Tilapia Fish

Tilapia Flavor Profile

Tilapia Flavor Scale

Flavor
Oil
Texture

Tilapia fish has a sweet, mild taste with lean flesh and a medium-firm, flaky texture. Raw flesh is white or pinkish-white sometimes with a darker muscle layer on the skin side of the fillets. The flesh cooks up to a white color. Aqua-cultured Tilapia tend to have a better flavor than wild Tilapia because Tilapia taste like their environment and wild fish feed on algae.

Typical Cooking Methods

Alternate Names

St. Peter’s Fish (because it’s believed that Tilapia was the fish which Jesus multiplied to feed the masses), Sunfish

Tilapia Culinary Notes

Tilapia is very much a product of its environment. If it is raised in poor quality water then its flavor will be muddy, grassy, or worse. You, therefore, want to buy premium Tilapia from a quality source. Tilapia fish has been in the top 10 most popular kinds of seafood in the US since 2002, and according to SuperMarketGuru, in 2015 it was the 4th most popular fish in the US to eat with shrimp, canned tuna, and salmon taking the first 3 spots.

Description (Black Tilapia Oreochromis niloticus, Blue Tilapia O- aureus, Red Tilapia O- mossambicus)

picture by Ueberschär, B.

Depending upon the species, the skin color can range from black & white striped, to green, to red. Average whole Tilapia are 1 – 2 lbs but can grow larger. Most US fresh Tilapia is from southwestern states as well as from Costa Rica and Colombia. Tilapia is the second most cultivated fish in the world, beat only by carp (go figure! I’ve never seen carp on a menu.)

Tilapia is probably the most ancient fish that is used as a farm-raised fish in the world. Biblical scholars suggest that it may have been the fish that Jesus used to feed the crowds at the Sea of Galilee. Today, more than 80 nations raise farmed Tilapia including the US, with China leading the way with over 50% of the world’s production.

Fresh Tilapia Availability

Fresh seafood availability chart: green areas show peak availability, light green show limited availability, gray indicates not available fresh. Most fresh Tilapia is from Costa Rica & Colombia. Frozen is available all year long.

Tilapia Butchering Yield % to Fillets

Range & Habitat

Tilapia are originally from the Nile River, but today they are raised in warm waters throughout the world. Some countries consider them to be an invasive species.

Typical Wholesale Products

Whole, H&G, Skin/On Fillets, Skin/Off Fillets

Mercury Levels

Tilapia is considered to be low in mercury and therefore is safe for pregnant women to eat, so long as it is fully cooked to a temperature of 145° (because under 145° is considered to be raw and raw fish is not considered to be safe for pregnant women or the immune compromised).

Tilapia Sustainability Info

Name	Alternate Names	Catch Method	Catch Region	Seafood Watch	Ocean Wise	Sea Choice	Mercury Concerns
Tilapia, Oreochromis spp.	St. Peter’s Fish, Sunfish	Farmed – Closed Recirculating Systems	US				Low
		Farmed – Ponds	Ecuador
			China, Taiwan
Nile Tilapia, Black Tilapia Oreochromis niloticus		Farmed – Closed Recirculating Systems	Alberta, Canada
Disclaimer: The sustainability info above is accurate to the best of our knowledge. However, each program randomly updates their information without our knowledge. We therefore recommend that you verify the current accuracy of this information.
= Best Choice/Recommended      = Good Alternative      = Avoid/Not Recommended							Updated August 2013

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