Do you know Pollock from pollock or a collie from a coley? If you don’t you are not alone as new research reveals that Britons struggle to name common fish, while two-fifths admit that they have “only ever eaten it in batter or breadcrumbs”.
Is that wrong? Both are delicious!
Over half of those surveyed had no idea that a John Dory was a spiny fish; 12% mistakenly thought “he” was a famous poet, according to the Marine Stewardship Council poll. The Family Fortunes-style answers do not stop there. The poll of 2,000 adults found that 10% of respondents thought a coley was a breed of dog.
Well, when put on the spot, it seems a lot of people try their best...
Another 6% said the only pollock they had heard of was the American artist Jackson Pollock. A similar number thought that a hake was a garden tool.
...but just can't do it!
They might not know the taxonomy, but that does not stop Britons eating lots of fish, as those surveyed ate it an average of five times a month. However, they tended to eat the same things, and 80% of the seafood eaten in the UK is made up of the “big five”: cod, haddock, salmon, tuna and prawns.
Yes, and?
George Clark, the MSC’s UK & Ireland programme director, said the poll showed that there was a big opportunity for consumers to improve their fish knowledge and seafood skills. This month it is “encouraging people to try something different”, particularly sustainable varieties of fish and seafood caught by fishing communities around the UK.
Put them in batter and breadcrumbs and they probably will!
No change, then. How do you think Cape Cod got's name? The English were over-fishing for Cod in local waters 500 years ago. So they went across the Atlantic.
ReplyDeleteThe only time I eat anything other than 'the big five', is on holiday
ReplyDeleteJust slap a fresh monkfish on my plate, add a little tartare sauce and give me an axe. Yum.
ReplyDeletehttps://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Monkfish.jpg
As for the coley. Who do you think keeps those herds of herring in order? The broader coley, of course.
Depending on which chippy you buy it from, there is a good chance that it's not even cod. Farmed Vietnamese catfish seems to be the preferred substitute in some establishments.
ReplyDeleteDoes it matter? Knowing your pike from your perch won't prevent you from being ripped off by the best Labour party that money can buy.
ReplyDeleteHave tried shark, squid, tuna, and some unidentified creature dragged up from the depths and none of them have made my life more fulfilled.
Someone with a single issue, tunnel visioned, policy is obviously trying to set up a fund where they can appropriate a shed load of taxpayers money. And the numpties in government will let them do it.
Penseivat
People think fish are stupid, but most couch potatoes would struggle to avoid a hook.
ReplyDelete"How do you think Cape Cod got's name? The English were over-fishing for Cod in local waters 500 years ago. "
ReplyDeleteAnd remember the Cod Wars? I believe a lot of the cod here is still Icelandic in origin.
"The only time I eat anything other than 'the big five', is on holiday"
It's not easy to source anything else, especially now the big supermarkets have got rid of their fish counters.
"Just slap a fresh monkfish on my plate..."
To think it once went for lobster bait or fake scampi!
"Depending on which chippy you buy it from, there is a good chance that it's not even cod."
Thankfully, my local is VERY good. And surely you'd notice that the consistency is wrong, if not the taste?
"Someone with a single issue, tunnel visioned, policy is obviously trying to set up a fund where they can appropriate a shed load of taxpayers money. "
Without a doubt!