TCA and dining

This has happened twice now and I wonder if I am just nuts or if there is something to it.

The last two times I cooked up some fried catfish I noticed that the filets had a distinct TCA-like aroma. Is it me or is it them?

And no, they were not from China--USA raised.

Happened to me once, in a local restaurant. The fried catfish smelled and tasted like mold to me, and that approximately TCA. Inedible. We never went to that restaurant again and it has since gone out of business.

[Robin Garr]

This has happened twice now and I wonder if I am just nuts or if there is something to it.

The last two times I cooked up some fried catfish I noticed that the filets had a distinct TCA-like aroma. Is it me or is it them?

And no, they were not from China--USA raised.

I'm not much of a catfish fancier, Thomas, but it's a fact that catfish can have an earthy, "muddy" character that I can see being likened to a TCA character.

This is often attributed to their being bottom-feeders, but in fact, as I understand it, this is actually more common in farm-raised catfish than wild-caught, and may have something to do with (harmless) fungal presence in their ponds.

I've heard that catfish caught from a clear stream or pond taste fine, but that catfish caught from a muddy stream or pond taste like mud. Folk wisdom, I think, and I haven't the slightest idea weather it's true or not. Kinda' supports Robin's comments.

[Robin Garr]

Ahh ... Googling brings up some definitive stuff. This common flavor issue in pond-raised catfish sounds a lot like TCA to me ...

<I>The most common cause of flavor
problems in catfish raised in
northwest Mississippi, southeast
Arkansas, and northeast Louisiana
is caused by 2-methylisoborneol
(MIB). The chemical causes a
unique musty-medicinal off-flavor
that can be quite intense and
disagreeable. In catfish ponds,
MIB is nearly always produced
by the microscopic blue-green
alga Oscillatoria perornata,
although in other environments
MIB can be produced by several
other species of blue-green algae ... </i>

Thomas, you might find the full report from the Southern Regional Aquaculture Center of interest:
http://govdocs.aquake.org/cgi/reprint/2 ... 270040.pdf

Ahh ... Googling brings up some definitive stuff. This common flavor issue in pond-raised catfish sounds a lot like TCA to me ...

<I>The most common cause of flavor
problems in catfish raised in
northwest Mississippi, southeast
Arkansas, and northeast Louisiana
is caused by 2-methylisoborneol
(MIB). The chemical causes a
unique musty-medicinal off-flavor
that can be quite intense and
disagreeable. In catfish ponds,
MIB is nearly always produced
by the microscopic blue-green
alga Oscillatoria perornata,
although in other environments
MIB can be produced by several
other species of blue-green algae ... </i>

Thomas, you might find the full report from the Southern Regional Aquaculture Center of interest:
http://govdocs.aquake.org/cgi/reprint/2 ... 270040.pdf

WOW! One more piece of evidence that I may sound like it, but I am not a nut.

Incidentally, the catfish I've been getting is farm raised, so I'm told by the fish monger at Wegman's.

Now I'm not sure whether or not I want to eat it anymore, although dusted in corn meal and cayenne, fried in olive oil and garlic, it really is a fine, if earthy, dish, especially accompanied either by French fries or a cob of corn...

Thomas,

I have had this happen many times, yrs ago when I used to eat catfish often. I have stopped eating it because of that flavor. I have had this happen just recently with farm-raised Tilapia as well. Thanks for bringing it up...I have never tasted corked wine before, but know very well the off flavor in the fish you speak of. Interesting info Robin!

Thomas,

...I have never tasted corked wine before,

Aren't you one lucky lady...

WOW, guys! Is that what THAT is? I thought I had just outgrown my liking for catfish. I put it down a couple years ago as hopeless. I knew there was something different about the flavor, but I couldn't put my finger on it. Thx for the info.