Catch of the Day
Look out for Thailand’s gender-bender fish – the colourful and transsexual tilapia!
What’s in a name? Well, when it comes to Thailand, a lot! Thai tradition and culture is deeply-rooted. And therefore many things we’re familiar with seem unknown in this country – until you use their Thai names, that is! And if you’re not convinced, try asking for a bottle of turpentine, a couple of grapefruit, or a kilo of eels. Many of the Thai names for fish are quite apart from their Latin classification, or their common English names, such as ‘pla krapong deng’, for instance, which is the ubiquitous red snapper. In the Thai language, the name of every type of fish begins with the word ‘pla’, meaning simply ‘fish’. However, there are two very common fish that you’ll find over here which do, in fact, have universally recognisable names - well, almost. And both of these are in the family of ‘tilapia’.
The first is the Nile tilapia – Thai name, ‘pla nim’! This small, flat, meaty fish is one of the oldest recorded types, having first been documented in ancient Egypt, and being of uch importance that it even had its own personal hieroglyph. It was also found in the Sea of Galilee in biblical times, when it acquired the name, ‘Saint Peter’s Fish’, after the Bible story of Saint Peter catching a fish with a coin in its mouth. This type of tilapia is recognisable by a clear silvery body with black highlights.
And the second type found in Thailand, instantly recognised by the pink/red layering around its fins and tail, is the ‘Red Devil’ or ‘pla taptim’ in Thai. There seems no particular reason why these are less popular, as both types are identical in every respect. Neither are native to Thailand, by the way, but the manner of their arrival and introduction may be the reason that pla nim seem to have gained the upper hand. But more of that in just a moment.
These fish were originally discovered inhabiting fresh-water rivers, estuaries and lakes in and around the continent of Africa. And from there they have spread across the world, particularly in the last 50 years or so. The reason for this is straightforward – they thrive in tropical and semi-tropical climates, and have proved ideal to manage in fish farms. They eat just about everything from water weed to micro-organisms and require very little maintenance. Although, in fact, it doesn’t pay to leave them completely alone, as this approach is counter-productive. They breed once a month so that, before you know it, you’ve got a pond where there are only a few adult fish and far too many tiddlers taking up all the space. Plus the female fish are smaller, and develop at a slower rate.
The solution to this, however, is also quite straightforward. Get rid of the female fish so that they can’t breed! And this is done chemically, with a synthetic testosterone compound, when the very young ‘fingerlings’ are no more than three weeks old. The effect is that all the females suddenly become male. They then all develop at the same rate and need the same amount of nutrition and aeration space, making everything very straightforward and simple. Up on dry land, all the previously-male ‘cabaret’ performers are chewing oestrogen tablets and heading in the opposite transsexual direction. But down in the fish ponds, it’s a totally different story.
And so with that, back to the here and now. In his many years as the world’s longest-reigning monarch, King Bhumibol did a great deal to alleviate the poverty and struggles of the nation’s poorest sector, the rural northeast. His Royal Highness established and sponsored projects and schemes, replacing failing or traditional crops with viable low-maintenance alternatives, and working to assist with marketing and selling the new produce abroad, too. In 1951, Nile tilapia were being imported from Malaysia. This was well-known around the world’s diplomatic circles and, in 1965, the Emperor of Japan presented 50 prime mating pairs of Nile tilapia to the King, who later extended this breeding stock. And, today, fish farms stocking pla nim are found all throughout central and southern Thailand.
Head into any local restaurant, in central Thailand, particularly around the region of Bangkok and northwards, and you’ll find pla nim on the menu, usually offered deep-fried with garlic and pepper or salt-baked with lemon grass. Also, try to spot the crusty, salted-and-skewered fish in temple fairs in particular, which are renowned across the nation for their cheap and robust food offerings! However, here’s an interesting fact: you’ll rarely, if ever, see them in restaurants on Samui. They’re in all the big supermarkets, like Tesco-Lotus and Big C, chilling out, glassy-eyed, on beds of ice. But the local fisherman’s markets don’t sell them. Nor do many of the restaurants. And the reason is disarmingly simple. Samui is an island. The seafood markets are just crammed with all sorts of still-wriggling seafood – it’s plentiful, and it’s not expensive. Even the red and white snappers are considered to be juicier and have more flavour than the Nile tilapia. Plus, of course, you can’t catch tilapia in the sea.
Thailand is currently the fourth-largest world producer of tilapia, with China being far in the lead, and Indonesia a close second. And one of the main selling points is that these fish are not subject to the rising levels of mercury contamination that affect such a large sector of the world’s fishery industry. Additionally, they contain iron and selenium – good for strengthening teeth and bones. And on top of that there’s a high level of Omega 3 fatty acid and virtually zero starch or carbohydrates, making them high-protein, low fat and really very healthy. And that’s more than you can say about a great many things we eat today, produced in Thailand or not!
Rob De Wet