|
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
Bottom Feeder(continued)
HE WHO DENIED IT, SUPPLIED IT Careful, gentle seafood shopper (Photo: Getty Images) The cause of these unfortunate gastrointestinal disasters is usually escolar. The reason is simple and biological. According to Dr. Ian Reichelderfer, chief of clinical gastroenterology at the University of Wisconsin, escolar is laden with an overwhelming amount of wax esters, just like the ones found in notorious olestra, the original ruinous food additive found in Wow! chips and other miracle fat-reducing snacks of the late-'90s. Dr. Reichelderfer explains that the 20 percent wax ester content found in escolar causes the orange, oily discharge to blast out of some people. "It's like taking a big slug of mineral oil," he says. In 1990, the FDA issued a warning against Escolar exportation due to the unpleasant evacuation results. It was lifted a short time after the fish was found to be "nontoxic"The effects of escolar are well known by most fishmongers and chefs, but due to extremely flexible rules handed down by the FDA, they don't have to disclose its possible side effects. One fish distributor, Tim Lauer, of Minneapolis-based Coastal Seafood, has nothing but praise for the fish and admits that, anytime it was available, it was an easy sell. "Then some of our customers would have these, um, 'issues,' and we'd stop selling it," says Lauer. Soon, though, demand would outweigh complaints, and they'd restock, until finally, "It got to the point where we just decided it's not worth the risk. We stopped selling it a few years ago. It's a great-tasting fish, though." 
HOOK, LINE, AND SPHINCTER In the past, Olestra-laden products lured consumers in with the promise of low-calorie snacking. Today, the Butterfish provides a similar, intestine-rocking seduction. The whole thing raises a serious question: Even though escolar lacks toxicity, shouldn't there be a more aggressive push by the FDA to encourage those who sell it to warn their customers? FDA representative Stephanie Kwisnek says yes and offers this add-on: "The advisory doesn't prohibit escolar from being served, but merely informs processors that there may be some unpleasant side effects from eating it and that they may wish to inform their customers. If FDA found that a seafood processor was misbranding escolar or that the fish was adulterated in some fashion, the agency could take regulatory action." 
THROUGH THE LIPS AND OVER THE GUMS, LOOK OUT BOXERS, HERE IT COMES A tasty looking plate of Escolar "Report it." From there, the bureaucratic machine can offer the standard wrist-slaps, levying fines against the offending parties that will (hopefully) teach them a lesson about respecting their customers. Enforcement is additionally hindered by the fact that many diners most likely feel skittish about contacting a government agency with a complaint that "this fish made me shit my pants." Really, a customer's only recourse is to ask a vendor directly it if there are any side effects to eating this fish. The honest brokers will confirm that there are and recommend only eating escolar in small portions. Any establishment that serves larger than an eight-ounce portion is willfully putting anything you sit on in danger. For those of you who'd like to try it yourselves, Aquagrill is currently serving escolar as part of its prix fixe Valentine's Day menu. Just beware that by night's end you might be removing your pants for other reasons than you expected. READ MORE • Today's Top Stories 
Dudes! This is an ass-blastingly funny article. Caveat emptor! Posted by: MrWood on February 12, 2008 3:45 PM That dish looks so good I am almost tempted to find a place and try it and then let the games begin. Posted by: listenup on February 12, 2008 9:17 PM That dish looks so good I am almost tempted to find a place and try it and then let the games begin. Posted by: listenup on February 12, 2008 9:17 PM I am tattooing "escolar" on my hands so that I never EVER forget not to order it. I've only got 1 pair of khakis and I kind of like to keep 'em. And my self esteem too. Posted by: MrsFeatherbottom on February 12, 2008 9:30 PM Advertisement The 'anal leakage' tag is not used enough. Posted by: moneycashhos on February 13, 2008 9:11 AM Oh, we're way ahead of you. Posted by: Balk on February 13, 2008 9:42 AM You just found this out? Everyone already knows about escolar or "butterfish" or "white tuna". Many of us find it an amazing fish and appreciate the retail stores and restaurants that serve it. It is a delicious delicacy and no one I know has experienced anything like anal squirts of yellow liquid. C'mon give us some real news. BTW, did you ever hear that certain individuals develop allergic reactions to shellfish? Maybe your next article should try scaring us off of all shelfish in case that may happens to us! Posted by: jenjermax on February 13, 2008 10:21 AM So ass blastingly funny that evidently you felt the need to post your oh-so-clever comment twice. You're the shit, hats off to you, MrWood. I bet that's a penis thing, huh? Impressive. Posted by: Meg_Ohhhh on February 13, 2008 10:26 AM Jenjermax, I'm sure you'll enjoy our March feature "Peanuts: The Silent Snack Mix Assassin." Thanks for reading! Posted by: Balk on February 13, 2008 11:11 AM Now THAT'S what I call trouser (ruining) trout. Ba doom ching. Posted by: Ferrari on February 13, 2008 11:39 AM Jenjermax, a flack at the ready! Can yoko be one your clients? You're such a go-getter and yoko has lots of ass-blasting pr problems... Posted by: yoko on February 13, 2008 1:40 PM Just FYI, that picture is not of the butterfish you're writing about. The picture is Pholis gunnelus, the butterfish sold as ass-blasting food is Poronotus triacanthus, and looks very different (both coming and going, as it were). They both have the same common name, hence the confusion. The intestinally risky version is also called dollarfish and harvestfish. Posted by: brilliantmistake on February 13, 2008 2:00 PM Oops. That should be Peprilus triacanthus. Other fish in the same genus are also sold as butterfish or harvestfish. Posted by: brilliantmistake on February 13, 2008 2:13 PM I can't believe I keep posting, but escolar = Lepidocybium flavobrunneum, showing why common names don't always tell you much about what you are getting at the seafood market. There's bunch of species called butterfish, only one, apparently, will have the ass-blasting side effect, Lepidocybium flavobrunneum. It's sometimes sold as white tuna, although it's not a tuna. Picture can be found here Posted by: brilliantmistake on February 13, 2008 8:28 PM stupid Posted by: brilliantmistake on February 13, 2008 8:35 PM WTF is this fish nerd-ery? Posted by: moneycashhos on February 14, 2008 10:42 AM "...he missed two days of work and ruined five pairs of pants because of their "butterfish." LMAO Good grief. Put on a freaking maxi-pad and go to work. Women ruin underwear and clothes every month - deal with it buddy. Suck it up, quit whining and get back to work. Posted by: diamante on February 24, 2008 4:44 PM Unfortunately I can attest that this article is TRUE. Honolulu 2002. Unexplained dampness. Horror. Horror. Posted by: Clopto on February 25, 2008 11:31 PM "The best fish Ive ever had" said partner..until the next morning, between us 6 pairs of undies ruined and thank god for 2 ply toilet paper! Not to mention the stomach cramps...NEVER again, beware people, oh would anyone like the kilo of butterfish in our freezer? Has a lovely taste.... Posted by: butterfishstains on March 1, 2008 6:44 PM Hey - thanks for validating what happened to me when I had my first experience with this fish on Sunday. I had a VERY unpleasant day at work on Monday.....this fish was rocket fuel for my intestines. Who needs a colon cleanse when you can eat this slippery fish? I am now in the process of tossing out the doggy bag that has the balance of the fish in it. I still can't believe how my digestive system reacted to this fish. Posted by: Susied44 on June 25, 2008 8:42 PM This is so true and made me laugh - I'm still recovering from a BAD attack, and the smell is unbelievable too! Like a heavy mineral oil or strange flower perfume. It does stain your clothes and sanitary towels can't catch it all - it goes everywhere!!! It soaked through a folded towel in a split second! It isn't an allergy or intolerance to a type of food, it is caused by residues in the fish (you'd need to study the food chain) - look up Keriorrhoea if you want to know more. I thought something dreadful was happening and I might never recover!!! So much for a great holiday in Madeira! Posted by: exfishluver on July 4, 2008 7:11 PM Oh and by the way, I ordered swordfish ... which eats the escolar (snake mackerel) and the oilfish. So do the fish do the same thing in the sea and spray amber oil everywhere?? Posted by: exfishluver on July 4, 2008 7:17 PM Oh. My. God. For the last 6 years, I have been touting the exquisite meal of Butterfish Misoyaki I was served in a certain upscale restaruant while vactationing on Kauai in February, 2002. The flavor of that fish was simply unforgettable - it had to be, if I'm still talking about it all these years later. I've always referred to it as the BEST meal of my life... Until this moment - it never occurred to me that THIS was the cause of the equally unforgettable 10 hours of explosive diarhea I experienced the next day -- the sad culprit that ruined not only three pair of underwear, a dress and a pair of white pants -- but my entire last day and night on the island. All tis time, I've blamed it on the too-rich macadamia rum and fresh coconut in the pina coladas I was drinking that night. Posted by: Pfly on September 20, 2008 3:46 PM I knew about this issue. Problems with Escolar/Rudder/Butter/Oilfish, not with me, I'm a professional cook and know how to do it. Posted by: masikika on October 21, 2008 5:18 PM < BACK TO Features |
    
 |
|
 |
|
 | ||||
Share This Article
Like this article? Click here to buzz it up on Yahoo!