Elizabeth Bailey
Swai fish has a mediocre nutritional profile and may best be avoided. It’s imported from densely-packed fish farms where chemicals and antibiotics are used in excess, causing water pollution and health concerns. It’s sometimes mislabeled and sold as higher-value fish.
Is swai fish better than tilapia?
Tilapia tends to be fattier than swai, and can have darker bits to the flesh. If shopping in North America, one can find fresh tilapia, but swai will always be found frozen. Taste and texture-wise there’s not a huge difference, especially when the sauce is the star of the dish.
Is the fish swai good for you?
Swai fish is known for its mild and sweet flavor. If included as a part of the diet, this fish can promote cardiovascular health as it is rich in omega-3 fatty acids. Swai fish can also reduce the risk of heart-related disease deaths. Swai fish is rich in DHA and can also help boost brain function. A 100g serving of frozen swai fillet contains:
| Calories | 88 kcal |
| Proteins | 18.58 g |
| Total lipids (Fat) | 1.77 g |
| Saturated Fatty Acids (Total) | 0.44 g |
| Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids (Total) | 0.88 g |
| Sodium | 27 mg |
| Cholesterol | 22 mg |
Is swai a clean fish?
Due to the inconsistent quality of Vietnamese-imported fish, such as swai fish, they are often considered “unclean” and raise a number of health concerns. The swai fish (Basa) is native to Vietnam and mostly imported to the United States. It is quite popular as it is cheap, has a mild taste, and is versatile to cook.
Is swai good for weight loss?
Protein-rich foods increase satiety and decrease hunger. As a result, swai fish is fantastic for getting a significant quantity of protein into the body and an excellent way to reduce weight healthily. A swai fillet has about 15 grammes of protein, roughly 30% of it being your daily requirement.
Is swai fish a bottom feeder?
Swai fish, also commonly known as iridescent sharks, are a type of shark catfish that are native to Vietnam. These omnivorous bottom feeders live in the Mekong river and migrate upstream when the water levels rise in the late summer. When left to their own devices, iridescent sharks can get as big as 100 pounds.
Is swai fish high in mercury?
Of the top 10 most commonly consumed seafoods in the United States, all finfish species, including salmon species (13 to 62 ppb), Alaskan pollock (11 ppb), tilapia (16 ppb), channel catfish (1 ppb), Atlantic cod (82 ppb), and pangasius (swai) (2 ppb), had low total mercury concentrations.
What is swai fish made of?
Swai fish is a type of white fish with a mild flavor and flaky texture. It’s a freshwater fish that’s native to Vietnamese rivers and a type of catfish. It’s also called Vietnamese catfish, basa fish and iridescent shark, but it’s neither a basa nor a type of shark.
Where did swai fish come from?
Swai is white fish are known for a sweet, mild taste and light, flaky texture. Swai fish bears the scientific name Pangasianodon (Pangasius) hypothalamus and is native to Southeast Asia. The fish may also be called by a number of other names, including Asian catfish and iridescent shark.
What is swai fish similar to?
Swai is from a separate but related family called Pangasiidae, and the scientific name for it is Pangasius hypophthalmus. Other names for swai and similar species are panga, pangasius, sutchi, cream dory, striped catfish, Vietnamese catfish, tra, basa and — though it’s not a shark — iridescent shark and Siamese shark.
Does swai taste like tilapia?
Why, they easily share most attributes including the flakey texture, white-flesh color, and the absence of fishy smell and taste. And though a small difference, tilapia renders you a sweeter taste than swai fish.
Is swai a catfish?
Swai’s other names include Vietnamese catfish (though swai is not actually catfish), iridescent shark (it’s not shark, either), and basa (which is deceptive, since basa is actually a different species). It’s also marketed as tra, sutchi, and pangasius hypophthalmus.
What does swai taste like?
Swai is a white-flesh fish (typically available in fillet form) with a sweet mild, taste and light flaky texture that can be broiled, grilled, or coating with bread crumbs and fried, according to experts.
What’s the difference between swai and catfish?
Swai appears very stiff and may curl at the ends. Its meat looks mushier and doesn’t have the stringy meat that catfish does. Catfish is more fluffy and has several ridges in the meat, when fried. Depending on the restaurant, the meat may also contain a silver lining, which can be removed.
Can dogs eat swai?
You should not let your dog eat swordfish. The Food and Drug Administration released a guideline that encourages people to avoid eating shark, swordfish, king mackerel, or tilefish because “they contain high levels of mercury.”
How much protein is in a swai fillet?
A 4-ounce serving of swai provides a sizable chunk of your daily protein needs: about 21 grams of protein. Though not as high as the grams per serving in salmon or sardines, swai’s protein content is comparable to that of other white fish like cod, catfish, and halibut.
Which is healthier swai or catfish?
It has up to 100 to 250 mg of omega-3 fats and low carbs. Nutrient Comparison between Swai fish and Catfish: While Swai fish is rich in selenium, vitamin B -12 and Niacin, catfish is rich in omega-3 fats. A common variety or catch of 20 has up to 250 mg of omega fats.
Is swai fish safe to eat during pregnancy?
The potential high intake of mercury from the fish may damage the baby’s brain development. But low intake of omega-3 fats due to lack of fish or fish oil is at least as dangerous.
Is Walmart swai fish safe to eat?
While no reactions or illnesses related to eating the swai have been reported, the USDA cautions consumers not to eat the fish and instead throw it away or return it to the store where it was purchased.
