375516 Tue Feb 27 12:39:58 -0800 2007 65 31 Home Cooking 0 2334435 Hi there - I got a large tray of tilapia filets from costco about a month ago - I divided them up into 2 fillet servings and stored them in freezer bags with all the air sucked out with a drinking straw. I used 2 of them this past weekend in a portuguese cataplana I was making with prawns and clams. The seafood is added at the end and steamed in the tomato sauce until just done. The fish had a real earthy taste - like potting soil earthy. Nothing else in the dish had this flavour. The fish didn't look freezer burned at all so I'm wondering what this was? I've only had tilapia once before at a restaurant and never noticed this taste, but it was served blackened so those spices could have masked it. I have noticed this earthy taste before in fish - usually perch or sunfish we caught in the lake as kids, and just assumed it was what they were eating. now I've got 3 more bags of it in the freezer............................what to do? Thanks in advance for any insights you can give me. Tue Feb 27 12:39:58 -0800 2007 16210 shana 1 2334486 Hmmm, I cook with Tilapia a lot because it is typically the freshest and most affordable fish at the grocery stores near me. The reason Tilapia is either loved or hated is that it literally has no taste. It is a VERY mild, even slightly sweet white fish. Not much going on flavor-wise, the reason a lot of chefs and people hate it, but the reason why fishy-phobic Americans tend to like it. But it can be great in a way, like tofu, because you can flavor it with almost anything! Also, Tilapia is farm raised which can be bad for the environment, but since it is mostly a vegetarian (or can be mostly vegetarian) it typically makes lists of sustainable and environmentally friendly fish. So...all that said, it's interesting that your fish tasted earthy. Did it say on the package if it was wild/farmed or anything about where it came from? Also I have heard that sometimes it's caught, frozen, then thawed for processing, then frozen again, then who knows how long it sat in a freezer warehouse before you bought it and thawed it again? Perhaps it just picked up some bad freezer taste before it even got to you? Not sure if that is helpful! Sorry! :) Tue Feb 27 12:50:44 -0800 2007 2334435 52195 HomeCookKirsten 1 2334502 I had this issue with fresh Tilapia from Whole Foods. I haven't had it since so i would love to hear what others have to say. Tue Feb 27 12:55:08 -0800 2007 2334435 15001 jsaimd 1 2334530 I've found that freshwater fish, especially farm-raised, often does taste earthy (aka "muddy"), although not as often as it used to. Lay on the hot spices? Tue Feb 27 13:00:18 -0800 2007 2334435 10400 Aromatherapy 2 3464654 Very interesting. I had the same "muddy" taste with catfish once, but thought it may have been because it's a mud dweller. I also haven't been able to bring myself to eat it since. Wed Mar 05 20:38:22 -0800 2008 2334530 11778 irishnyc 2 3754920 Farm-raised tilapia, catfish and trout all have that dirty muddy flavor to me. I think the reasons are two-fold. One is they are fed pelletized high-protein food, which usually has a high amount of fish meal in it. If you've ever smelled the pellets, they not only smell very fishy, they also smell dirty - I think it's the residual effects of the fish protein breaking down into ammonia, nitrites, and nitrates while it is being processed. This same process occurs when the fish creates waste matter. Since the number of fishes in the ponds or tanks far exceeds the normal ratio of fish to gallons of water in a natural environment, and since there is no natural biological cyle in place to gradually process the fish waste from protein by-products to nitrogen, filters and pumps have to do this, and are far less efficient, given the high population of fishes. Living in water that is high in different forms of nitrogenous waste and eating feed that is high in poor quality protein probably saturates the fish with this dirty algal smell. Thu Jun 05 22:29:15 -0700 2008 2334530 64003 bulavinaka 1 2334532 I've quit buying farm raised fish for that very reason. My husband says it's the algae in the water -- the "fish farmers" don't keep it cleaned out or killed or whatever they do to destroy it. Tue Feb 27 13:00:40 -0800 2007 2334435 57171 ncs821 1 2334549 I wonder if it matters if they are wild or farmed? I know wild Tilapia eat mainly algae and farmed live on pellets that are mostly vegetarian but can include a low percentage of fish matter? I have always had very mild Tilapia, but perhaps I am eating Arizona farmed Tilapia which if it is anything like Arizona farmed Shrimp, is sweet and mild? Tue Feb 27 13:03:20 -0800 2007 2334435 52195 HomeCookKirsten 1 2334747 I don't recall ever having seen wild Tilapia in the market. That off-taste of muddiness frequently found in the flavor of Tilapia is the reason I have quit buying it. It was not 100% consistent but more like in 50% of the time that it occurred with the Tilapia I cooked. It was unpredictable and undetectable until it was tasted. Rather than try to obscure the taste by preparing it with strong flavored ingredients, I now substitute Pollock fillets in any recipe calling for Tilapia. Locally in So. Calif. Pollock is readily available, inexpensive and I prefer its taste and texture over Tilapia. Tue Feb 27 13:38:04 -0800 2007 2334435 19094 Sam D. 1 2334814 I am so glad to hear that other people taste mud in tilapia too, because most people look at me like I'm crazy when I tell them this. I've found it in the fish I buy to prepare at home, and in restaurants, so I've just stopped eating it altogether. Tilapia, like beets, are part of the Tastes Like Basement category of foods for me. Tue Feb 27 13:49:16 -0800 2007 2334435 29114 WineWidow 2 2336970 TASTES LIKE BASEMENT! oh that is too funny. I love it! ha ha ha Wed Feb 28 07:15:22 -0800 2007 2334814 16210 shana 2 2362907 Me too! I used to cook with it all the time, but it just kept getting more and more "dirt" like in flavor. I quit. Wed Mar 07 13:59:55 -0800 2007 2334814 56762 LulusMom 1 2335022 Almost all tilapia is farm raised. Like all farm raised there are few good producers who raise fish in clean conditions, with good quality feed, adequate swim space, and in a non-polluting manner. Most do not and since tilapia is the cheapest of the cheaply farmed fish it suffers the most from bad raising conditions. Polemics aside, this often gives the muddy off flavor you mentioned. This is not a natural variation in the flavor of the fish (like some wild catfish) it is the result of bad growing conditions. Tilapia in the wild or raised sustainable has a mild, sweet flavor, or non-flavor as the case may be. Tue Feb 27 14:47:01 -0800 2007 2334435 10099 JudiAU 1 2336391 I have this problem with farm-raised trout as well as tilapia. But my husband doesn't taste it, so not everyone is sensitive to it. My uncle raised tilapia for a while and says they have that taste if they don't spend their final days in a cleaning pond (kind of like feeding snails on cornmeal to clean them out, I guess). As an aside, tilapia has a long history of being farmed. The Romans had tilapia farms, including one in the basement of the multistory market, the Harrods of Rome. Tue Feb 27 22:03:21 -0800 2007 2334435 19542 Karen_Schaffer 1 2337017 Thank you everyone - it's good to know I'm not crazy - my husband couldn't taste it either. I'll try laying on the spices next time and if that doesn't cover it our kitties will be eating good for a few days. Wed Feb 28 07:30:40 -0800 2007 2334435 16210 shana 1 2337118 Funny, my friend prepared/ate it from one of those "prepare & freeze" places & reported the same thing. I buy it at Costco & have not noticed, but perhaps the way I prepare it masks that taste for me? I definitely am going to pay close attention the next time I eat it though. Wed Feb 28 07:58:42 -0800 2007 2334435 11128 pamd 2 2340434 I usually avoid tilipia because of that taste, but I had some from Costco recently and it did not have that taste. That fish was farm raised in Costa Rica and seemed incredibly fresh. Wed Feb 28 23:11:05 -0800 2007 2337118 39764 coconutz 1 2337122 i avoid tilapia for this reason. it does seem pretty unpredictable, as i've had fish with a pronounced muddy taste in a couple of restaurants that i know use good quality ingredients and reputable suppliers. i'm not sure if the original poster searched on this topic, but there was a thread a long time ago on the original chowhound about someone wondering about fish that "tasted like dirt." it turned out to be tilapia. Wed Feb 28 07:58:54 -0800 2007 2334435 11199 wleatherette 1 2337196 Sigh. I just have a sinking feeling when I walk by the seafood section of the supermarket these days. Everything is farmed, or prohibitivley expensive. (But, here in the middle of the midwest, mostly everything is farmed.) Gourmet had a sobering article on farmed shrimp this month. Not going to be able to eat that any more. Wed Feb 28 08:19:19 -0800 2007 2334435 46897 gridder 2 2338084 Don't buy your seafood at the supermarket. You're right--it's mostly all farmed if it is inexpensive. Find a good fish market, start fishing yourself, make friends with local fishermen who often give away part of their catch. Cheap, farm-raised imports are killing our domestic commercial fishing industry....eat wild-caught or don't eat it at all. Wed Feb 28 11:38:43 -0800 2007 2337196 12023 Hungry Celeste 3 2409231 I agreed with you 100 percent .. Wild- caught are the best than farm-raised imports also farm -raised red drum(redfish) in Texas .. Wed Mar 21 18:22:29 -0700 2007 2338084 84874 fisherman 3 2969150 that is easier said than done especially hard for people that live in the heartland shipping costs to the middle of the country for wild fish can make it cost Double what a farm raised fish goes for in the mid-west if you live along the coast of the country you can get away with doing that Sun Sep 23 19:26:00 -0700 2007 2338084 113619 foodperv 1 2337842 I usually avoid tilapia and can't eat catfish for the same reason. I used to like freshwater eel but no longer care for that much, either. Wed Feb 28 10:48:39 -0800 2007 2334435 12341 vanillagrrl 1 2338037 I've had the same bottom-of-the-pond flavor in some wild caught pond panfish -- I agree that it's a sensitivity thing - - my husband, usually hypersensitive, doesn't notice it at all ... Wed Feb 28 11:29:01 -0800 2007 2334435 23305 alaughingdog 1 2338208 Tilapia is one of those fishes with an earthy taste. That's why I avoid it. Wed Feb 28 12:06:25 -0800 2007 2334435 59502 WHills 1 2338230 I bought a huge bag of frozen tilapia in Shopper's Food Warehouse and the taste is *aweful*! I'd call it "gamey," like not-fresh fish tastes, but maybe it's the same thing you are talking about. I used as much as I can stand, but I think the rest is going to become garden food. Wed Feb 28 12:11:06 -0800 2007 2334435 70510 xnyorkr 1 2340573 Tilapia is just rarely worth eating, just on its own merits. Then add frozen, and you've worsened it much more; I find deep frozen fish are very often less succulent and less sweetly flavored than fish kept on ice. Thu Mar 01 04:58:21 -0800 2007 2334435 13819 Karl S 1 2341503 Good points - in the past I avoided Tilapia, but over the past 6 months have had some really good tasting & good textured Tilapia that seems very fresh, so my opinion has improved dramatically. Anymore I just can't make frozen fish (of any kind!) get the right texture no matter how I cook it, so I am more likely - like Karl S said - to buy fish on ice right before I am eating it. Thu Mar 01 09:46:31 -0800 2007 2334435 52195 HomeCookKirsten 1 2358689 thought i'd revive this as i had some good fried catfish over the weekend. it had a slight muddiness to it, but nothing off-putting. it's totally different than the earthiness of tilapia, which to me is overpowering. a spiced cornmeal coating was enough to take care of the catfish, while i can't think of anything strong enough to mask tilapia at its worst. it really is like a mouthful of soil. Tue Mar 06 12:43:12 -0800 2007 2334435 11199 wleatherette 2 2361029 You probably had pond-raised catfish, which I won't eat. All of those pond-raised fishes are fed a commercial diet of pelleted food, so that's pretty much what they taste like.....to me, it tastes the way dog or cat food smells (or the intensely grainy smell of a grain elevator or silo). Not a bad smell per se, just not what I want out of my seafood. In bread, yes. In fish, no. Wild fish don't eat Archer Daniels Midland corn products. Wed Mar 07 07:06:14 -0800 2007 2358689 12023 Hungry Celeste 3 2361092 i'm sure that's true about the pellets, and not a good thing. however, there was no strong taste to the catfish that we had, just a slight muddy note. i guess my point was that while several posters had said that it was similar to the earthiness of tilapia, i think that the two are totally different. it seems to me that there's just something very off about tilapia sometimes, no matter how it's raised. Wed Mar 07 07:25:34 -0800 2007 2361029 11199 wleatherette 1 2362491 I once saw a show on catfish farming, they caught and cooked a few fish out of the pond before harvest. Tasters had to ok the fish before they started processing the whole batch. I remember one of the farmers getting upset when the taster said "off" after tasing his fish. I doubt this is a practice followed everywhere. Wed Mar 07 12:15:48 -0800 2007 2334435 10784 Scrapironchef 2 2402331 I had Tilapia the first time yesterday and was googling online to find its nutritional value and found this site. I have eaten the Kroger brand frozen tilapia and it was so good. Yesterday I cooked it in a pan with a spray coating, garlic, pepper, no salt Tony's, then added lemon and it was terrific. Today I had it again because it was so good. I baked it with pepper, no salt Tony's, paprika, parsley flakes, (forgot the garlic) and it was still great. I hope I don't get the earthy tasting kind next time! Mon Mar 19 20:31:03 -0700 2007 2362491 84311 Svetlana 3 2402652 Svetlana, I am glad you got good Tilapia - or that you can't taste the earthiness. Since this thread began, I have had Tilapia again twice and I REALLY tried to taste the flavor to see if I could detect the dirt flavor. Once I could and once I could not. So, I guess it comes down to taste and how you prepare it. Mon Mar 19 23:32:00 -0700 2007 2402331 52195 HomeCookKirsten 1 2964925 I had a similar experience with frozen basa, a catfish. Fri Sep 21 18:41:22 -0700 2007 2334435 48187 trixel 1 2969406 Well I guess I am not alone, I thought the same thing. In fact all farm raised fish taste "off" to me. Shrimp too, it all has a distinct taste that is not at all pleasant. Sun Sep 23 21:26:38 -0700 2007 2334435 50431 chef chicklet 1 2974558 Tilapia is one of my favorite fishes - when my dad buys them from the fish market whole and bakes them with salt and pepper. I've bought frozen filets in the past, and the flavor pales in comparison to whole tilapia. Tue Sep 25 11:05:32 -0700 2007 2334435 124125 seconds 2 2994776 my supermarket has whole tilapia( prev frozen of course) for 99 cents a pound they don't say if it is farm raised or not but i am guessing it is Mon Oct 01 19:50:59 -0700 2007 2974558 113619 foodperv 1 3182534 I just saw this post, but I am glad to find out that I'm not the only one who thinks that tilapia tastes like dirt. I have tried it prepared by a very good cook who assured me that they were fresh and that I would probably like them, as they are a very mild, white fish. Sorry, but they tasted like dirt. I tried again months later by ordering it at a restaurant and guess what -- it still tasted like dirt. I will not eat this fish again. With so many good things to eat, who needs this? I hope shana threw out the fish, or prepared it for her cats, if they would eat it. Wed Dec 05 13:33:58 -0800 2007 2334435 148035 samGA 1 3463003 This has happen to me also. I have been told two things. One is that it depends on the month the fish has been harvested/caught and the the water level of the lake (natural not farmed) and the other is that once you have removed the dark areas of the fillets it should be better. The darker meat tends to be the worse muddy tasting. hope this is helpful. Wed Mar 05 12:21:05 -0800 2008 2334435 172141 milena64 2 3463754 You may not want to learn this, but on a Dirty Jobs episode (foods), they looked at farmed fish. At that particular operation, stripped bass was the primary product. Tilapia (and carp) were a secondary product, raised on the waste water from the bass ponds. I can't say whether that makes a difference in the taste. I'm not sure what 'dirt' tastes like, since I'm not in the habit of eating it. paulj Wed Mar 05 15:24:28 -0800 2008 3463003 12139 paulj 3 3464671 When i saw that episode, I got up and threw out the tilapia I had in my freezer. It completely grossed me out, and I'm not easily grossed out. Wed Mar 05 20:43:50 -0800 2008 3463754 11778 irishnyc 3 3466112 I absolutely hate tilapia. Had it once, fresh from our favorite fishmonger. Will never have it again. There was definitely an unappealing aftertaste. IIRC I roasted it in the oven with S&P and lemon juice. Thu Mar 06 10:23:48 -0800 2008 3463754 75332 Gio 4 3686253 I bought two whole tilapia through our CSA, but have been a bit squeamish about cooking a whole fish. The farmer also grows hydroponic greens using the fish water, and claims to store the fish in a clean tank for a few days before 'harvest.' Based on this post, I imagine it's to minimize the basement flavor. I'm going to give it a try this weekend...wish me luck. Wed May 14 10:09:27 -0700 2008 3466112 27715 shindiganna 5 3686299 Cook's Illustrated just did a piece on this...They found that the muddy taste in freshwater fish like tilapia and catfish is caused by a compound called geosmin...the fish consume the compound as they ingest algae. They found acid breaks down the compound, and eliminates the flavor, but most acid ingredients, like lemon juice are too acidic, and cook the fish (tilipia ceviche, anyone?). Their solution was to soak it in buttermilk for an hour before cooking to eliminate the muddy flavor. Wed May 14 10:18:12 -0700 2008 3686253 116345 ChefBoyAreMe 6 3731947 Yes! Thank you for posting this--am going to try the buttermilk soak next time--had stopped buying tilapia and catfish because of that muddiness. Thu May 29 14:08:53 -0700 2008 3686299 19989 ketchupgirl 1 3686378 Lots of Tilapia is farm raised in Southeast Asia where it develops a muddy flavor. Wild Caugh Tilapia I've had in Mexico.... whether it comes from the Pacific Ocean, Gulf of Cortez, or Lagoons in Veracruz... it definitely doesn't have a muddy flavor, and is also not tasteless... its not strong tasting and is best suited for some Whole Deep Fried (not battered) & plus a few squeezes of lime....but its not watery or tasteless as the Frozen versions they carry at Trader Joe's Wed May 14 10:34:53 -0700 2008 2334435 42572 Eat_Nopal 2 3686392 >>>Wild Caugh Tilapia I've had in Mexico.... whether it comes from the Pacific Ocean, Gulf of Cortez, or Lagoons in Veracruz<<< Tilapia are freshwater fish, sometimes found in brackish water. Given that, (brackish) lagoons are the only one of the three sources you cite that would seem possible for them to be found in... Wed May 14 10:38:42 -0700 2008 3686378 116345 ChefBoyAreMe 3 3686870 Nope.... Tilapia, like Salmon, Perch and some Trout can live in either in Fresh or Salt water. And I have personally seen them being brought in by boat on the north side of Acapulco. Wed May 14 12:31:39 -0700 2008 3686392 42572 Eat_Nopal 4 3686924 Wondering if maybe the fish in Mexico is another species, but the same name is used. I can't find any references to a wild salt water population, though there is some testing of farm raised saltwater tilapia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tilapia http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1749-7345.1994.tb00227.x Wed May 14 12:45:07 -0700 2008 3686870 116345 ChefBoyAreMe 5 3687179 Its possible... the name Mojarra is used for Tilapia as well as Perch and Perch shaped fish... but I do know what Red Tilapia looks like... and I am pretty sure that is what is being caught in the Gulf of Cortez as well as the coast off Acapulco: http://www.geocities.jp/caimanpendejo_mx/catemaco_1/catemaco_1E.html http://www.centraldecarnes.com.mx/images/productos/PESCADO,POLLO,PAVO/a2-mojarra.jpg Wed May 14 13:44:57 -0700 2008 3686924 42572 Eat_Nopal 1 3686382 Lots of Tilapia is farm raised in Southeast Asia where it develops a muddy flavor. Wild Caugh Tilapia I've had in Mexico.... whether it comes from the Pacific Ocean, Gulf of Cortez, or Lagoons in Veracruz... it definitely doesn't have a muddy flavor, and is also not tasteless... its not strong tasting and is best suited for some Whole Deep Fried (not battered) & plus a few squeezes of lime....but its not watery or tasteless as the Frozen versions they carry at Trader Joe's Wed May 14 10:35:31 -0700 2008 2334435 42572 Eat_Nopal 1 3695208 OK, the deed's been done. To my surprise, the fish was cleaned and scaled. HOORAY, no scales flying around my kitchen! Cutting off the fins was a bit much for my shears, DH had to do it. After washing inside and out, I stuffed it with fennel and baked it in my 10" cast iron skillet, on a bed of orange slices. I flipped it halfway through baking, so I could judge doneness. I tried to fillet the fish by cutting along the spine etc, but the meat was so tender and slippery, and my hand so inexperienced that it turned out flaked rather than filleted. And the brains/head bit was a bit repulsive..but I managed to find the cheeks. The flavor wasnt muddy, but a bit metallic. I've one more tilapia in the freezer, so next time I will try pyrex pan and lemon juice, and maybe some stronger herbs. The fennel/orange combo seemed too sweet and didn't really compliment the fish. Maybe gremolata? Bagna cauda? Overall not bad. Fri May 16 17:23:33 -0700 2008 2334435 27715 shindiganna 1 3727061 I find letting any "muddy" tasting fish,sit in lemon juice gets rid of any yucky tastes. We eat a lot of catfish,which is horrible for tasting like dirt. soak in some lemon juice,a few drops of hot sauce,some garlic pepper and it is just a wonderful mild fish-my pickiest eater never complains about it. Wed May 28 08:56:45 -0700 2008 2334435 195888 tammanye 1 3728461 Any dirt-tasting fish (like catfish or tilapia) will benefit from soaking in buttermilk for about an hour. Eliminates the yucky taste, which is great, because tilapia is a cheap fish. Wed May 28 14:53:56 -0700 2008 2334435 196011 guitargirlcbr 1 3732616 as another poster pointed out, it's geosmin and as i understand it it it comes from the fish eating certain green algaes in the farm pond. Thu May 29 17:59:57 -0700 2008 2334435 10372 FED 2 3754087 Bobby Flay catches up.... today I watched him grill tilapia and serve with a caper beurre blanc. He served grilled asparagus with vinaigrette on the side.... Thu Jun 05 16:31:24 -0700 2008 3732616 27715 shindiganna 1 3754419 i only buy my tilapia from one place now. I used to get from grocery, but they are mainly from china on a fish farm. But now I get from a fish monger and love it. It is from the Rainforest. Best taste ever. I have never had a mud tasting piece and I eat it at least 3 times a week. Thu Jun 05 18:30:51 -0700 2008 2334435 178062 thecountryrose 2 3754466 What do you mean, "It is from the Rainforest?" Thu Jun 05 18:45:10 -0700 2008 3754419 11995 pikawicca 3 3754561 The indonesian rain forests. Thu Jun 05 19:28:29 -0700 2008 3754466 178062 thecountryrose 1 4343580 So, all the fish I've ever made I've just been able to throw into the broil and eat without any seasoning at all, so I did the same with Tilapia.... I know, huge mistake. I feel like a total idiot, but what the heck?? I'd never heard of a dirt-tasting fish before. I had to drown it in tartar sauce to be edible at all. I can't believe the brackish water and resulting geosmin aren't harmful to your health somehow... But I couldn't find anything to suggest otherwise... Anyway, disgusting. Really disgusting. Next time (?), I'll definitely try the buttermilk and/or lemon juice thing. Wed Jan 21 00:07:06 -0800 2009 2334435 259116 anongoodnurse 1 4343693 I refer to Monterey Bay Aquarium's Seafood Watch program as a guide to fish products. They say to avoid Chinese/Taiwanese tilapia, usually raised in polluted waters (no surprise there), South American comes next, and they rate 'Best' US farmed. I only see Equadorean at my local markets. I bought Regal Springs brand frozen tilapia 'loins' (fillets) at Trader Joes - Malaysian, spring waters, and it is some of the sweetest fish I have ever had - I coat it in black sesame seeds and pan sear in a non-stick with a smidgen of oil. I have long thrown out all my muddy tasting Chinese frozen fish (and read labels! Ralphs - Kroger - sells 'American Seafood' or something brand - print on back, 'China'. UGH) How the fish is raised, IMO, affects the taste. So I research and read labels. Wed Jan 21 04:09:12 -0800 2009 2334435 114951 leetmom7 2 4518369 Funny, I found this forum by searching for tilapia +metallic taste ... because I just finished baking and eating those very Trader Joe's Tilapia Loins, and wondered why they tasted so oddly metallic. Grateful for all the wisdom above. There is a whole fillet left in the freezer, so before I cook it I'll soak it in buttermilk for an hour to avoid the soil/algae/basement/metallic taste altogether. I'm a cooking rookie, so any information that will help is entirely welcome. Wed Mar 18 21:49:17 -0700 2009 4343693 275635 tener_piedad 1 4519503 Like Winewidow, beets "taste like basement" to me, but I've never had that with tilapia. Either I lack the ability to detect its earthy element, have beat the odds and only gotten good ones, or it's that my usual method of preparation is to bake it with a topping of julienned vegetables mixed with teriyaki marinade. I eat it about twice a month, sometimes more. I've always bought it at the fresh fish counter but I assume some or all of it has been previously frozen. Thu Mar 19 10:59:35 -0700 2009 2334435 159317 greygarious 2 4519600 One of my favorite TV show with the hunk Mike Rowe is "Dirty Jobs". The show in question was a salmon farm in which the way to get rid of "In the words of Mike Rowe...POOP" was to feed the waste to Tilapia... And in the words of ex-president Nixon on Laugh-In....."I KID YOU NOT" Thu Mar 19 11:30:55 -0700 2009 4519503 151974 HotMelly 1 4520159 We've been buying tilapia from Costco for a few years now and doing exactly what you do with it. We've never noticed what you're reporting. Could be our palates but more likely the specific fish you bought. Whether that has anything to do with where you live or Costco's supply chain I could only guess. Thu Mar 19 14:05:48 -0700 2009 2334435 11405 Midlife