Basa

[CanadianBakin']

Our local grocery stores often have a white fish called Basa on sale and I'd never heard of it. Is it mild like sole? Anyone tried it?

[glossyp]

Basa is the word used for catfish that is imported (usually from Vietnam). There is quite a controversy regarding its use in certain parts of the southern U.S. where it has replaced locally grown catfish.

Here is a good recipe for it though if you like somewhat complicated recipes that yield tasty results. Smoked Basa & Lump Crab Cakes with Sweet Soy Butter Sauce and Tropical Fruit Salsa

[laniloa]

Basa is the word used for catfish that is imported (usually from Vietnam). There is quite a controversy regarding its use in certain parts of the southern U.S. where it has replaced locally grown catfish.

←

In 2001, Congress decided that only one taxonomic family of catfish (out of the roughly 30-35 families commonly used in science) was allowed to be referred to as catfish. Basa belongs to one of the other taxonomic families.

[glossyp]

Basa is the word used for catfish that is imported (usually from Vietnam). There is quite a controversy regarding its use in certain parts of the southern U.S. where it has replaced locally grown catfish.

←

In 2001, Congress decided that only one taxonomic family of catfish (out of the roughly 30-35 families commonly used in science) was allowed to be referred to as catfish. Basa belongs to one of the other taxonomic families.

←

Thanks for the additional info and, if you know, how does the one called basa differ from what we typically think of as catfish? I haven't been able to tell any difference in taste or use when cooking. Was the move by congress to protect U.S. fishing, aquaculture and catfish market?

[Ben Hong]

A fish by any other name would taste so sweet. It's absolutely delicious.

[SuzySushi]

Was the move by congress to protect U.S. fishing, aquaculture and catfish market?

←

You got it!

[Ducky]

Does anyone know whether Basa - which is farmed in Vietnam - has any of the same problems we associate with farmed Salmon in BC?

[chef koo]

to be honest i find it to be a bit on the bland side. it doens't have uch flavor to it. but the texture is great. it has alot of succulence to it. even if you totally forget about it and it over cooks a bit then it's still tender and not flanky. but like i said, it's a bit weak on the falvor

[BonVivant]

i once got a bag of frozen basa [farmed in VN]. had to quickly finish the whole bag. too bland! :(

[laniloa]

It has been a while since I dealt with the basa-catfish issue but I remember some of it. As basa exports increased, they were outcompeting the US farm-raised catfish for market share, particularly in the frozen fillet sector which had been one of the higher profit sectors. The lesser basa you have experienced may not actually be basa but tra, another fish in the same family as basa that is sometimes sold under the higher valued basa name. Think of it like the taste difference between salmon and trout -- both salmonids but the difference in species and growth environment influences taste. After the Congressional ban, the Vietnamese fish farmers started to niche market the product and actually increased their sales and profit margin. Catfish has a definite place in the US market but isn't considered a high-value fish so by no longer being catfish basa became a little more upscale. The resulting increase of basa at the lower price led to a dumping claim by the catfish growers. Even though the product was deemed so not like a catfish that it would be defrauding the US public to call it catfish and we needed a law to define what is and is not a catfish.

I'm not sure which of the problems you are asking about Ducky, but basa farms tend to be in ponds or otherwise protected so they don't have the same exposure to rough seas that leads to escapement of fish. They are also native to the areas where farmed so that there isn't an invasive species problem. There were claims during the debate about being grown in polluted waters but US inspection teams found that wasn't true.

[TongoRad]

Our local grocery stores often have a white fish called Basa on sale and I'd never heard of it. Is it mild like sole? Anyone tried it?

←

I like to use it as a sole substitute. It definitely has a mild flavor, but the texture is better and tends to be moister. Basa is not my fish of choice, mind you, but my wife likes it so I have come up with ways of preparing it that we both enjoy- Meuniere, Francese, that sort of thing. Heck, a lot of the time I'll do a quasi-blackening thing (it's not thick enough to totally 'blacken' in the pan).

I'd say give it a shot if it is on sale and you go into it with the right game plan.

[flapjack willy]

I have seen it sold as Grouper/Basa at the wholesale leveluntil recently, when the USDA forced the removal of the Grouper name.

[BarbaraY]

0ne of my daughters convinced me to try it. Not being a fan of catfish, I didn't like it very much. I told her I didn't care for it because it tasted like catfish. I didn't realize that it actually is catfish but now I know why it didn't suit my taste...

[CanadianBakin']

Thanks everyone for your input! I think I'll give it a try and just use it in an application where lots of flavour is added.

[peppyre]

I usually describe it as a cross between Sole and halibut but with a much firmer flesh. You can use almost any technique on it and will still hold together. I quite enjoy it.

[SuzySushi]

Thanks everyone for your input! I think I'll give it a try and just use it in an application where lots of flavour is added.

←

My favorite way to prepare catfish/basa (fillets) is fried with a cornmeal crust. Dip fillets in flour, egg, then cornmeal. Shallow-fry over medium heat until the cornmeal is crusty & golden brown and the fish is cooked through. (If it's not done inside by the time the crust is formed, you can finish it in the oven or the microwave for a few moments.) Drain and serve with lots of lemon.

You can season the cornmeal coating with salt & pepper, chopped herbs, cayenne, and/or parmesan cheese as desired.