If you are wondering what a catfish is exactly, you should know that the catfish category contains more than 3,000 species. So, there is not only one kind of fish that is called catfish but thousands more. How can you know whether a specific fish is a catfish? Well, simply look at their whiskers. Do they have those? If yes, that fish is a catfish but if it does not have whiskers, it is not a catfish.
Whiskers are the most important characteristics of catfish which are similar to that of a cat’s. These whiskers help catfish to sense the environment around them and make their everyday life easier. Whiskers are located around the mouth of the catfish and they can have several of them. Different species of catfish can live up to 20 years long. Species of catfish can be ideal meals for fish-lovers since they are delicious. But what does catfish taste like? Let’s take a look at facts and taste of catfish.
Everything on Catfish: Benefits, Taste, Facts
Benefits of Catfish
Apart from its delicious taste, catfish has a high nutritional value for our body. It does not have high amounts of calories which is ideal for those who want to maintain their weight at the current level. Additionally, it has high amounts of protein which is essential for healthy build-up of our muscles. Protein is also great for healing tissues of our body and repairing muscles when they are damaged.
One of the most important nutrient is omega-3 which contributes to the healthy functioning of our brain. Catfish has a high amount of omega-3 which is needed for our brain but it can also help the health of our heart and muscles. Another huge benefit of catfish is that it can help with maintaining our mental health. This is because it has vitamin B12 which aids the prevention of mental health problems.
It is important to look at the age of the catfish you buy to consume. Generally, the higher the age, the higher the amount of mercury that the catfish contains. Mercury can be damaging for neurological health especially during pregnancy.
Catfish, however, contains large amounts of nutrients in small sizes. Thus, many people ask, ‘what does catfish taste like?’ This is because its benefits are known and people want to get the nutrients from it.
Does catfish taste like chicken?
We distinguish catfish based on two factors: whether it was caught from the wild or it was raised in a farm. It is an interesting fact that most of catfish that we eat actually comes from farms and not from the wild due to the convenience of fishing. What is different in these, you might ask. Well, it all depends on how these two different catfish are fed which changes the nutrients that they can provide for us.
Catfish that is raised in farms do not have to hunt for their food since the people that take care of them provide the food. Usually, people make their food to have high amounts of proteins and vitamins which will make the catfish itself full of proteins and other vitamins. On the other hand, catfish in the wild are self-reliant which means that they eat whatever they can catch. So, they might contain differing amounts of proteins and other minerals.
I bet that you find it weird when someone asks that does catfish taste like chicken. Well, you may be surprised to find out that catfish from the farm has high resemblance with chicken meat in that it has a quite mild taste. Catfish from the wild tastes more like the typical fish tastes.
Does catfish taste like cod?
Many people believe that the taste of catfish is similar to that of a cod. However, the cod has a milder taste than catfish. Catfish can also be described as having a stronger flavor than the typical fishy flavor. So, many people who love cod might be wondering: does catfish taste like cod? Well, to know for sure, everyone must try it. A lot of people say that you can either hate or love catfish as part of your diet.
Why does catfish taste like dirt?
If you decided to try catfish, and you have cooked it, you might notice that the catfish tastes like dirt. You should know that dirt taste can be applicable to all kinds of fish not only catfish. So, why does catfish taste like dirt in some cases?
A lot of people think that this taste of dirt originates from the bottom of lake or pond that they get the fish from. This is not true. This taste might come from sources such as a chemical compound that comes from different bacteria and algae on the lake. It is very hard to get rid of this taste so it is recommended to just leave it altogether and look for another one to eat.
You can eat cat fish in different ways. The most popular way is to fry the catfish which means that you have to prepare it in oil. This makes the catfish crunchier and delicious. You can also bake, roast, and boil the catfish, mixing it with other elements as well.
Conclusion
When we talk about catfish, you might be thinking of one fish only. However, catfish includes more than 3,000 species which you can recognize by looking at their whiskers around their mouth. Whiskers are one of the most important sensory guide for catfish in their everyday life. Catfish can live up to 20 years and all species contain high nutritional value for people who love to eat fish. However, catfish that is old might contain high amounts of mercury that can damage the neurological health.
Catfish serves a lot of benefits such as proteins and different vitamins to our body. You can prepare it in different ways such as roasting, frying, and boiling and many others. You might wonder what does catfish taste like. Well, there is no specific definition about its taste but its taste can be categorized between mild to strong flavor. To be sure, you should try it which apart from its taste, it will provide with a lot of nutrients for your body.
