Developing a Taste for Adventure

Summer is a great time to broaden your seafood horizon. That's because it's the season of the year when people pack their bags and head off, often to places far, far from home. No matter where you travel — whether it's Boston or Barcelona — there are regional seafood delicacies you've probably never tried before.

While I doubt many Americans would relish a plate of sea worms, I think they are more adventurous when it comes to seafood than many people in the fish business think.

This June, I headed off to China where food is always an adventure. After more than 20 trips to China over the years I'm always still on the lookout for something new, so in the northern coastal city of Dalian, I eyed some odd looking white sea worms that were about the size of a small cigar. I asked my hosts if they could order some along with the more ordinary sea fare like abalone, scallops, razor clams and salmon.

My son, a newly minted high school graduate on his second trip to China with me, looked at the worms, too, and recoiled at the suggestion that we try some. When they showed up on one of the seemingly endless parade of plates that characterize a Chinese business dinner, they had shrunk and taken on a purplish, brown hue. That was enough to temporarily fool my boy and I watched as he tried one and furtively slipped the half eaten worm under a scallop shell. I, on the other hand, found them to be surprisingly tasty. They nicely absorbed the sesame-soy sauce they were cooked in and the texture was nice and tender.

Take a risk on a new dish.

One of the tenets of the fish business in this country is that our taste in fish is limited to bland-tasting, white-fleshed fish. While I doubt many Americans would relish a plate of sea worms, I think they are more adventurous when it comes to seafood than many people in the fish business think. Just look at how popular salmon, swordfish and tuna are. These full-flavored fish are perfect for summer dinners. Fish with the most flavor are the ones with the highest fat content (remember, the fats in fish are good for you) — and that means they are great on the grill because they retain more juices on a hot fire.

If you want more evidence that Americans have become more adventurous when it comes to seafood, look no further than the huge numbers of sushi bars and supermarket sushi counters that have sprung up in the last decade. Raw fish, it seems, even plays in Peoria.

So have some fun with fish this summer and make it a point to take a risk on a new dish. The adventure, after all, is just a matter of taste.

All the Best,
Peter Redmayne
President
Simply Seafoods®