shrimp had just plummeted from 3.20/lb down to the unheard of price of 2.80/lb!  I tried to make the argument with Ed to take whatever capital we had and buy as many 50/60’s as we could lay our hands on because the item had gotten so cheap that it was selling below the base intrinsic value for the Shrimp.  Ed was very quick to point out to me that there is NO intrinsic value in Seafood.  Your fish is only worth what your customer is willing to pay you for it.

20 years later Ed’s words hold up better than ever.  Those 50/60’s that I would have felt safe selling at 2.95/lb are now worth 2.60/lb or less, and that size is one of the least affected by the deflation in the value of Shrimp.  Most sizes of Black Tiger Shrimp are at prices in the low end of the 10 year trading range.  Domestic Shrimp has taken a bigger hit, as it is now considered to be less valuable in the market than tigers, a total reversal in attitude!  Domestic Shrimp are selling at prices lower than they were in 1985, and that’s not taking into account the erosion in the value of a dollar.  In real terms the shrimp is selling for less than half what it did back then!

Let’s not limit our discussion to the value of Shrimp.  You can find similar examples with other species including Snow Crab, Warm and Cold water Lobster tails and meat, fresh Swordfish, and dozens of other products, all of which are trading at or below the prices that they’ve sold at any time during the last 20 years.  At the same point we have other items where prices are zooming.  Farmed Salmon fillets were worth 4.10/lb on average in September 2007.  They’re selling for 5.50-5.75/lb now.  Scallops are selling at or slightly ahead of the prices that they were at last year.  Frozen Swordfish prices have jumped about 20% in the last 2-3 months.  The general trend at the moment is deflationary, but there are items that are bucking the trend.

What’s the answer to the question up top?  Your fish is worth what your customer will pay for it AT THE MOMENT WHEN IT IS NEEDED.  If you’re a speculator in stocks or precious metals you may want to speculate in seafood as well.  This is perfectly fine as long as you follow basic rules.  Don’t invest before you research the market.  Be careful buying commodities that are not openly traded, where it is more difficult to establish a current market price.  Be realistic about whether you can sell your purchase when it comes time to liquidate- don’t buy more than you can move in a reasonable timeframe.  Don’t gamble what you can’t afford to lose. Finally, don’t forget- fish is not gold or even wine- it doesn’t get better with age!

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Shrimp Recipe

Shrimp has become one of the most popular seafood items consumed by Americans today. There are many reasons why this is happening. One of them being that shrimp comes in a variety of packs and count sizes, therefore you buy the pack and size you need - so there’s no waste. It is also very affordable, versatile and easy to cook.  In minutes, you can have a delicious, healthy, home-cooked meal. There are many wonderful shrimp recipes around, here’s one of my favorites:

Shrimp Scampi

Ingredients

• 1 bag of BOS’N Black Tiger Shrimp
• 1 raw onion (diced)
• 1 green pepper (diced)
• 1 bunch of scallions (diced)
• 1 box of linguini
• 1 16oz. can of tomato sauce (optional)
• A dash of: seasoned salt, garlic salt, accent and pepper
• 1/2 stick of butter

Instructions

• Boil the pasta until al dente
• Saute shrimp with butter
• Combine with diced onions, green peppers, and scallions
• Let this mixture simmer for 5 minutes
• Add tomato sauce (optional)
• Let it cool for 3 minutes
• Drain the pasta and mix it all together in a large bowl, serve with salad and garlic bread

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Warm Water lobster tails from the Pacific Ocean - Central American fishery

The Panulirus Gracilis lobster specie is found off of the Pacific coast of Central America. It is a small lobster; 90% of the lobster tails produced are in the 3-5oz range. These warm water lobsters have a spiny bright green shell and are caught by artisanal divers using surface supplied air or breath holding. Their fishing boats are either a small skiff or a canoe.  When the water is clear, a diver can find 10-30 lobsters in one day.   

The main sources of production are Panama and Nicaragua. I am familiar with the fishery in Nicaragua and it is sustainable and well managed. I believe this hand-caught fishing method is a big reason for the health of the fishery. The lobster tail freezing facilities are located in Managua, Nicaragua, which is a city located on the Pacific coast. The lobster tails arrive to the processing plants fresh throughout the day. They are immediately processed and are once frozen. I mention this because some fisheries freeze their lobster tails at sea, thaw them out at the processing plant for cleaning etc., then, refreeze them (twice frozen).

Central American production is relatively small compared to the Caribbean. Most of the shipments are flown by air to the USA, not sent by ship container; therefore, production figures are hard to track.

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Loligo Squid

Loligo Squid is a calamari specie that is prized around the world for its flavor and consistency.  There are many different types of loligo that come from different countries.  Known as long fin squid, this specie has a transparent (plastic-like) quill for its backbone.  The US has two commercial harvested species of loligo calamari:  Loligo pealei and Loligo opalescens. 

Loligo pealei, also known as Boston squid, is commercially harvested on the East Coast from New Jersey to Maine. Prized as one of the most flavorful and naturally tender of the loliginidae, it commands a premium in the whole and cleaned calamari marketplace.  Product used to be harvested and cleaned in the USA.  Now, product is harvested in the USA, land or sea frozen, and oftentimes sent to China for processing.  Whole frozen Loligo pealei is exported to Europe or Asia.

Loligo Opalesens is known in the marketplace as California Calamari.  This specie of loligo is smaller than the pealei and although quite flavorful, it is considered tougher or chewier.  There is big retail (supermarket) demand for whole frozen of this specie packed in 3lb. window boxes.  Once again if there is good catching, product is harvested in the USA, land or sea frozen, and oftentimes sent to China for cleaning.  An El Niño or La Niña in the Pacific impacts catching quite dramatically.

Boston squid (pealei) is the most expensive of all the cleaned calamari in the US market.  It is not as abundant in the market as the imported loligo species (vulgaris, chinensis) but it is the premium standard for taste and tenderness.  The cleaned forms for these loligo species include:  Tubes and Tentacles, Tubes Only, Rings Only and Rings & Tentacles.  The size references the tube length of the cleaned squid body, 5/8 means each tube length is approximately 5-8 inches long.  8/12 means each tube length is approximately 8-12 inches long and so forth.  The tentacles are typically packed in the natural proportion that occurs….about 35%.

In my next blog I will review the imported species of Loligo squid and discuss how they compare to the domestic Loligo pealei.

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Welcome!

 This is your place to learn about a wide variety of fresh and frozen seafood.  Posts will cover a variety of topics.  Expect to see focus features on individual species of fish such as Cod or Pollock.  You’ll also see articles comparing different species of Shrimp, Crab, or Lobster.  Some posts will have pictures of fish and will teach you how to handle and prepare them.  Other posts will focus on the seafood commodity markets, helping you to anticipate rises and falls.  We’ll explain the different species of wild Salmon, the different countries of origin for farmed Salmon, and how to choose which to use.  Additionally we will have a recipe section with our favorite seafood recipes and a glossary of fish terms that may stump you.  The seafood experts who will be contributing to this website have an average of 20 years of experience.  In general, our focus is on posting and publishing articles, as such we will be moderated and are not likely to post many responses.  We will review your responses however, and will do our best to reply to you off-line.  Feel free to email us with suggestions for future posts as well.  Again, this website is for you.  Thank you for your attention, and welcome to seafoodexperts.net!

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Confusion reigns in the Gulf….

I have only been buying the shrimp in earnest here at Stavis Seafoods for the last five years, so my historical perspective is a bit skewed when it comes to all time low pricing in certain markets. This year for sure, we have hit the ALL TIME low since Hurricane Katrina and beyond when it comes to domestic shell-on and peeled shrimp.  Up here in the New England states we really try and stick to using white shrimp from the Gulf, as our consumer tastes just prefer milder wild shrimp; but, we still keep our pulse on the brown markets as well. When 16-20 white shell-on domestic shrimp hit bottom about three years ago, many of the importers who were only focusing on tiger shrimp and other Asian species jumped in and bought truckload after truckload.

This year there are many factors in play that have driven the price to below the record low of three years ago.  The fuel costs have been relatively low, the fishing in the Gulf has been exceptional, the import prices of tiger shrimp have remained fairly stable due to lower production and the currency exchange and, frankly, the economy is still NOT improved enough for importers and speculators to jump in and make container load purchases unless they have prior commitments. These factors have resulted in lower and lower prices of both shell-on shrimp and peeled shrimp.

So are we at the bottom? Well, this is the BIG question for all of the buyers large and small out there.  If there is a significant weather event (hurricane season is upon us) and fishing gets interrupted, the prices could creep back up.  If suppliers hold their inventories and the economy does not improve, then the “sales for cash” could keep markets remaining weak. We are about to come into the Mexican wild season starting in October and if they have good catches, then the prices could remain low in the Gulf as well.

When my dad, Ed Stavis bought the shrimp here for over 30 years he would always say, “dealing in all of these markets is fun and interesting,” and boy was he right! He was the master and we still have the most animated discussions over the shrimp markets today.  Whether or not we are at the bottom of this market, the good news in this economy is that consumers can enjoy wild caught domestic shrimp in many forms at really affordable prices, and it should be on any and all menus in restaurants and in retail chains across America.

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South African Lobster Tails

These are cold water spiny lobster tails. They have the well deserved reputation as the world’s premiere lobster, offering unmatched freshness, taste and texture. Caught in the cold, clean waters of the coast of South Africa, this lobster is immediately processed on frozen-at-sea vessels to preserve freshness. Dramatically overflowing with meat, these sweet and mild lobster tails can be boiled, steamed or grilled. These Lobster Tails can be thawed and chilled prior to use, delivering added versatility during preparation and presentation.

The factory vessels fish in very deep water off of the coast of South Africa at an average depth of 900-1200 feet. The lobsters are caught in traps.

The shell is very thin and the meat to shell ratio is very high.

This lobster species is smaller than other lobsters. The majority of the lobster tails are in the 3.5 oz to 6.0 oz range.

Each size has a letter designation. The following is how the lobster tails are graded:

Tight size grading allows customers to keep South African lobster tails on the menu at an affordable price point.

Comparison of South African lobster tails to other cold water lobster species:

Suggested applications and preparations for South African Lobster Tails include:

Uses of Raw Extracted Meat

Medallions • Casserole dishes • Ceviche

Split Tails

South African Lobster Tail’s uniquely thin shell allows it to be split easily

Uses In-Shell

Surf & Turf • Broiled • Grilled • Boiled

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