I recently had a delicious dinner at a trendy, new Calgary restaurant. I had Escolar, a fish that I had never heard of. The server described it as a firm, white fish, not unlike tuna. It was served with a great mango salsa, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. The next day, being an information junky, I just had to look up this new fish. Boy, the next time I’ll just leave well-enough alone! What you don’t know, you are sometimes better off not knowing.  I should listen to my own advice.

What the waitress didn’t tell us, and probably wasn’t aware of, was that this tasty fish is on the FDA’s hit list of fish that should not be consumed or even imported into the States, and in Australia this past August, it caused a large wave(over 200 reported) of food-poisoning-like cases. Escolar, which is found in most tropical and temperate seas around the world, predominately in the coastal waters of South America and Australia, was once a by-catch of the Tuna fishing industry, and was generally thrown away. But once people tasted it’s lovely, buttery flavour, Escolar fishing became a profitable trade on it’s own.

Lepidocybium flavobrunneum gets its common name from a Spanish word meaning, scholarly. This is due to the appearance of its golden eyes against a dark purple-brown skin, making it look as if it is wearing glasses. This is certainly a more attractive name than the nickname for this fish: the Ex-lax fish!

Escolar contains an extremely high level of gempylotoxin, a strong purgative oil similar to castor oil. These large molecules are hard to digest, and may lead to intestinal cramping and diarrhea. This is the reason that in many cases there have been reports of food-poisoning, when it has just been a case of consuming too much of this laxative-like fish. A normal 200-gram serving of the fish would be the same as eating two tablespoons of liquid wax. Yuck!

I loved the fish, and have since seen it on other menus, such as a Vancouver restaurant we went to last weekend. I didn’t order, but I would have if there hadn’t been so many other great choices.  If you are aware of the possible side-effects, and are eating a normal 5-8oz portion, you shouldn’t find yourself running to the local walk-in clinic with cries of “Food Poisoning!”, which are two words that make any restaurateur tremble.

In 1992, the FDA first published warnings about Escolar after receiving many complaints from diners suffering mild diarrhea. It published the report in both it’s own magazine and also sent warnings to the National Restaurant Association. The message obviously didn’t get out. As recently as two years ago, the fish was still being served in a popular New York restaurant, and when questioned about it, the chef said that he had never heard of any warning.

I spoke today to our fish supplier here in Calgary, and he said that although he had heard some vague information about problems with the fish, he still is able to get it and he has never received any complaints from his restaurant clients. He calls it “butter fish,” and also warns his clients that it is a very fatty fish which could cause some diners to feel “off”. He recommends a serving size of 6oz. He has never received any information from Canada Health or Fisheries about the fish. He says that more often than not, when he can’t get the fish, it is due to high mercury contamination.

P.S. I felt fine the day after my Escolar meal; no symptoms that couldn’t be attributed to too much wine and rich, high-fat foods.