Fish has been considered one of the most important elements of a balanced diet for years. Typically associated with complete health and a range of nutritional benefits, in fact, not all of them meet these expectations. Exists a group of fish considered to be one of the most controversial food products on the market. They are already banned in many countries, while in Poland they are very popular, also during the Christmas period. Why are butterfish not a good idea as an alternative to carp?
Butterfish is a term that may not be familiar to everyone. For it is a group of several species of fish with a characteristic appearance and high oil content. Also called “butterfish” They have been appearing in shops and smokehouses for several years. They tempt with delicate and extremely fatty white meat that almost melts in your mouth. Their delightful taste cannot be denied either.
So it’s no wonder that many people among… alternatives to the classic one he also takes into account butterfish, which seem to be a great idea as a novelty on the Christmas Eve table. However, nothing could be further from the truthas many chefs, dietitians and healthy eating experts warn.
Butterfish include species such as: eskolar i kostropak, which occur in the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific Oceans, as well as in the Mediterranean Sea. They are eagerly imported to Poland and used in smoked form or for sushi, though have been banned in many countries. And all this because high content of waxy fats, which makes the fish “melt in your mouth”, but is also extremely difficult for the digestive system.
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Butterfish tempts with its delicate taste and shiny white fillet. Unfortunately, there is nothing pleasant behind this. Butterfish meat contains extremely high concentration of wax esters (fatty esters) that the body cannot digest. Interestingly, in the case of a species such as escolar, these fats can constitute up to 20% of the meat weight. Their excess supplied to the body may result in a severe reaction from the digestive system.
They even have these ailments the technical name “keriorrhea”, which describes sudden digestive disorderssuch as diarrhea, nausea or abdominal pain. Symptoms can appear suddenly and be extremely bothersome, and that’s not it everyone prefers to avoid it at the Christmas Eve table.
In addition butterfish are difficult to digest, tend to absorb mercury and are extremely caloric. 100 g can provide even over 260 calories, while other species contain even twice as much (e.g. tuna). Therefore, it is better to give up this type of food experiments on the Christmas table. It is not without reason that countries such as Italy and Japan have banned the sale of escolar and kostropak.
However, if you want to choose a fish other than carp this year, try alternatives, but don’t let them be butterfish.. Definitely a better choice zander, halibut, garfish, cod or classic salmon. Christmas Eve is not the best time to experiment in the kitchen, so it is better to avoid hard-to-digest butterfish.
