What is an omega-3 fatty acid?
What is an omega-3 fatty acid?
Omega−3 fatty acids are polyunsaturated fatty acids found in foods such as salmon. They're thought to help reduce circulatory problems, blood pressure and the risk of coronary heart disease.
The American Heart Association recommends eating fatty fish at least twice a week for just this reason, although there are counter-concerns that high fish consumption will result in toxic levels of mercury.
Some nutritionists also recommend eating tofu and other soybean products, as well as canola oil, walnuts and flaxseed, which contain alpha-linolenic acid, which can be transformed into omega-3 fatty acid in the body.
What are the pros and cons of farmed fish?
What are the pros and cons of farmed fish?
The fishing industry has tried to control some of the variables by farming the most popular varieties of fish, like salmon, trout and catfish. Aquacultured fish grow faster than their counterparts in the wild, and they are often more tender and richer tasting. They are harvested without suffering the stress and damage of being hooked or netted, and they are processed closer to the time and nearer to where they are caught.
Currently aquaculture provides about one-third of the world seafood supply (including shellfish), and this amount is bound to increase to meet the growing global demand for fish that can not be met by wild fishing alone. Although some popular farmed fish -- like trout, tuna and salmon -- are also caught in the wild, others, such as tilapia and catfish, are almost all farm-raised.
Fish farming can be done responsibly, but not all fish farms are the same. Raising salmon and tuna in ocean pens has contaminated nearby water with waste products, food and antibiotics. There have been cases of genetically modified aquacultured fish escaping into the environment where they compete with the surrounding wild population, and there are studies showing that fish meal, which is the primary component of aquaculture feed for carnivorous species, like salmon and tuna, has elevated levels of environmental toxins, particularly dioxins, like PCB (polychlorinated biphenyl), which accumulate in the flesh of farmed fish. Omnivorous fish, like tilapia and catfish, are fed vegetarian pellets, and don’t have dioxin problems.
Raising fish in inland ponds, lakes and tanks is less environmentally invasive than farming in the ocean (although there is some concern about untreated wastewater discharged from poorly run fish farms contaminating ground water), so the most benign aquaculture products tend to be freshwater fish and the few saltwater varieties farmed on land (sturgeon and turbot).
Farmed Fish
Freshwater:
Carp
Catfish
Eel
Rainbow Trout
Tilapia
Saltwater:
Char
Mahi mahi
Salmon
Sea Bass
Sturgeon
Steelhead Trout
Tuna
Turbot
Yellowtail (amberjack, himachi)
A pistachio is the seed of a tree native to the mountainous regions of northern Iran, Afghanistan and Turkey -- and pistachios figure heavily in the cuisines of these cultures.
Even though it's not a true nut, the pistachio is considered a culinary nut and has been used for thousands of years in both sweet and savory dishes.
Pistachios are similar in texture to almonds, with a more complex, floral flavor and a pale green color.
The key to good pistachios is freshness; get them from a busy store with high product turnover if you can.
Good quality pistachios feel solid and have a hard (not brittle) shell that's easily split with your fingers.
Choose pistachios in tightly sealed plastic packages and not big bins, and avoid those whose naturally beige shells are dyed red or green -- the dye does nothing but stain your fingers!
Like all nuts with a high fat content, pistachios should be kept in a cool, dark place.
When stored at room temperature, they should be kept in a sealed bag, glass or plastic container to avoid contact with air and eaten within a few weeks.
Pistachios will last a few months in the refrigerator and up to a year in the freezer.
