# What is the least fishy fish?



## AlanS2323 (Mar 17, 2009)

As I make my foray into the fish world, I'm not sure which fish to choose.  I live in Seattle, so I'm thinking fresh salmon would probably be a good choice. However, I tried it last week and it was a bit fishy.  Are there certain kinds of fish that are less fishy than others? I know I've had tuna that's like eating a steak.


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## Callisto in NC (Mar 17, 2009)

Fish is going to be fishy.  The least "fishy" in my opinion is Talapia (Tilapia), I can never spell it but it's a very common fillet that most stores carry.  Trout is extremely fishy, I would save that for when you are more familiar with your tastes.  Orange Roughy (another spelling I just massacred) is a nice light fish too.


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## Andy M. (Mar 17, 2009)

Some fish are oilier and therefore have a stronger fish flavor.  Salmon and swordfish are among those.  Look for a white fish such as tilapia, cod, haddock.


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## Katie H (Mar 17, 2009)

Tilapia is a great non-fishy fish and it lends itself well to seasonings.  Perch is also good.  As for orange roughy, one of my fravorite ways is to cook it on the grill outside.  Soooo good.


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## ChefJune (Mar 17, 2009)

I realize that many posters here think this is not important, but as long as you are just now starting to get into eating fish, you may as well choose from the ones that are more environmentally friendly, as well as being lower in mercury.  The Monterey Bay Aquarium has a wonderful site called *Seafood Watch*, where they provide all this information. The entire previous sentence is a link.  

Super-fresh is also important for keeping fish from coming across as "fishy."  If I walk into a market or section selling fish and I can smell what we call "fishy" smells, I walk out, not buying anything.  At that point, it's very difficult to tell what is and isn't the culprit, especially if they are only selling fillets.

All that said, the various fishes called "sole" are the least fishy in flavor, also perch.


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## Uncle Bob (Mar 17, 2009)

I agree with ChefJune...Super, Super Fresh at this point in your Fish journey...Avoid frozen at this stage of your tasting experiences..It's good...but stick with fresh for now.....Also agree any of the "Flat Fish"...Flounders, soles, halibuts, turbots, and others would be good choices for very mild taste...Again... emphasis on Fresh!!


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## JustMeToo (Mar 17, 2009)

I would have to say Talapia and Cod.


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## Jikoni (Mar 17, 2009)

^ I agree JustMetoo. (I have to admit, I am curious how you came up with that name) Anyway, back to the topic. Monkfish is quite meaty and less fishy in my opinion.


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## Katie H (Mar 17, 2009)

Jikoni said:


> ^ I agree JustMetoo. (I have to admit, I am curious how you came up with that name) Anyway, back to the topic. Monkfish is quite meaty and less fishy in my opinion.



I like monkfish, too, Jikoni but we can't get it here anymore.  I love to steam it, then put it under the broiler and serve it with drawn garlic butter.  Poor man's lobster.  Yummy!


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## ellakav (Mar 17, 2009)

tilapia for sure like everyone says.  before I had kids I LOVED fish.
it was kinda bad with my first, but after my second and the morning
sickness I had to this day the scent of fish makes my eyes water!!
he's almost three years old now, and I don't
know why fish is still bugging me at this point, but I can deal with 
tilapia just fine.


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## BreezyCooking (Mar 17, 2009)

In my opinion - & this is just personal opinion - I find all freshwater fish much blander & thus less "fishy" than any saltwater fish.  This would include Tilapia, Trout, & Catfish, with U.S. farm-raised Catfish my favorite of the three.  But make sure it's *U.S.* farm-raised - not imported.  U.S. farm-raised catfish are raised under very sustainable & hygenic conditions as compared to other farmed fish, & the flavor is delicate, versatile, & anything but fishy.  

My favorite ways of preparing it are baked with a topping of mayonnaise, cayenne pepper, & herbs; "marinated" in a spicy Cajun dry-rub ("Emeril's Essence") & then baked or fried; or tossed with highly-seasoned flour &/or cornmeal, fried, & served with tartar sauce.  

As far as saltwater fish, which I will always favor over freshwater, having been born & raised on the waters of Long Island, NY, you can choose any of the flatfish for mildness - flounder, sole, halibut, etc.  Cod, even though it's "white", can still be a bit fishy (although I do love it).

Where you're located, WILD salmon is definitely a good choice.  If you didn't care for it your first time around, I'd experiment again with a different recipe, perhaps with a nice sauce that compliments the fish.  Salmon isn't considered mild or strong - sort of in the middle - thus it lends itself to all sorts of sauce possibilities.  I like it with a teriyaki or other soy-based glaze, or even just dressed with a lemony Hollandaise (Knorr makes a great packaged one if you're like me & rarely make your own from scratch - lol).

Regardless - keep trying!!  Seafood is a great medium to experiment with, & so very good for you!


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## Callisto in NC (Mar 17, 2009)

The only trout I've ever eaten was hand caught by myself or my family when I was growing up.  I've never bought trout from any market.  I always considered it fishy in nature so I am very interested in those that say it isn't.  Tilapia is definitely lighter than trout.  I love trout, don't get me wrong, I just find it fishy.


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## kitchenelf (Mar 17, 2009)

I love most any kind of fish so I don't find trout fish at all.  

Like Andy said earlier, the more oily the fish the more "fishy".  As far as salmon, I find it less fishy if it's cooked to medium rare or rare.  I prefer mine on the rare side and that has very little fishiness to it.  

You will find a lot of fish only requires a good sprinkling of kosher salt, pepper, and some fresh-squeezed lemon.  After that you can do lots of things - fresh oregano and feta cheese for a Greek note; lime, cilantro, tomatoes for a Mexican note; capers, rosemary, kalamata olives, tomatoes for an Italian note.


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## toni1948 (Mar 17, 2009)

Tilapia and Flounder come to mind.


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## GotGarlic (Mar 17, 2009)

A few notes, in addition to what others have said:

- overcooked fish gets a "fishy" odor and flavor
- sole is very expensive in the U.S. - anything marketed as sole for under $20/lb. is probably something else
- imo, frozen is often better than "fresh," unless you're buying from a fishmonger whom you KNOW is buying fresh each day from fishermen. Much fish is frozen on the boat these days, so what looks "fresh" in the grocery store has often been frozen and then thawed for display, so it's not as fresh as it seems. Ask how often the fresh fish is delivered and whether it has ever been frozen.
- I stopped eating tilapia when I read that most (95%) of the tilapia sold in the U.S. comes from China, where it's grown under unsanitary conditions and given chemicals that would be illegal in this country.


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## Callisto in NC (Mar 17, 2009)

Wondering about the "China tilapia" I googled and found something that's more of a reason to not eat the fish than where it may or may not come from:  Popular Tilapia Might Not Help Heart - US News and World Report

Another interesting article http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/08/07/AR2007080700470.html


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## blissful (Mar 17, 2009)

AlanS2323 said:


> Are there certain kinds of fish that are less fishy than others?


Chicken fish and Beef fish.

I like blue gill fillets the morning after fishing.


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## texasgirl (Mar 17, 2009)

If you have it, Crappie is really good. I don't care for any other freshwater, too fishy and dirty in taste.


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## blissful (Mar 17, 2009)

texasgirl said:


> If you have it, Crappie is really good. I don't care for any other freshwater, too fishy and dirty in taste.


Ah Texasgirl, come on up here to a spring fed lake and taste the rest of the fresh water fish though I love Crappies in the spring too. The area I live in (Wisconsin), especially the Kettle Moraine area, have fresh water lakes, springs everywhere, the fish are great. We even have springs above land here. Fish do so much better in cold lakes. (certain fish) Next time you are in my area, let me know and I'll share.  We'll go fishing, clean 'em up and cook them while they are fresh. It will be a girl's night out. ~Bliss


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## texasgirl (Mar 17, 2009)

blissful said:


> Ah Texasgirl, come on up here to a spring fed lake and taste the rest of the fresh water fish though I love Crappies in the spring too. The area I live in (Wisconsin), especially the Kettle Moraine area, have fresh water lakes, springs everywhere, the fish are great. We even have springs above land here. Fish do so much better in cold lakes. (certain fish) Next time you are in my area, let me know and I'll share.  We'll go fishing, clean 'em up and cook them while they are fresh. It will be a girl's night out. ~Bliss



your on!!


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## Jeff G. (Mar 17, 2009)

Tilapia basically has no flavor.  If you don't season it well, its rather tasteless and boring. 

To me the safest fish to cook is Flounder.  It is not fishy at all, has a nice sweet flavor, works well grilled, fried, baked, stuffed.  Stuffed Flounder is my favorite way to eat it.  

Make up some deviled crab cakes, stuff them into the flounder, bake or grill.. yummy..


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## GotGarlic (Mar 17, 2009)

Callisto in NC said:


> Wondering about the "China tilapia" I googled and found something that's more of a reason to not eat the fish than where it may or may not come from:  Popular Tilapia Might Not Help Heart - US News and World Report
> 
> Another interesting article Two Sides to Every Tilapia - washingtonpost.com



Thanks for reminding me of that. There are a lot of good reasons to avoid tilapia.


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## mike in brooklyn (Mar 18, 2009)

Callisto in NC said:


> The only trout I've ever eaten was hand caught by myself or my family when I was growing up. I've never bought trout from any market. I always considered it fishy in nature so I am very interested in those that say it isn't. Tilapia is definitely lighter than trout. I love trout, don't get me wrong, I just find it fishy.


 
Farmd and wild Trout are very different tasting. I was a fly fisherman
and only once did I eat the catch (used to return them to the stream)
and it had a stronger flavor than what is available in the fish store.
I had 'wild' Tilapia once in a restaurant and it had a much stronger flavor than farmed. A lot of Chefs think farmed Tilapia is on a par with Tofu
ie: completely tasteless.

Agree that flatfish - sole, flounder, fluke , halibut along
with cod and farmed catfish are less oily thus less fishy than
herring,bluefish, salmon etc.


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## les (Mar 18, 2009)

Can you get trout? that's not fishy...more creamy :0)


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## licia (Mar 18, 2009)

Alton made fish and chips last night using tilapia and it looked great. I'm going to try that.


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## blocksnboards (Mar 18, 2009)

I agree with the above Cod and Tilapi both very non-fishy and easy to find at the store.


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## ellakav (Mar 18, 2009)

yeah, Crappie is the bomb if caught in really cold water.  when I was a kid my dad would take our used Christmas trees each year in the boat and pitch them somewhere in the cove with bricks tied to them to weigh them
down.  it made a nest for them and they would populate it pretty heavily
by early spring.  then he'd sit out there and catch a whole mess of them,
clean them and cook them.  we'd have these huge fish-frys with the
Crappie, buttermilk slaw and hush puppies.  some of the best memories 
of my childhood.


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## ChefJune (Mar 18, 2009)

blissful said:


> Ah Texasgirl, come on up here to a spring fed lake and taste the rest of the fresh water fish though I love Crappies in the spring too. The area I live in (Wisconsin), especially the Kettle Moraine area, have fresh water lakes, springs everywhere, the fish are great. We even have springs above land here. Fish do so much better in cold lakes. (certain fish) Next time you are in my area, let me know and I'll share.  We'll go fishing, clean 'em up and cook them while they are fresh. It will be a girl's night out. ~Bliss


 
Aaaaah, Bliss, you are taking me back to my childhood!  The Kettle Moraine is where some of the best fish of my life came from, and also where I learned to clean the little suckers! (some not so little! )


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## Constance (Mar 18, 2009)

Whatever the fish, a squeeze of lemon juice takes away the "fishy" taste and just makes it taste sweeter. 

I think any fish from cold water tends to be firmer fleshed and less fishy tasting. I'm a real fish-eater, though, so I love it all. 

If I were you, I'd go with the cod...you can get nice thick fillets, and it has a good flavor. Tilapia leaves me kind of cold.


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## jennyema (Mar 18, 2009)

*Never* buy farm-raised seafood unless you are sure it's from the US.  That includes catfish, tilapia, salmon, shrimp, etc.

*Always* ask to smell the fish before you buy it.  If it smells fishy don't buy it.

I'd suggest cod or haddock.


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## blissful (Mar 18, 2009)

ChefJune said:


> Aaaaah, Bliss, you are taking me back to my childhood! The Kettle Moraine is where some of the best fish of my life came from, and also where I learned to clean the little suckers! (some not so little! )


Chef June, I drive those hilly winding roads everyday through the Kettle Moraine from home to work.......it's a beautiful area. You can come with us on the girls night out!


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## Jeff G. (Mar 18, 2009)

ellakav said:


> yeah, Crappie is the bomb if caught in really cold water.  when I was a kid my dad would take our used Christmas trees each year in the boat and pitch them somewhere in the cove with bricks tied to them to weigh them
> down.  it made a nest for them and they would populate it pretty heavily
> by early spring.  then he'd sit out there and catch a whole mess of them,
> clean them and cook them.  we'd have these huge fish-frys with the
> ...



I agree... NOTHING beats fresh Crappie caught while ice fishing!!


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## mike in brooklyn (Mar 18, 2009)

les said:


> Can you get trout? that's not fishy...more creamy :0)


 The trout I buy in the fish market is farmed and I
don't notice anything at all fishy about its' taste - 
I usually steam it whole and it is very sweet.
I don't know about creamy? - it sort of flakes off the bone.


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## justplainbill (Mar 18, 2009)

Had some outstanding salmon in a Port Arthur restaurant in late July many moons ago and some great whitefish on the south shore of Lake Superior in late August.


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## Chief Longwind Of The North (Mar 18, 2009)

Smallmouth Bass is a very mild fish, as are perch, whitefish, pollock, orange roughy, smelt, and several others.  Trout can be strong, depending on the size and species, and whether or not it is farmed or wild.  Wild trout have a pronounced flavor, but if 12 inches or smaller, don't have that cod-liver-oil flavor common to the salmonid family when they get large.  Also, preperation is a big thing.  Most large fish, i.e. tuna, salmon, lake trout, mackeral, etc, have very oily flesh under the dorsal fin.  The bellies contain a fair amount of the same fatty flesh.  This oily flesh needs to be cut away before the fish is cooked.

As with most foods, there is no real, pat answer to your question.  You just need to try different fish varieties and find out what you like and don't like, along with proper preperation of the fish type.

Seeeeeya; Goodweed of the North


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## PattY1 (Mar 19, 2009)

Since I claim to not eat sea food, the only fish I will eat outside of canned Salomon and vacuumed sealed tuna. I like Haddock. It is a firm white fish with not a strong "fishy" taste. It is a northern fish and used to be cheep, now it has gotten pricey and hard to find here in southern Maryland, even frozen.


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