Comments on: Barracuda

By: Denise Lincoln

Denise Lincoln — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 15:56:29 +0000

Hi Ben — Too funny. My mom told me that when she thought of a barracuda she thought of Joan Collins in Dynasty, so definitely follow that rule!

Hi Peter — Good to know :-)

By: Peter

Peter — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 03:03:59 +0000

Be aware thought that Barracuda can have other parasites as well as ciguatera, cook it well!!

By: ben

ben — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 14:26:36 +0000

I have always strictly followed a rule of not sleeping with Barracuda!! Now I have one more reason!

By: Lynae

Lynae — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 04:49:26 +0000

I spent a lot of my childhood in the Caribbean, and we used to catch a lot of barracuda when we went fishing, but I never ate any of it. My dad was too paranoid about the poisoning risk, so we used to give it all to our fishing captain and his neighbors–it was a huge favorite among the locals, who all seemed to have a different story about how to tell whether or not a particular fish was safe to eat. Some people said that you should leave a penny on its skin for a few hours, and if the skin changed a certain color as a result, it was poison. Other people said certain parts were more edible than others. Others said flies won’t land on the poisoned fish.

The article on Wikipedia says that ciguatera poisoning can be transmitted sexually! That’s just crazy!

By: Denise Santoro Lincoln

Denise Santoro Lincoln — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 00:26:58 +0000

Hi Ben — I love the lore of Hawaiians throwing down the barracuda to see if the ants eat it. I suspect Berkeley Bowl’s fish distributor does something a little different!

By: Denise Santoro Lincoln

Denise Santoro Lincoln — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 00:25:11 +0000

Hi Jill — I’d say that barracuda reminds me of swordfish in its substantial texture and mild flavor. Sea bass and halibut seem quite different to me. I guess you’ll just have to try it :-)

By: Jill Tregor

Jill Tregor — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 17:17:16 +0000

I’m curious, how you would compare this to fish like halibut or chilean sea bass? I don’t east the sea bass any more due to Seafood Watch, but I sure do miss it.

By: Denise Lincoln

Denise Lincoln — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 16:16:59 +0000

In case you’re interested, Berkeley Bowl sells Barracuda for $9.99 a pound.

By: ben

ben — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 15:27:59 +0000

I learned in the Keys that the smaller ‘cudas do not usually have the poison in them. The older they get, the more they accumulate in their system. I believe they get it from eating fish around reefs. Since they are so high on food chain, they accumulate the toxins.

I also remember that someone told me the natives on islands will take a chunk and throw on an ant hill. If the ants eat it, it is safe. If not, they don’t eat it either. Perhaps Berkeley Bowl does this test, or maybe a more sophisticated one.

Wahoo is usually a pretty expensive fish, I think.