Cephalopods & Lent

By Ruth Levy

Lent is just around the corner and a great category to feature is Cephalopods:  Squid, Octopus and Cuttlefish.  These seafood items are consumed across many different cultures and certainly represent an opportunity for both the buyer and the seller.  In their frozen cleaned form, squid, octopus and cuttlefish are truly one of the best values in the seafood category as there is no waste, everything can be cooked.

How and where are these items used?  Squid or calamari is used in just about every type of restaurant whether it is fried, added to a seafood stew or poached and used in salad.  Cuttlefish is typically found more in Asian and Mediterranean cuisines stewed, grilled or fried.  Octopus has come into its own and can be found on your local Mexican, Chinese, Spanish, Portuguese & Australian Restaurant menu just to name a few.  The dishes can range from fried, sautéed, salad, barbecued to stewed.  The applications are quite limitless for this seafood category of cephalopods.

The value for cephalopods lies not only in the versatile applications but also in the low cost of the product.  Cleaned squid, octopus and cuttlefish are all 100% usable and cost a reasonable amount compared to other proteins.  This is one category where the three mantras of value, versatility and variety all apply.

So, when thinking about what to eat or to feature during Lent, don’t forget Cephalopods:  Squid, Octopus and Cuttlefish.  There are close to seven weeks to focus on seafood and cephalopods should be on the top of the list.

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It’s the holiday season and no matter what is going on in the world you cannot help but be infused with the spirit of the season.  I usually take this opportunity to connect with friends and associates in the trade to review how we have done this year and discuss what we can think about doing together in the New Year.   I recently had the opportunity to sit down with one of our retail customers over lunch and although the conversation covered a myriad of topics, the one that I found most interesting was the one on relationship building.

For almost 10 years I was associated with a company that in its heyday was considered to have one of the best products in its category and to be one of the leaders in the development of branded seafood.  Since that time, as invariable happens, the competition increased and became more sophisticated - both in what they offered and how they went to market.  Competitors were able to eliminate the quality differential that existed and in many cases surpass it.  There is no doubt that this had an impact on sales, but for this retailer this supplier still reigned supreme in his stores.  Admitting that the company’s product offering was not what it once was and by most measures was middle of the road, my friend stated that the reason they still continued to do well with this product line was service.  If you called any one of their stores and asked the seafood associate if they had the company’s sales rep’s number, not only would he be able to provide it but in most instances comment that he had just seen them in the past few days.   This could not be said for most of the competitors. 

This attention to the store personnel resulted in the stores themselves getting behind the company’s products.  The store personnel would talk it up during promotional periods in order to maximize results and make sure it was well stocked and placed in the case.  Although corporate can dictate product selection - at the end of the day, my friend stated, it is up to the stores to make the sale.  By focusing on selling multiple layers of the organization, this salesperson was able to maximize results.  The salesperson was building and maintaining loyalty in the face of stiff competition.  Although this type of selling requires time (and consequently money), the results, if entrusted to the right hands, can be well worth the investment.

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 Opah (Latin name: Lampris Regius) is an exceptionally colorful and beautiful looking fish that most people do not know much about. It is sometimes referred to as Moonfish because of its large round shape. Opahs can grow to almost 200 lbs, but typically range somewhere between 60 and 200 lbs. They have a silver/grey upper body color that shades to rosy red, dotted with white spots toward the belly. Its fins are crimson red and it has large, bright eyes that are encircled with golden yellow that really make them stand out. All Opahs are long-line caught.

There is no directed Opah fishery and you don’t see it sold in abundance anywhere in the United States other than Hawaii. It certainly isn’t consumed much here on the East Coast, but I am here to say that perhaps it should! Since it is an incidental catch by fisherman, it is available more often than not. Most of the Opah sold commercially is caught in Hawaii.  However, right now there is a small Opah fishery off of the Catalina Islands located off of the Southern California Coast that runs through January 31^st (starting in mid-November), weather permitting.

Opah has a very rich flavor, due to the high fat content in the fish. While it gets consumed raw (sashimi), I found it best served broiled where the oiliness really comes off the meat and on to your taste buds. I have seen it smoked and since the fish is so oily, I am sure that it “smokes up” well and tastes great!

Seafood Distributors purchasing Opah will more than likely receive what is referred to as the “rack” (head removed, tail and fins removed, and much of the lower two quadrants of the fish removed ). When the fish is cut to be sold, the “top loin“, or the meat at the top halves of the fish, is most desired. The meat is firm and bright pinkish red in color. The bottom loin, while edible, can be grisly, and generally ends up as kabobs or in dishes like tacos.  

Hopefully, you now know much more about this magnificent looking and tasting fish than you did before.

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Cephalopods are in big demand during the Christmas season.  The three major types that are purchased and consumed are:  Pulpo/Octopus, Sepia/Cuttlefish & Calamari/Squid.

Many people do not understand the difference between these three and tend to lump them all together.  However each type is a distinct animal.  Cooking methods can be quite similar but there are distinctive characteristics to each.

Pulpo or Octopus: 

Sold as large cleaned (each individual octopus weighs one to several pounds) or baby cleaned (several octopi per one pound).  These are typically boiled for salad or stewed in tomato sauce and transcend several cuisines:  South American, Mediterranean and Asian etc.  The cooked meat is chewy but flavorful. The tentacles are quite long and are cut into pieces while the head meat is sliced.

Sepia or Cuttlefish: 

This cephalopod is not as well known in the USA as its cousins the squid or octopus.  However, in Europe and Asia, this is the prized cephalopod for flavor and consistency.  The animal is a cross between both the squid and octopus in appearance.  The thick meat cooks up snow white and is tender with a subtle flavor.  It is delicious when grilled or stewed but is just as tasty fried or boiled. The tentacles are shorter and the body (or tube) is where the thick slices come from.  Once again the forms sold in the marketplace are either:   large cleaned, large uncleaned or baby cleaned.

Calamari or Squid:    

Most everyone knows this cephalopod.  The tube and tentacles are fried or the tube is stuffed.  Product is sized by tube length and there are many tubes or tubes & tentacles per pound. 

Happy Holidays!  May cephalopods be included on your holiday menu!

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2010 Predictions

As I contemplate the end of 2009 and the beginning of 2010 I am tasked with making predictions about what we can expect to see in the coming year.  Although 2009 was not as dire as many of us had thought it could be, I doubt there are many of us who will be sad to see the year pass and look forward to the opportunities that the future always holds in abundance.   

So what do I predict will happen in 2010?

• Although the economy will show “signs” of recovery in 2009, they will be only visible to those individuals working on Wall Street. Job creation will continue to be a challenge throughout 2010, as most companies continue to keep it lean and mean. Consequently, the average consumer will continue to increase savings and work towards trimming their budgets wherever they can. The increased savings rate will continue to impact the economic recovery, negatively in terms of year on year comparisons of the GDP - positively in that banks will be aggressive in developing lending relationships with solid companies in order to maximize the increased capital that will be at their disposal.
• Restaurants will continue to struggle with lackluster demand. Some of the high end chains will be forced to close a number of their poorer performing units in order to focus their resources on preserving their best units. The theme dining and mid-level chains will continue to promote value pricing in an effort to keep customer count, if not sales dollars, coming through the door. Profit margins will remain constant with 2009 as most of the chains have extracted most or all of the savings that they can from operations and administration already.
• Retail will continue to see increases ranging from 2-5%. The primary message will continue to be value for the dollar. Although most other proteins are anticipating a drop in production in 2010, which would normally result in increased prices, they will be hard pressed to pass along increases as they will not want to lose their competitive position relative to other proteins.
• Distribution will continue to see the consolidation primarily through attrition as smaller, weaker players are forced to sell or simply cease to operate.

2010 offers a variety of opportunities for seafood in that many of the core products that we sell are at historical lows - making seafood a true value, both in absolute and relative terms to other proteins.  Promoting that value will be the key to success in 2010.

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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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The Best Shrimp…

What is the best shrimp to eat????? As the shrimp buyer here I often get asked this question. The answer is actually interesting and it varies depending upon the individual tastes of the consumer.  When people order steak in a restaurant they are very clear when it comes to what they prefer; the Ribeye which is a fattier, richer, more flavorful piece of meat with good marbling throughout or a Filet Mignon which is a center cut, leaner piece of meat.  When it comes to shrimp though, the consumer is much less clear cut in what “type” of shrimp they like or even know about.

Shrimp can be different in looks and tastes simply by method, i.e. farmed or wild. Shrimp can also be vastly different in looks, tastes and cooking time by species: Penaeus Vannamei (whites), Penaeus Subtilis (brown), Penaeus Monodon (tigers) or Machrobrachium Rosenbergii (freshwater). In the shrimp world, we use the Latin or scientific names when purchasing shrimp so that all of the sellers and buyers worldwide understand exactly the species that they are buying. This is a cute footnote to all parents who are struggling with their teenagers taking Latin in schools. The kids will say, “when in real life would we EVER use this?” you can then shoot back with the fact that the international seafood community uses Latin in buying and selling.

The Penaeus Vannamei or white shrimp are typically sold in many forms and can be from Mexico, Ecuador, Panama, Indonesia, Vietnam, India and other areas of Southeast Asia and South America. They can be wild or farmed and are also caught in the Gulf of Mexico. The US domestic shrimp industry thrives with white shrimp harvested from the Gulf of Mexico in Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas and Alabama. Typically, farmed raised shrimp have a very mild flavor and have a nice uniformity so that all of the shrimps in one size look the same in shape. The farmed whites can be softer in feel in the mouth vs. a wild white. The South American farmed whites are typically firmer than the Asian farmed whites.

Wild caughtwhites can vary greatly in flavor depending upon where they are caught. The Mexican whites are a very “meaty” shrimp with a good crunch and a sweet flavor. The Domestic Gulf whites can be a bit softer in the mouth and can have a “shrimpier” flavor, but are also sweet.

The Penaeus Subtilisor Browns are a “strong” flavored shrimp which can have a bit of astringency in the flavor profile due to their higher iodine content. Many different regions of the country prefer these shrimp, especially in the South and Southwest, and in Maryland and the Carolinas.  The taste of these wild caughtbrowns is VERY “shrimpy”; which, in other markets can be objectionable.

The Penaeus Monodon or black tiger shrimp  can be farmed or wild caught.  However, in the US, black tigers are generally farm raised from India, Vietnam, Bangladesh or Indonesia. These shrimp can be a bit saltier and firmer than a white, but when cooked, have a beautiful bright orange color.  They have a nice crunch but if overcooked, can become tough especially since they have a shorter cooking time than white shrimp.

The Machrobrachium Rosenbergii are farmed freshwater shrimp.  These are typically prepared grilled, sautéed or baked and should never be boiled.  They have a very different taste and texture to the whites, browns or black tigers. They are plain in flavor with a texture and consistency that is closer to lobster than to shrimp. These are very firm and mild and they pick up marinades very well. Since they can grow quite large their cooked presentation can be quite dramatic.

So which is my favorite???? Well I like them all. As noted, some work better for frying and some work better for marinating and grilling; so there really is no correct answer. When we have done taste tests between farmed whites and farmed tigers with our 15 salespeople the results are usually split right down the middle. Half of the people prefer the milder and softer white; while the other half enjoy the brighter color, crunch and brininess of the tiger.

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Fresh Swordfish

High quality Fresh Swordfish is currently at historically low prices. There is also no better time of the year to find the highest quality and freshest-to-market, swordfish around. This premium fish is harvested off the coast of Halifax, Nova Scotia in an area known as the Emerald Basin. The cold, clean, waters of the Emerald Basin are home to some of the largest, fattiest, best tasting swordfish found anywhere in the world.

Harvested by long line Canadian fishing vessels, these large Atlantic Ocean swordfish are prized for their freshness, firm meat and taste. The cold waters of Eastern Canada makes these fish very fat which gives the meat a lot of flavor.  This is very similar to what marbling does for the flavor of beef. The more fat, the more flavor!

These fish are not available year round. They have been available since August, but fishing boats have almost caught their quotas and the weather is starting to get nasty. This means that if you don’t buy these within the next few weeks, you will have to wait until next summer to have the chance to enjoy them again. Don’t miss out! If you are a lover of swordfish, now is the time to experience the best eating swordfish ever.  Just make sure that what you are buying is Emerald Basin, Canadian, Long Line Swordfish. You will not be sorry!

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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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