Why thai canned fish tastes soo bad?

[bangarang]

Its canned fish, what do you expect?

[Bonefish]

One of the largest, if not the largest, producers of high-quality canned salmon, tuna and other seafood in the world is called "Chicken Of The Sea" and it is a Thai company.

[willyumiii]

We buy and eat canned sardines ( some say it's actually mackerel ) in tomato sauce and canned tuna.

I find nothing wrong with either.

They taste the same as what I use to buy in the U.S.

[SOMeTOM]

Its canned fish, what do you expect?

If you had read the previous posts, you wouldn't be here asking now, your answer it's already there.

[jaiyen]

Try Sealect MASMAN TUNA,Canned in Songkla.Its great.And tin says its dolphin safe ?

Dolphins dont eat this stuff. I only feed my pet dolphin fresh fish !

[SOMeTOM]

They taste the same as what I use to buy in the U.S.

I have no knowledge on the US canned tuna, i tried long ago an Alaskan canned salmon and that was good, nothing to do with this Thai salmon.......for what i know, it might even be the same product with the notorious special thai touch added to it, as in letting it rot for sometime until they feel they got a job to do or something, i wouldn't exclude that possibility.

The fact which remain is that there is an abysmal difference between the brands i quoted and the local ones (and for local i don't mean Sweden).

[White Christmas13]

I like the green curry but

[Long tang]

Thai fishing industries are slammed time and again by international watchdogs for ignoring the endemic levels of forced labour and slavery that exist whilst unchecked fleets relentlessly decimate the oceans creating an ecological wasteland on their merry way.

I'm sure most of you that have visited the coast here will have seen the states of the boats they use, the ones that make such charming holiday snaps, I'm sure health and safety isn't the captains top priority. Perhaps the nasty taste in your canned fish are the cleaning agents and preservatives they use.

Personally, if it was caught by a slave, I don't wanna eat it. Don't get me wrong, I'm not a tree hugging vegan or anything but there's a point where ones gotta draw the line I think.

Google: thai fishing slavery and you will find countless articles on the subject.

http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/regions/asia-pacific/thailand/130621/thailand-human-trafficking-us-state-department-sanctions-fish-export

Sorry for the rant!

[tim armstrong]

My BIL was stung by a freshwater stingray a couple of years ago. The treatment was to put a can of thai brand mackerel in tom. sauce on it. Two days later - cured ! So it confirmed my resolve never to eat this stuff, but medicinal value - great !

[MJP]

Thai fishing industries are slammed time and again by international watchdogs for ignoring the endemic levels of forced labour and slavery that exist whilst unchecked fleets relentlessly decimate the oceans creating an ecological wasteland on their merry way.

I'm sure most of you that have visited the coast here will have seen the states of the boats they use, the ones that make such charming holiday snaps, I'm sure health and safety isn't the captains top priority. Perhaps the nasty taste in your canned fish are the cleaning agents and preservatives they use.

Personally, if it was caught by a slave, I don't wanna eat it. Don't get me wrong, I'm not a tree hugging vegan or anything but there's a point where ones gotta draw the line I think.

Google: thai fishing slavery and you will find countless articles on the subject.

http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/regions/asia-pacific/thailand/130621/thailand-human-trafficking-us-state-department-sanctions-fish-export

Sorry for the rant!

They do make for great holiday snaps . . .

[willyumiii]

They taste the same as what I use to buy in the U.S.

I have no knowledge on the US canned tuna, i tried long ago an Alaskan canned salmon and that was good, nothing to do with this Thai salmon.......for what i know, it might even be the same product with the notorious special thai touch added to it, as in letting it rot for sometime until they feel they got a job to do or something, i wouldn't exclude that possibility.

The fact which remain is that there is an abysmal difference between the brands i quoted and the local ones (and for local i don't mean Sweden).

I confess. I have never eaten canned salmon.

I am from northern California where fresh salmon is abundant.

Smoked, baked, poached...

What I miss most is stuffing a 20 pound salmon with fresh vegetables and a cube of butter, cooked on an open grill and served with ice cold beer....Heaven on earth!

Catching a big salmon in the river or the ocean is a bit of a thrill as well!

[F4UCorsair]

Much of the canned fish in Australia is from Thailand. I don't buy much of it, but when I do, it's fine, so I guess the export standard is different??

I buy canned fish in the Vietnamese quarter in Melbourne, Chinese product, and it is superb. It's deep fried sardines in black bean, and with rice and Chinese vegetable with sesame oil and oyster sauce drizzled over the veg, it is a superb great meal, the Asian version of a ploughman's lunch.

[thailandbeachisland]

Because they like stinky food ?

[pizzachang]

I ran an iceplant in Alaska - selling ice to mainly the halibut & salmon fleet. Everyone laughs when I mention this but the truth is, fish is one of the most 'delicate' meats. You would not have decent fish without ice. To qualify a little - the State of Alaska inspects canneries and iceplants; The inspector( a qualified biologist, among other degrees) told me that bacteria attack fish very quickly and bacteria causes Smell of Fish! If any of you have actually caught a salmon or halibut right out of salt water, you'll know that it has almost no odor and very little "fishy" taste. The fat on salmon starts to deteriorate very quickly and I imagine tuna, and some other Thai varieties do the same. Halibut lasts (w/ice) about 7 days before "smelling like fish". Hence, Alaska is under the '5 day rule'.....land the fish in 5 days, well iced. The canneries even take the temperature of the catch. So, my guess is unless you enjoy the 'old fish taste' buy fresh or good quality canned tuna. I don't mind a bit of Thai fish sauce but the general quality of fish (unless swimming)puts me off. I went deep-sea fishing in Koh Tao and really enjoyed grilling the catch very quick.

[lanng khao]

There's only two things that smell of fish, and one of thems fish.

[Long tang]

There's only two things that smell of fish, and one of thems fish.

Old people?

[Ulic]

I only eat the Nautilus tuna chunks in brine and have no complaints.

Only have it once a month but it works for me.

[Konini]

My BIL was stung by a freshwater stingray a couple of years ago. The treatment was to put a can of thai brand mackerel in tom. sauce on it. Two days later - cured ! So it confirmed my resolve never to eat this stuff, but medicinal value - great !

That's bizarre.

[Big Pinkie]

I buy the Top's tuna steak in brine and it's pretty good.

Keep in mind, the stuff here is processed for this market and Thais like their fish much stronger than most westerners.

yes agree you have to purposely make that distinction. you have to buy the solid chunk not the flake sandwich

Edited January 1, 2014 by Big Pinkie

[Big Pinkie]

while we are on this have you ever bought the tinned curried chicken yeows or ayam if i recall.? yes prominently labeled chicken with ingredients chicken

after a life time of eating chicken you know the shape of all the chicken bones but inside these tins there come these strange shaped bones along with the "chicken" meat. every tin i have ever bought has these strange bones. my only hopeful guess is that it is turkey, pretty sure it isnt duck. dont know what turkey bones look like. i dont buy it so often because often it doesn't taste real nice these days whereas once ago it was ok but desperation strikes occasionally and i try yet it again malaysia/singapore.

cat or rats i am not familiar with their bones either

Edited January 1, 2014 by Big Pinkie

[PJcm]

It's that touch of mercury and just a little bit of formaldehyde.

[MJP]

It's that touch of mercury and just a little bit of formaldehyde.

Clean and controlled fish farming makes so much more sense from a toxicological food safety point of view.

I've no idea why anyone who knows anything about the chemistry of shellfish lipids and bioaccumulation would ever contemplate ingesting them. Same goes for less fatty seafood these days.