1 00:00:09,200 --> 00:00:10,880 Speaker 1: He alone. Welcome to save your predictive ByHeart. 2 00:00:10,880 --> 00:00:12,680 Speaker 2: Are you I'm any reason and I'm morn volga bam, 3 00:00:12,800 --> 00:00:16,080 Speaker 2: and today we have an episode for you about Channel catfish. 4 00:00:17,360 --> 00:00:21,160 Speaker 1: Yes, oh you know we love these seafood. 5 00:00:20,800 --> 00:00:25,880 Speaker 2: Oh yes, oh they're so weird. Sea life is so 6 00:00:26,000 --> 00:00:30,000 Speaker 2: much weirder than landlife and I adore it. Oh yeah, 7 00:00:30,040 --> 00:00:33,400 Speaker 2: I'm also it's tasty, So it is it is. 8 00:00:33,960 --> 00:00:35,760 Speaker 1: Was there any particular reason this was on your mind? 9 00:00:35,800 --> 00:00:40,440 Speaker 2: Lord h Nope, I was. I was looking for some 10 00:00:40,520 --> 00:00:45,960 Speaker 2: kind of protein related episode, and I do love seafood episodes, 11 00:00:46,080 --> 00:00:48,960 Speaker 2: and I was thinking that we hadn't done fish in 12 00:00:49,000 --> 00:00:54,240 Speaker 2: a while, and then I was looking Basically, my my 13 00:00:54,320 --> 00:00:58,720 Speaker 2: method of finding a good seafood episode is to just 14 00:00:58,760 --> 00:01:03,280 Speaker 2: start googling, like what's in season, and then like cross 15 00:01:03,440 --> 00:01:07,880 Speaker 2: checking with sustainability guides because I kind of only want 16 00:01:07,920 --> 00:01:10,560 Speaker 2: to cover seafood on here that is that does have 17 00:01:10,600 --> 00:01:13,199 Speaker 2: like a sustainable option, so that I'm not like, there's 18 00:01:13,240 --> 00:01:19,520 Speaker 2: this really cool seafood, you shouldn't need it because that's depressing. 19 00:01:20,360 --> 00:01:23,400 Speaker 2: I mean, probably probably good to cover in terms of 20 00:01:23,440 --> 00:01:26,640 Speaker 2: just you know, talking about it, right, but but yeah, 21 00:01:26,720 --> 00:01:27,800 Speaker 2: so catfish came up. 22 00:01:30,480 --> 00:01:33,720 Speaker 1: Yeah, and I'm glad it did, because I kind of 23 00:01:33,720 --> 00:01:35,679 Speaker 1: haven't thought about catfish for a while, but now I 24 00:01:35,720 --> 00:01:37,800 Speaker 1: have a real craving because I do love a right 25 00:01:38,600 --> 00:01:43,920 Speaker 1: fried catfish. Yes, I used to get catfish, and like sew, 26 00:01:44,640 --> 00:01:46,720 Speaker 1: I've had a lot of catfish in my life. I 27 00:01:46,760 --> 00:01:50,760 Speaker 1: have to say, though I did not like catching catfish 28 00:01:50,760 --> 00:01:54,360 Speaker 1: as a kid. I believe it was a channel catfish. 29 00:01:54,520 --> 00:01:56,920 Speaker 1: It kind of checks all the boxes, but I can't 30 00:01:56,920 --> 00:02:00,320 Speaker 1: tell you for sure. Sure, but just as a kid 31 00:02:00,360 --> 00:02:04,520 Speaker 1: when I was young, they were the pretty big and 32 00:02:05,160 --> 00:02:09,320 Speaker 1: they have those whiskers they stab you and it like stings. 33 00:02:10,520 --> 00:02:14,119 Speaker 1: They were unwieldy to get off of the hook. 34 00:02:15,000 --> 00:02:17,440 Speaker 2: And a couple of their fins, like up near their 35 00:02:17,520 --> 00:02:19,560 Speaker 2: head are very sharp and spiky. 36 00:02:19,840 --> 00:02:24,200 Speaker 1: So yes, yeah, One time my grandfather had a shrimping 37 00:02:24,240 --> 00:02:29,400 Speaker 1: boat and one time we caught just just catfish. 38 00:02:29,440 --> 00:02:29,680 Speaker 2: Wow. 39 00:02:29,760 --> 00:02:34,440 Speaker 1: And I tell you it was a miserable experience everyone involved. 40 00:02:35,040 --> 00:02:36,560 Speaker 1: Like if it had been the different, if we had 41 00:02:36,600 --> 00:02:39,079 Speaker 1: been like commercial fishers or something, I'm sure that would 42 00:02:39,080 --> 00:02:40,920 Speaker 1: have been a great surprise. But instead it was like 43 00:02:41,080 --> 00:02:44,799 Speaker 1: just catfish tearing up the net. Oh wow, with their 44 00:02:44,840 --> 00:02:48,840 Speaker 1: whiskers and their fins and everybody getting kind of punctured, 45 00:02:48,880 --> 00:02:51,480 Speaker 1: and yeah, they're no joke. 46 00:02:52,400 --> 00:02:56,760 Speaker 2: I believe you entirely. Yeah, I do not have any 47 00:02:57,000 --> 00:03:02,720 Speaker 2: cat fishing experience in any sense of the word. Over 48 00:03:02,840 --> 00:03:07,680 Speaker 2: on that later, but I sure do like eating it. 49 00:03:08,760 --> 00:03:12,919 Speaker 2: I love it so much. I'm so glad to live 50 00:03:12,960 --> 00:03:16,359 Speaker 2: in Atlanta. Buy our new offices. There is a kind 51 00:03:16,360 --> 00:03:20,840 Speaker 2: of pon seafood Court and one of the shops will 52 00:03:21,720 --> 00:03:26,000 Speaker 2: do cornmeal fried fish to order on days when they 53 00:03:26,080 --> 00:03:29,399 Speaker 2: have it, and it is transcendental. 54 00:03:31,280 --> 00:03:37,120 Speaker 1: It's it's beautiful. It's so simple, but it's like just delightful. 55 00:03:37,520 --> 00:03:40,760 Speaker 1: Oh my goodness. 56 00:03:41,080 --> 00:03:41,320 Speaker 2: Yep. 57 00:03:41,680 --> 00:03:47,840 Speaker 1: Well, you can see our past seafood episodes. We have 58 00:03:47,960 --> 00:03:48,720 Speaker 1: done quite a few. 59 00:03:50,440 --> 00:03:54,680 Speaker 2: I think cod is the one that really intersects with this, 60 00:03:55,440 --> 00:03:59,800 Speaker 2: but perhaps only due to like one parable Yeah, I 61 00:03:59,800 --> 00:04:00,560 Speaker 2: don't sure. 62 00:04:01,680 --> 00:04:08,560 Speaker 1: Yeah, I can see some similarities. Fried crawd, fried catfish. Yeah, sure, Okay, 63 00:04:08,960 --> 00:04:16,520 Speaker 1: I guess that brings us to our question channel catfish. 64 00:04:16,560 --> 00:04:17,240 Speaker 1: What are they? 65 00:04:18,120 --> 00:04:22,359 Speaker 2: Well, the channel catfish is a fresh water bottom dwelling, 66 00:04:22,680 --> 00:04:27,200 Speaker 2: temperate climate fish that's caught for its meat. They're kind 67 00:04:27,200 --> 00:04:30,880 Speaker 2: of mid sized and cylindrical, long and slender. Typically when 68 00:04:30,880 --> 00:04:33,719 Speaker 2: they're caught like about a foot long that's thirty centimeters 69 00:04:33,720 --> 00:04:36,040 Speaker 2: and weighing two to four pounds. 70 00:04:35,680 --> 00:04:36,960 Speaker 1: That's like one to two kilos. 71 00:04:37,720 --> 00:04:40,400 Speaker 2: The meat is taken off in filets from the sides 72 00:04:40,440 --> 00:04:43,080 Speaker 2: of the fish and will be ivory pink to maybe 73 00:04:43,120 --> 00:04:46,800 Speaker 2: gold and yellow in color. It's slightly translucent when it's raw, 74 00:04:46,839 --> 00:04:50,479 Speaker 2: and we'll cook up opaque. The flavor is earthy, like 75 00:04:50,640 --> 00:04:54,480 Speaker 2: lightly sweet in that savory way that seafood often is 76 00:04:54,800 --> 00:04:57,800 Speaker 2: only a very tiny bit fishy like, mostly like kind 77 00:04:57,839 --> 00:05:02,000 Speaker 2: of clean tasting, and the texture is like super flaky 78 00:05:02,400 --> 00:05:05,279 Speaker 2: and tender with like a little bit of chew to it. 79 00:05:05,279 --> 00:05:06,719 Speaker 2: It can be cooked in any way that you like 80 00:05:06,760 --> 00:05:11,160 Speaker 2: cooking fish, baked, roasted, sauteed, smoked. It's especially popular as 81 00:05:11,160 --> 00:05:14,000 Speaker 2: a fried fish, breaded often in corn meal, and deep fried, 82 00:05:14,440 --> 00:05:16,839 Speaker 2: and it is often served as the main protein of 83 00:05:16,880 --> 00:05:19,560 Speaker 2: a meal with some side dishes, or in a sandwich 84 00:05:19,640 --> 00:05:22,920 Speaker 2: or taco kind of situation. Maybe it is a super 85 00:05:22,960 --> 00:05:28,279 Speaker 2: satisfying protein, like it feels light, but it tastes filling, 86 00:05:29,120 --> 00:05:33,719 Speaker 2: if that makes sense. Eating it is like it's like 87 00:05:34,120 --> 00:05:38,520 Speaker 2: the feeling of stepping into a calm bit of river 88 00:05:38,600 --> 00:05:42,920 Speaker 2: bed or lake bed and squishing your toes into that 89 00:05:43,080 --> 00:05:47,640 Speaker 2: sandy earth just kind of cool and warming at the 90 00:05:47,680 --> 00:05:48,279 Speaker 2: same time. 91 00:05:50,839 --> 00:05:54,160 Speaker 1: Yeah. Yeah, And I think that's one of the reasons 92 00:05:54,160 --> 00:05:57,880 Speaker 1: that is such a good fried fish. Yeah, is because 93 00:05:57,920 --> 00:06:02,400 Speaker 1: it's very It is very light and mild, and the 94 00:06:02,800 --> 00:06:05,920 Speaker 1: fried part is, you know, kind of fatty in your 95 00:06:05,920 --> 00:06:09,800 Speaker 1: face and crispy. And yeah, yes, it's like the contrast 96 00:06:09,880 --> 00:06:13,559 Speaker 1: of it and the flavor of the catfish usually still 97 00:06:13,600 --> 00:06:16,560 Speaker 1: stands up even though it is a bit of a 98 00:06:16,600 --> 00:06:17,440 Speaker 1: milder flavor. 99 00:06:17,680 --> 00:06:22,440 Speaker 2: Yeah. When when I was writing that description, I was 100 00:06:22,480 --> 00:06:25,799 Speaker 2: eating like an actually very spicy curry and my brain 101 00:06:25,880 --> 00:06:27,479 Speaker 2: was so confused. 102 00:06:26,920 --> 00:06:31,479 Speaker 1: About what that. Yeah, it was like, hold. 103 00:06:31,200 --> 00:06:38,200 Speaker 2: On, there's too much input here, but okay, uh. Taxonomical 104 00:06:38,320 --> 00:06:40,720 Speaker 2: name it Dolores punctatus. 105 00:06:41,440 --> 00:06:41,719 Speaker 1: Sure. 106 00:06:42,640 --> 00:06:46,320 Speaker 2: The North American catfish family has about seven genera and 107 00:06:46,360 --> 00:06:50,160 Speaker 2: at least forty five species, but channel catfish are by 108 00:06:50,360 --> 00:06:54,360 Speaker 2: far the most popular as food. They do not have scales, 109 00:06:54,400 --> 00:06:57,239 Speaker 2: but rather a sort of slick skin that's maybe olive 110 00:06:57,400 --> 00:07:00,200 Speaker 2: to grayish blue to black on their backs and then 111 00:07:00,279 --> 00:07:02,919 Speaker 2: silvery white on their bellies, a little bit of iridescence 112 00:07:02,920 --> 00:07:06,200 Speaker 2: in there. Younger ones may have some darker speckles or 113 00:07:06,240 --> 00:07:10,160 Speaker 2: spots along their backs. Their fins are soft raid, except 114 00:07:10,200 --> 00:07:14,200 Speaker 2: for those aforementioned pectoral and dorsal fins around their head, 115 00:07:14,240 --> 00:07:17,400 Speaker 2: which do have sharp spines. Watch out for those, and 116 00:07:17,520 --> 00:07:20,120 Speaker 2: you can tell them apart from related species by looking 117 00:07:20,160 --> 00:07:22,679 Speaker 2: at the anal fin like on the belly towards the tail, 118 00:07:22,960 --> 00:07:26,240 Speaker 2: which is long and rounded and has like twenty four 119 00:07:26,280 --> 00:07:30,360 Speaker 2: to twenty nine rays. I read that very specific number 120 00:07:30,960 --> 00:07:34,640 Speaker 2: in a bunch of places I don't make the biology facts. 121 00:07:35,680 --> 00:07:38,920 Speaker 2: And also their tail fin is deeply forked as opposed 122 00:07:38,960 --> 00:07:43,360 Speaker 2: to a lot of other catfish. They have four pair 123 00:07:43,440 --> 00:07:47,040 Speaker 2: of barbels around their mouth, which is kind of wide 124 00:07:47,440 --> 00:07:52,000 Speaker 2: like a big old goofy grin, and those barbels barbells, 125 00:07:52,160 --> 00:07:54,280 Speaker 2: I don't know. They look sort of like whiskers on 126 00:07:54,280 --> 00:07:58,160 Speaker 2: a cat, hence their name. Their genus name that that 127 00:07:58,320 --> 00:08:01,880 Speaker 2: Ictolorus is a mash of the Greek for fish and cat, 128 00:08:03,280 --> 00:08:06,160 Speaker 2: and the species name means spotted like like like like 129 00:08:06,200 --> 00:08:08,640 Speaker 2: little spots pink tatus. 130 00:08:08,720 --> 00:08:10,679 Speaker 1: Yeah, that was a fun fact. 131 00:08:10,680 --> 00:08:18,240 Speaker 2: Spotted cat. Yeah. Yeah. Those whiskers have a concentration of 132 00:08:18,400 --> 00:08:23,600 Speaker 2: taste buds on them, but the fish's whole body has 133 00:08:23,680 --> 00:08:28,960 Speaker 2: taste buds all over it, which which is mostly how 134 00:08:28,960 --> 00:08:32,080 Speaker 2: they find their food. Rather than using sight or smell, 135 00:08:33,600 --> 00:08:40,200 Speaker 2: which really helps them out in like cloudy water, which 136 00:08:40,240 --> 00:08:45,520 Speaker 2: they do. Yeah. Sure, they are opportunistic omnivores is the 137 00:08:45,640 --> 00:08:52,520 Speaker 2: scientific term. Basically, they'll eat anything algae, plants, insects, small 138 00:08:52,559 --> 00:08:56,400 Speaker 2: crustaceans like crawfish, smaller fish, birds if they can get them, 139 00:08:56,480 --> 00:09:01,120 Speaker 2: you know, oh yeah, yeah, oh my god, m pretty much. 140 00:09:01,120 --> 00:09:04,840 Speaker 1: It is interesting. People have like their go to baits 141 00:09:05,280 --> 00:09:08,160 Speaker 1: that they use to catch catfish, and it cracked me 142 00:09:08,320 --> 00:09:09,360 Speaker 1: up hearing. 143 00:09:09,200 --> 00:09:17,320 Speaker 2: A huge right ranges wildly Yeah, like people swear by 144 00:09:17,400 --> 00:09:22,480 Speaker 2: they're like chicken gizzards or only bread dough. Yeah yeah, 145 00:09:22,600 --> 00:09:30,240 Speaker 2: like what wild. Sure, they do prefer temperate water, like 146 00:09:30,360 --> 00:09:33,000 Speaker 2: right around the range that humans are generally comfortable at, 147 00:09:33,720 --> 00:09:37,240 Speaker 2: and they prefer clear streams with a decent current and 148 00:09:37,280 --> 00:09:39,800 Speaker 2: a sandy or gravel sort of bottom. But they are 149 00:09:39,920 --> 00:09:43,080 Speaker 2: really adaptable and they can and will hang out in 150 00:09:43,200 --> 00:09:47,480 Speaker 2: any range of conditions. When they're ready to spawn, a 151 00:09:47,480 --> 00:09:50,840 Speaker 2: male catfish will build a nest out from some kind 152 00:09:50,880 --> 00:09:53,600 Speaker 2: of like crevice or maybe a hollow log something like that, 153 00:09:53,960 --> 00:09:56,160 Speaker 2: like nice and secluded. You know, they'll just sort of 154 00:09:56,160 --> 00:09:59,120 Speaker 2: clean it out and then stick around to defend it. 155 00:09:59,720 --> 00:10:03,319 Speaker 2: And a female catfish will come along and be like, dude, awesome, 156 00:10:03,400 --> 00:10:06,920 Speaker 2: nest heck yeah, and lay her eggs there some like 157 00:10:07,120 --> 00:10:10,160 Speaker 2: three to four thousand eggs per pound of body weight. 158 00:10:10,920 --> 00:10:14,040 Speaker 2: Fish are great and the male will fertilize them and 159 00:10:14,080 --> 00:10:17,160 Speaker 2: then like tend to them, keeping them clean and safe. 160 00:10:17,360 --> 00:10:19,360 Speaker 2: He'll sort of fan them with his fins to wash 161 00:10:19,360 --> 00:10:21,720 Speaker 2: away waste and keep them, you know, like oxygenated with 162 00:10:21,800 --> 00:10:25,040 Speaker 2: fresh water. They'll hatch in just over a week with 163 00:10:25,120 --> 00:10:27,520 Speaker 2: a little yolk sac that feeds them until they're fully 164 00:10:27,520 --> 00:10:29,760 Speaker 2: developed and can swim out on their own after another 165 00:10:29,760 --> 00:10:33,360 Speaker 2: few days or so. They're usually harvested when they're about 166 00:10:33,400 --> 00:10:36,200 Speaker 2: two years old and weigh at least a pound, but 167 00:10:36,240 --> 00:10:39,040 Speaker 2: they can live over twenty years in the wild and 168 00:10:39,720 --> 00:10:43,240 Speaker 2: we'll kind of just keep growing. So it's not unheard 169 00:10:43,240 --> 00:10:45,800 Speaker 2: of to catch one that's in the like forty pound range, 170 00:10:45,840 --> 00:10:51,320 Speaker 2: around like eighteen kilos or so. In the wild and 171 00:10:51,360 --> 00:10:55,000 Speaker 2: in stocked ponds. They're popular for recreational fishing. They're pretty 172 00:10:55,040 --> 00:10:58,480 Speaker 2: easy to catch and clean from what I understand. Yeah, 173 00:10:58,520 --> 00:11:00,600 Speaker 2: they're right. They are not picky. They will go for 174 00:11:00,640 --> 00:11:03,439 Speaker 2: any kind of bait, and they are fairly easy to 175 00:11:03,520 --> 00:11:07,080 Speaker 2: keep on farms. The aquaculture for them is very well developed. 176 00:11:08,080 --> 00:11:11,680 Speaker 2: Most American farmed channel catfish is considered a best choice 177 00:11:11,720 --> 00:11:15,920 Speaker 2: seafood by the Monterey Bay Seafood Watch. So good job there. 178 00:11:16,840 --> 00:11:19,360 Speaker 2: But yeah, yeah, when you eat them, they're like a 179 00:11:19,440 --> 00:11:22,800 Speaker 2: nice mildfish. Some people do have a strong opinion about 180 00:11:22,800 --> 00:11:27,160 Speaker 2: that sort of earthy flavor. I find it like pleasantly 181 00:11:27,920 --> 00:11:31,440 Speaker 2: lightly mushroomy, kind of like that, like some people find 182 00:11:31,440 --> 00:11:34,680 Speaker 2: it muddy. I've heard that complaint before. Although in the 183 00:11:34,679 --> 00:11:37,600 Speaker 2: American South this can be a class thing. There's a 184 00:11:37,600 --> 00:11:39,439 Speaker 2: little bit of an attitude of like, oh, it's a 185 00:11:39,480 --> 00:11:42,840 Speaker 2: bottom feeder. Gross, But come on, man, fish eat whatever. 186 00:11:43,640 --> 00:11:46,840 Speaker 2: This like fish will eat anything. This is what fish do. 187 00:11:48,640 --> 00:11:52,040 Speaker 1: It is and as we've said in many of our 188 00:11:52,080 --> 00:11:54,720 Speaker 1: past seafood episodes, if you want to research the biology 189 00:11:54,720 --> 00:11:58,240 Speaker 1: of fish, you might change your tombs. Now, Oh it's 190 00:11:58,240 --> 00:12:00,840 Speaker 1: a bottom feeder. There's a lot of strange things going on. 191 00:12:01,040 --> 00:12:04,520 Speaker 2: So oh yeah, oh yeah, but hey, you know, I 192 00:12:04,559 --> 00:12:06,240 Speaker 2: can't can't tell you what to like. Of course, if 193 00:12:06,280 --> 00:12:07,679 Speaker 2: you if you don't like it, don't don't eat it. 194 00:12:07,760 --> 00:12:08,640 Speaker 1: Yeah sure, but. 195 00:12:08,559 --> 00:12:11,240 Speaker 2: Anyway, it is so so, so, so so good, like 196 00:12:11,280 --> 00:12:14,240 Speaker 2: a little light egg dip and then that cornmeal dredge 197 00:12:14,520 --> 00:12:16,800 Speaker 2: you fried up crispy. If the filet is thin, it'll 198 00:12:16,840 --> 00:12:21,720 Speaker 2: curl up a little. This is sometimes the fish and 199 00:12:21,800 --> 00:12:24,280 Speaker 2: like a fish and gritz platter in the American South. 200 00:12:25,600 --> 00:12:27,880 Speaker 2: But it's nice. It's nice with delicate flavors or as 201 00:12:27,920 --> 00:12:30,480 Speaker 2: a base for strong ones, like a like a blackened preparation. 202 00:12:31,240 --> 00:12:33,360 Speaker 2: It can also be put in soups and stews, like 203 00:12:33,400 --> 00:12:35,400 Speaker 2: added sort of towards the end of cooking. Because it's 204 00:12:35,440 --> 00:12:39,040 Speaker 2: a fish, it cooks quickly. They are also kept as 205 00:12:39,040 --> 00:12:43,800 Speaker 2: an ornamental pond fish, especially the albino variety, which are 206 00:12:43,920 --> 00:12:46,720 Speaker 2: kind of peachy pink in color. Real cute, real cute, 207 00:12:46,840 --> 00:12:51,920 Speaker 2: real weird and thing that I didn't know. They are 208 00:12:52,040 --> 00:12:55,000 Speaker 2: used in scientific research as a test animal prior to 209 00:12:55,240 --> 00:13:00,480 Speaker 2: human testing in clinical trials, specifically when you're trying to 210 00:13:00,480 --> 00:13:07,359 Speaker 2: look at like immune responses, antibody formation, and chemical transference, 211 00:13:07,760 --> 00:13:14,920 Speaker 2: like for toxicology and pharmacology purposes, because apparently those systems 212 00:13:15,240 --> 00:13:19,840 Speaker 2: in channel catfish are fairly similar to those systems in humans. 213 00:13:20,840 --> 00:13:24,199 Speaker 1: Huh very interesting. 214 00:13:24,360 --> 00:13:32,480 Speaker 2: Yeah, okay, well what about the nutrition by itself? Channel 215 00:13:32,520 --> 00:13:34,400 Speaker 2: catfish is pretty good for you. By the time you 216 00:13:34,679 --> 00:13:37,200 Speaker 2: deep fry it. I can't really can't really tell you, 217 00:13:37,320 --> 00:13:39,839 Speaker 2: but I mean I can, and treats are nice as 218 00:13:39,880 --> 00:13:43,199 Speaker 2: the answer. But yeah, channel catfish is high end protein, 219 00:13:43,400 --> 00:13:46,199 Speaker 2: low in fats. What fats it does have are good fats. 220 00:13:46,240 --> 00:13:48,679 Speaker 2: It's got a bunch of micro nutrients in there, and 221 00:13:48,720 --> 00:13:50,480 Speaker 2: it is also one of the types of fish that 222 00:13:50,600 --> 00:13:53,679 Speaker 2: is lowest in contaminants like mercury. So if that's a 223 00:13:53,720 --> 00:13:55,880 Speaker 2: thing that you're concerned about, catfish all. 224 00:13:55,880 --> 00:14:00,400 Speaker 1: Day, catfish all day. Well, speaking of, we have some 225 00:14:00,480 --> 00:14:01,160 Speaker 1: numbers for you. 226 00:14:01,520 --> 00:14:05,520 Speaker 2: Oh we do, okay. So the largest channel catfish on 227 00:14:05,640 --> 00:14:10,720 Speaker 2: record weighed fifty eight pounds that's twenty six kilos. It 228 00:14:10,800 --> 00:14:14,280 Speaker 2: was caught in South Carolina in nineteen sixty four, and 229 00:14:14,360 --> 00:14:17,600 Speaker 2: believe me, people have been trying since then, so I'm 230 00:14:17,600 --> 00:14:21,880 Speaker 2: impressed that that is still the record holder. The longest 231 00:14:21,920 --> 00:14:27,960 Speaker 2: one ever caught was four feet eight inches. That's that's 232 00:14:28,080 --> 00:14:29,360 Speaker 2: one point four meters. 233 00:14:30,440 --> 00:14:33,680 Speaker 1: Oh my goodness, that's really creeping up on me. You guys. 234 00:14:38,200 --> 00:14:41,200 Speaker 2: I'm not sure whether that was the same specimens as 235 00:14:41,240 --> 00:14:45,080 Speaker 2: the heaviest one. The oldest one on record was forty 236 00:14:45,160 --> 00:14:46,000 Speaker 2: years old. 237 00:14:46,640 --> 00:14:47,000 Speaker 1: Wow. 238 00:14:47,480 --> 00:14:54,800 Speaker 2: Yeah. Yeah. There are numerous catfish festivals around the US, 239 00:14:55,080 --> 00:15:00,440 Speaker 2: plus a convention for catfish every year in Louisville. Curious 240 00:15:00,440 --> 00:15:02,360 Speaker 2: about all of those if you've ever been to one. 241 00:15:02,880 --> 00:15:05,040 Speaker 2: I ran across so many that I like, I kind of. 242 00:15:05,080 --> 00:15:07,680 Speaker 2: I was like, Okay, this is There are other facts 243 00:15:07,720 --> 00:15:10,520 Speaker 2: I'm going to gather for this particular episode, but want 244 00:15:10,560 --> 00:15:14,240 Speaker 2: to hear the details. Another thing I didn't really understand. 245 00:15:15,440 --> 00:15:18,880 Speaker 2: I guess maybe I had like a slight concept of 246 00:15:18,920 --> 00:15:22,160 Speaker 2: this in my head, but I did not know that catfish. 247 00:15:22,480 --> 00:15:26,400 Speaker 2: Channel catfish specifically is one of the top thirty aquacultured 248 00:15:26,440 --> 00:15:32,120 Speaker 2: species in the world by weight, with over four hundred 249 00:15:32,160 --> 00:15:37,760 Speaker 2: and fifty thousand metric tons farmed in twenty nineteen alone. 250 00:15:38,040 --> 00:15:41,880 Speaker 2: Of that, China produced some three hundred thousand tons, and 251 00:15:42,200 --> 00:15:46,320 Speaker 2: the US produced some one hundred and fifty thousand, which, 252 00:15:46,360 --> 00:15:48,760 Speaker 2: if you're keeping track, adds up to about four hundred 253 00:15:48,760 --> 00:15:52,440 Speaker 2: and fifty thousand, which is the total. Other places do 254 00:15:52,560 --> 00:15:58,040 Speaker 2: farm it, but in relatively super tiny amounts. And yeah, 255 00:15:58,160 --> 00:16:03,120 Speaker 2: channel catfish consistently makes up between fifty to sixty percent 256 00:16:03,480 --> 00:16:07,800 Speaker 2: of all US fish and seafood farmed. Like farmed fish 257 00:16:07,840 --> 00:16:12,960 Speaker 2: and seafood by weight, Yeah, that is so much more 258 00:16:13,960 --> 00:16:14,480 Speaker 2: than I thought. 259 00:16:15,400 --> 00:16:17,040 Speaker 1: Me too, Me too. 260 00:16:18,720 --> 00:16:22,560 Speaker 2: As of twenty twenty three, sales of farmed channel catfish 261 00:16:22,600 --> 00:16:24,960 Speaker 2: in the US were some four hundred and thirty seven 262 00:16:25,040 --> 00:16:29,680 Speaker 2: million dollars, which also makes it the single most valuable 263 00:16:29,800 --> 00:16:36,280 Speaker 2: farmed species in the country. And furthermore, this number is 264 00:16:36,280 --> 00:16:38,080 Speaker 2: a little bit older. It's from two thousand and nine, 265 00:16:38,200 --> 00:16:42,160 Speaker 2: but I don't think it's changed drastically since then. As 266 00:16:42,160 --> 00:16:45,160 Speaker 2: of two thousand and nine, at least ninety percent of 267 00:16:45,800 --> 00:16:48,960 Speaker 2: the channel catfish being farmed here in the US were 268 00:16:49,000 --> 00:16:54,920 Speaker 2: produced in the Mississippi River Valley region. So we produce 269 00:16:55,120 --> 00:16:58,080 Speaker 2: a lot of it, and we produce it in the South. 270 00:17:00,680 --> 00:17:04,280 Speaker 1: Yes, and people have written quite a lot about it. 271 00:17:04,520 --> 00:17:08,639 Speaker 2: Oh, yes, which is so cool. I love that as 272 00:17:08,720 --> 00:17:14,679 Speaker 2: a podcaster and like thanks, yeah, perfect, yes, And we 273 00:17:14,720 --> 00:17:18,040 Speaker 2: are going to get into that wonderful history as soon 274 00:17:18,160 --> 00:17:19,760 Speaker 2: as we get back from a quick break for a 275 00:17:19,760 --> 00:17:30,800 Speaker 2: word from our sponsors, and we're back. Thank you sponsor, Yes, 276 00:17:30,880 --> 00:17:31,199 Speaker 2: thank you. 277 00:17:32,240 --> 00:17:36,560 Speaker 1: Okay. So, the channel catfish is indigenous to a large 278 00:17:36,560 --> 00:17:39,359 Speaker 1: swath of North America, from southern parts of Canada to 279 00:17:39,440 --> 00:17:42,360 Speaker 1: northeastern Mexico and east of the Rockies. 280 00:17:42,560 --> 00:17:45,359 Speaker 2: Yeah, east of the Rockies and west of the Appalachians. 281 00:17:45,520 --> 00:17:47,720 Speaker 2: Like just the whole center bit there, like Gulf of 282 00:17:47,760 --> 00:17:50,440 Speaker 2: Mexico up through Hudson Bay. Yeah. 283 00:17:51,119 --> 00:17:55,520 Speaker 1: Yes, And fossil records indicate that they species might go 284 00:17:55,680 --> 00:17:59,520 Speaker 1: back as far as twenty million years ago. They're old 285 00:18:01,520 --> 00:18:04,359 Speaker 1: much much later. The catfish was introduced to parts of 286 00:18:04,359 --> 00:18:08,159 Speaker 1: California and Texas and the drainages for the Atlantic and 287 00:18:08,200 --> 00:18:11,600 Speaker 1: Pacific oceans and eventually around the world, so they're pretty 288 00:18:11,600 --> 00:18:16,680 Speaker 1: well established. Which speaking of, there has been a lot 289 00:18:17,080 --> 00:18:22,520 Speaker 1: of documentation about the spread of channel catfish. We're going 290 00:18:22,560 --> 00:18:24,359 Speaker 1: to go over a few of them, a few of 291 00:18:24,359 --> 00:18:27,560 Speaker 1: these instances, but if you're really curious, there are charts 292 00:18:27,600 --> 00:18:31,080 Speaker 1: that show you where, when, and how this fish was introduced, 293 00:18:31,680 --> 00:18:33,840 Speaker 1: if the information is available, and then it also includes 294 00:18:33,880 --> 00:18:37,200 Speaker 1: if it was a purposeful introduction or an accidental introduction, 295 00:18:38,320 --> 00:18:43,800 Speaker 1: So that information does exist. But to sum up, yeah, yes, 296 00:18:44,240 --> 00:18:47,439 Speaker 1: to sum up, we're just going to go over a 297 00:18:46,920 --> 00:18:51,080 Speaker 1: few of the main things. Okay, So the history of 298 00:18:51,119 --> 00:18:54,840 Speaker 1: people eating channel catfish is difficult to track. According to 299 00:18:54,880 --> 00:18:57,800 Speaker 1: some sources, indigenous folks in North America were eating them 300 00:18:57,960 --> 00:19:00,840 Speaker 1: where they were available, though some researchers wondered at the 301 00:19:00,960 --> 00:19:04,080 Speaker 1: lack of evidence in the form of bones and sometimes 302 00:19:04,119 --> 00:19:08,120 Speaker 1: there's other fish bones present, but not channel catfish bones. However, 303 00:19:08,240 --> 00:19:12,200 Speaker 1: the consensus seems to be indigenous peoples with access to catfish, 304 00:19:12,240 --> 00:19:16,000 Speaker 1: particularly in the South, called channel catfish and then grilled, boiled, spoked, 305 00:19:16,119 --> 00:19:20,680 Speaker 1: or dried them for eating. The first known written description 306 00:19:21,040 --> 00:19:24,719 Speaker 1: of the channel catfish was composed by Samuel Ruffanesque in 307 00:19:24,800 --> 00:19:28,560 Speaker 1: eighteen eighteen. And this is where we get into some 308 00:19:28,600 --> 00:19:33,520 Speaker 1: of these introductions, as they call them. The United States 309 00:19:33,520 --> 00:19:37,800 Speaker 1: Fish Commission are the USFC determined that the channel catfish 310 00:19:38,440 --> 00:19:41,960 Speaker 1: was a valuable food and gaming fish in the eighteen hundreds. 311 00:19:42,280 --> 00:19:46,240 Speaker 2: Yeah, So in the eighteen seventies they started like really 312 00:19:46,400 --> 00:19:51,200 Speaker 2: collecting and stalking fish from the wild in other places, 313 00:19:51,280 --> 00:19:54,480 Speaker 2: and in eighteen ninety they figured out how to get 314 00:19:54,520 --> 00:19:57,919 Speaker 2: them to spawn in captivity rights. 315 00:19:58,320 --> 00:20:01,400 Speaker 1: So in eighteen ninety two and ninety three they sent 316 00:20:01,680 --> 00:20:05,760 Speaker 1: thousands of channel catfish to over twenty states across the country, 317 00:20:06,040 --> 00:20:08,600 Speaker 1: where they went on to become an established species. In 318 00:20:08,680 --> 00:20:12,439 Speaker 1: many cases, they had previously been planted in the watershed 319 00:20:12,440 --> 00:20:15,760 Speaker 1: of the San Francisco Bay in eighteen seventy four. Some 320 00:20:15,800 --> 00:20:18,960 Speaker 1: of the historical records don't clearly specify the type of 321 00:20:19,000 --> 00:20:23,480 Speaker 1: catfish though, Yeah, that's always kind of a risk. 322 00:20:23,920 --> 00:20:24,160 Speaker 2: Yeah. 323 00:20:25,200 --> 00:20:28,199 Speaker 1: Records indicate the channel catfish was introduced to Europe in 324 00:20:28,280 --> 00:20:31,600 Speaker 1: nineteen hundred as a game in food fish. Some reports 325 00:20:31,600 --> 00:20:35,120 Speaker 1: suggest that wild populations were later established in parts of Spain, Italy, 326 00:20:35,200 --> 00:20:38,600 Speaker 1: and Russia. As we've talked about it before, it could 327 00:20:38,600 --> 00:20:42,040 Speaker 1: be hard to know for sure with fish because they 328 00:20:42,160 --> 00:20:45,360 Speaker 1: move all about. They did what they want. Yeah, they 329 00:20:45,440 --> 00:20:49,800 Speaker 1: do what they want. By nineteen fifteen, these fish were 330 00:20:49,800 --> 00:20:53,000 Speaker 1: plentiful in the waters around the DC area. In the 331 00:20:53,119 --> 00:20:55,920 Speaker 1: nineteen forties, the channel catfish was introduced to the Columbia 332 00:20:55,960 --> 00:20:59,560 Speaker 1: and San Francisco Bay estuaries. They were introduced to Hawaii 333 00:20:59,640 --> 00:21:03,360 Speaker 1: and nineteen fifty eight, and then we get a lot 334 00:21:03,359 --> 00:21:09,000 Speaker 1: of research around catfish. The University of Auburn's Agricultural Experiment 335 00:21:09,040 --> 00:21:12,399 Speaker 1: Station in Alabama launched a warm water fish production program 336 00:21:12,440 --> 00:21:15,360 Speaker 1: in the nineteen thirties. As part of this program, they 337 00:21:15,440 --> 00:21:20,080 Speaker 1: looked into the production and nutrition of channel catfish. The 338 00:21:20,119 --> 00:21:23,080 Speaker 1: station released a lot of research about the market value 339 00:21:23,160 --> 00:21:27,520 Speaker 1: of growing these fish. Their research generated more interest in 340 00:21:27,640 --> 00:21:31,680 Speaker 1: the farming of catfish. Several other similar institutes and programs 341 00:21:31,720 --> 00:21:34,919 Speaker 1: opened in the following decades, and research continues to this day, 342 00:21:34,960 --> 00:21:36,399 Speaker 1: they're still looking into these things. 343 00:21:36,440 --> 00:21:37,920 Speaker 2: Oh yeah. 344 00:21:38,119 --> 00:21:40,840 Speaker 1: It wasn't until the nineteen fifties that commercial production of 345 00:21:40,880 --> 00:21:43,800 Speaker 1: the catfish became viable in the US, in part due 346 00:21:43,840 --> 00:21:46,520 Speaker 1: to the research about how the fishpond. That was a 347 00:21:46,560 --> 00:21:47,120 Speaker 1: really big thing. 348 00:21:47,280 --> 00:21:48,240 Speaker 2: Yeah. 349 00:21:48,480 --> 00:21:52,960 Speaker 1: Beginning in the nineteen sixties, several technological innovations around aquaculture 350 00:21:53,000 --> 00:21:56,120 Speaker 1: and fish feed led to increased yield of channel catfish 351 00:21:56,320 --> 00:22:00,359 Speaker 1: and quicker processing. This led to relatively cheap cat fish 352 00:22:00,400 --> 00:22:04,640 Speaker 1: on grocery shelves across the country Over the years. New 353 00:22:04,680 --> 00:22:09,359 Speaker 1: regulations around best practices around aquaculture and introductions were also developed. 354 00:22:09,680 --> 00:22:12,720 Speaker 1: In some places like Mississippi and Missouri, over harvesting due 355 00:22:12,760 --> 00:22:16,600 Speaker 1: to commercial fishing led to size limits and other regulations. 356 00:22:16,960 --> 00:22:18,639 Speaker 1: And I know there have been some instances like in 357 00:22:18,640 --> 00:22:22,280 Speaker 1: New Zealand where they dat a study it was like, no, 358 00:22:22,359 --> 00:22:24,240 Speaker 1: this would actually be bad for our environment, so they 359 00:22:24,240 --> 00:22:29,960 Speaker 1: didn't introduce the channel catfish there. Since a large percentage 360 00:22:30,040 --> 00:22:33,440 Speaker 1: of US farm raised catfish originated in the American South, 361 00:22:33,960 --> 00:22:37,960 Speaker 1: catfish became a big part of Southern cuisine in some places, 362 00:22:38,000 --> 00:22:41,520 Speaker 1: a lot of places, partially due to people of African descent. 363 00:22:42,560 --> 00:22:45,919 Speaker 1: According to food writer and James Beard Award winner Adrian Miller. 364 00:22:46,280 --> 00:22:49,840 Speaker 1: When enslaved West Africans were forcibly relocated to America, they 365 00:22:49,880 --> 00:22:54,480 Speaker 1: brought their food traditions with them, including around smoked, fried, dried, 366 00:22:54,600 --> 00:22:57,880 Speaker 1: or salted fish, either as an accompaniment to a dish 367 00:22:58,040 --> 00:23:00,040 Speaker 1: to add flavor, or as a snack or as a 368 00:23:00,119 --> 00:23:04,040 Speaker 1: full meal. On top of that, they were familiar with 369 00:23:04,160 --> 00:23:07,159 Speaker 1: another species of catfish from West Africa, and the Channel 370 00:23:07,160 --> 00:23:11,800 Speaker 1: catfish was plentiful in many areas in the South. When caught, 371 00:23:11,960 --> 00:23:14,920 Speaker 1: the fish was often cooked quickly, making frying a preferred 372 00:23:14,920 --> 00:23:17,080 Speaker 1: method because a lot of the fish could be prepared 373 00:23:17,080 --> 00:23:20,199 Speaker 1: at once, and this led to a lasting communal tradition 374 00:23:20,320 --> 00:23:23,240 Speaker 1: amongst black communities of having fish fries on the weekends 375 00:23:23,280 --> 00:23:25,040 Speaker 1: and for fundraising. And this is still around today. A 376 00:23:25,040 --> 00:23:25,760 Speaker 1: lot of people do it. 377 00:23:25,760 --> 00:23:28,560 Speaker 2: Oh yeah, yeah. 378 00:23:28,880 --> 00:23:33,280 Speaker 1: And fish was and still is often a protein option 379 00:23:33,359 --> 00:23:36,919 Speaker 1: in Southern style meat in three plates catfish specifically. That 380 00:23:37,000 --> 00:23:39,440 Speaker 1: being said, people weren't eating them where they were available 381 00:23:39,440 --> 00:23:41,479 Speaker 1: long before the commercial industry took off. This is one 382 00:23:41,480 --> 00:23:43,880 Speaker 1: of those things where I kind of stogled to find 383 00:23:43,880 --> 00:23:47,240 Speaker 1: the actual eating of the catfish history. But I'm guessing 384 00:23:47,320 --> 00:23:50,120 Speaker 1: that's because in a lot of places. It was just everywhere. 385 00:23:50,640 --> 00:23:53,680 Speaker 2: Yeah, it was kind of beyond remark. People were just like, oh, yeah, 386 00:23:54,359 --> 00:23:55,840 Speaker 2: of course exactly. 387 00:23:56,359 --> 00:23:58,480 Speaker 1: And typically the fish was coated in corn meal and 388 00:23:58,520 --> 00:24:01,199 Speaker 1: fried in oil, often in a cast iron skillet, but 389 00:24:01,320 --> 00:24:04,560 Speaker 1: it was also grilled, blackened, or put in stews. And 390 00:24:04,640 --> 00:24:08,880 Speaker 1: part of its popularity was due to the affordability, the availability, 391 00:24:09,080 --> 00:24:12,240 Speaker 1: but also an ease of preparation and adaptability because it 392 00:24:12,280 --> 00:24:17,719 Speaker 1: is a mildfish, it adapts well to a lot of things. Okay, 393 00:24:18,080 --> 00:24:21,560 Speaker 1: channel catfish or introduced to Japan in nineteen seventy one 394 00:24:21,680 --> 00:24:24,879 Speaker 1: and to China in the nineteen eighties. Wild populations in 395 00:24:24,960 --> 00:24:27,240 Speaker 1: nearby waters are thought to be the result of the 396 00:24:27,280 --> 00:24:30,600 Speaker 1: fish escaping aquaculture setups or illegal releases. 397 00:24:32,359 --> 00:24:38,080 Speaker 2: In any case, global aquaculture production grew pretty steadily through 398 00:24:38,160 --> 00:24:41,440 Speaker 2: the sixties and seventies, right, and then yeah, really took 399 00:24:41,480 --> 00:24:45,480 Speaker 2: off in the eighties when the catfish were introduced to China. 400 00:24:46,119 --> 00:24:50,720 Speaker 2: Production kind of continued shooting up through the twenty oughts. 401 00:24:50,840 --> 00:24:53,400 Speaker 2: At least it's leveled out a little bit since then. 402 00:24:53,480 --> 00:24:57,200 Speaker 2: But yeah, like, if you look at a chart of this, it's. 403 00:24:57,040 --> 00:24:58,200 Speaker 1: Like boo boo, boo boo. 404 00:24:58,240 --> 00:25:04,160 Speaker 2: Whoah, when when it's cat in China, it's very substantial. Yeah. 405 00:25:04,760 --> 00:25:09,880 Speaker 1: Yes. Going back to the US, in nineteen ninety seven, 406 00:25:10,040 --> 00:25:13,560 Speaker 1: Missouri named the channel catfish as their official state fish, 407 00:25:14,200 --> 00:25:16,600 Speaker 1: and from what I understand, it is also the official 408 00:25:16,640 --> 00:25:21,359 Speaker 1: state fish of Nebraska, Kansas, Iowa, and Tennessee. Okay, I 409 00:25:21,400 --> 00:25:21,840 Speaker 1: love it. 410 00:25:21,960 --> 00:25:23,200 Speaker 2: Yeah, that's great. 411 00:25:25,560 --> 00:25:29,000 Speaker 1: For a long time, catfish was viewed as the poor 412 00:25:29,040 --> 00:25:31,639 Speaker 1: man's fish outside the South or even in the South, 413 00:25:32,280 --> 00:25:35,560 Speaker 1: in parts because yes, of their diet bottom feeders, but 414 00:25:35,640 --> 00:25:38,960 Speaker 1: also in part because of stereotypes around Southern foods. And 415 00:25:38,960 --> 00:25:43,040 Speaker 1: we've talked about these problematic stereotypes before. But as Southern 416 00:25:43,040 --> 00:25:46,920 Speaker 1: cuisine saw growing kind of buzzy popularity across the US 417 00:25:46,960 --> 00:25:51,600 Speaker 1: in more recent times, catfish grew in popularity too. However, 418 00:25:51,880 --> 00:25:55,639 Speaker 1: cheaper imported catfish or cheaper types of fish, along with 419 00:25:55,680 --> 00:25:58,640 Speaker 1: increasing costs for things like feed for American farm raised 420 00:25:58,680 --> 00:26:01,800 Speaker 1: catfish has in packed at the US catfish industry. 421 00:26:02,640 --> 00:26:06,880 Speaker 2: Yeah, and unfortunately the Chinese aquaculture industry is not as 422 00:26:06,920 --> 00:26:12,680 Speaker 2: well regulated. So for channel catfish specifically, probably a lot 423 00:26:12,680 --> 00:26:16,600 Speaker 2: of other things, but for channel catfish specifically, sustainability experts, 424 00:26:16,640 --> 00:26:19,359 Speaker 2: do you recommend that you seek out American product. 425 00:26:20,600 --> 00:26:26,119 Speaker 1: Yes, and here comes are one of our fun entertainment facts. 426 00:26:26,280 --> 00:26:30,560 Speaker 1: I know what we'll call it. In twenty ten, a 427 00:26:30,640 --> 00:26:34,600 Speaker 1: documentary called Catfish gave rise to the term that describes 428 00:26:34,600 --> 00:26:37,280 Speaker 1: someone who has fabricated at least a part of their 429 00:26:37,320 --> 00:26:39,000 Speaker 1: identity online. 430 00:26:39,560 --> 00:26:45,320 Speaker 2: Yeah yeah, so right. So if someone has uh, if 431 00:26:45,359 --> 00:26:50,920 Speaker 2: someone presents themselves as a different age or gender or 432 00:26:51,119 --> 00:26:53,719 Speaker 2: whatever it is in like in a way that is 433 00:26:53,760 --> 00:26:57,960 Speaker 2: meant to trick somebody. That is called catfishing. And this 434 00:26:58,119 --> 00:27:01,840 Speaker 2: term comes from a sort of parable from the fishing 435 00:27:01,840 --> 00:27:07,480 Speaker 2: industry that tells of live cod being transported in in 436 00:27:07,800 --> 00:27:13,200 Speaker 2: vats on ships long distance and by themselves. The cod 437 00:27:13,240 --> 00:27:16,880 Speaker 2: would arrive at their destination kind of kind of mushy 438 00:27:16,920 --> 00:27:21,480 Speaker 2: and tasteless. But people figured out that if you put 439 00:27:21,520 --> 00:27:24,480 Speaker 2: catfish in the tanks too, they'd nip at the cod 440 00:27:24,600 --> 00:27:29,159 Speaker 2: and like keep it moving around. So the metaphor is 441 00:27:29,200 --> 00:27:32,600 Speaker 2: that a catfish will keep you guessing, you know, keep 442 00:27:32,600 --> 00:27:36,040 Speaker 2: you on your toes, and thus keep things from getting 443 00:27:36,080 --> 00:27:39,800 Speaker 2: too dull, though it's usually used like disparagingly these days, 444 00:27:40,119 --> 00:27:42,560 Speaker 2: but the original parable is like, oh, yeah, you need 445 00:27:42,600 --> 00:27:47,159 Speaker 2: some catfish in your life, keep it interesting, keep yourself tasty. 446 00:27:46,840 --> 00:27:49,760 Speaker 1: Stabbed you get stabbed. Pull of those whiskers. I'll tell 447 00:27:49,800 --> 00:27:51,240 Speaker 1: you it's interesting enough. 448 00:27:54,000 --> 00:27:58,000 Speaker 2: And the parable, interestingly, actually dates back to this early 449 00:27:58,119 --> 00:28:02,880 Speaker 2: nineteen hundred's essay written by a British Christian writer, one 450 00:28:02,920 --> 00:28:10,280 Speaker 2: Henry W. Nevinson, called appropriately the catfish. So yeah, that's 451 00:28:10,320 --> 00:28:16,800 Speaker 2: so interesting here we are, what century later? Yeah, talking 452 00:28:16,800 --> 00:28:18,040 Speaker 2: about online dating. 453 00:28:20,080 --> 00:28:23,520 Speaker 1: Yes, this guy his mine would be blown. 454 00:28:23,600 --> 00:28:25,199 Speaker 2: Yeah yeah, yeah, because he was like he was like, 455 00:28:25,280 --> 00:28:28,239 Speaker 2: Christianity is the catfish that the europe needs to keep 456 00:28:28,280 --> 00:28:31,760 Speaker 2: itself sharp. That's what sessay was about. That is not 457 00:28:31,800 --> 00:28:33,040 Speaker 2: the way that we are using it today. 458 00:28:33,600 --> 00:28:39,400 Speaker 1: No, it's not, No, it is not. Okay. 459 00:28:40,160 --> 00:28:44,640 Speaker 2: The first catfish to have its genome sequenced was a 460 00:28:44,720 --> 00:28:49,720 Speaker 2: channel catfish that happened in twenty sixteen, and the researchers 461 00:28:50,080 --> 00:28:53,640 Speaker 2: named the fish that they took these genetic samples from. 462 00:28:53,960 --> 00:29:00,000 Speaker 2: They named her Coco after Coco Chanel because and I quote, 463 00:29:00,880 --> 00:29:03,440 Speaker 2: she was Channel number one. 464 00:29:04,960 --> 00:29:08,560 Speaker 1: Oh what's excellent? This is This is a bad perfume pun. 465 00:29:08,680 --> 00:29:09,680 Speaker 2: And I love it. 466 00:29:11,120 --> 00:29:15,800 Speaker 1: You know, scientists make those puns. They are ready, they're ready, 467 00:29:15,800 --> 00:29:21,120 Speaker 1: but they're so prepared, and you've gotta love it. Also, 468 00:29:21,200 --> 00:29:24,160 Speaker 1: Coco Schanell was a fascist. Just heck that person, heck 469 00:29:24,200 --> 00:29:28,920 Speaker 1: that whole person. Anyway, Yes, yes, Well here's another thing 470 00:29:28,960 --> 00:29:34,000 Speaker 1: I didn't know about. Noodling. Noodling for catfish was legalized 471 00:29:34,000 --> 00:29:37,680 Speaker 1: in Louisiana in twenty twenty two, making it the seventeenth 472 00:29:37,800 --> 00:29:38,760 Speaker 1: state to do so. 473 00:29:40,680 --> 00:29:46,760 Speaker 2: Okay, very briefly, noodling for catfish this is a type 474 00:29:46,760 --> 00:29:49,960 Speaker 2: of noodling is a type of fishing that uses no tools. 475 00:29:50,480 --> 00:29:53,520 Speaker 2: The fisher like gets in the water and uses their 476 00:29:53,560 --> 00:29:57,280 Speaker 2: fingers to attract a fish, getting it to bite onto 477 00:29:57,480 --> 00:30:00,360 Speaker 2: their hand, and then pulls the fish out of the water, 478 00:30:01,040 --> 00:30:06,360 Speaker 2: you know, manually, like literally manually. And this is controversial. 479 00:30:07,320 --> 00:30:11,760 Speaker 2: It's been illegal in some places. I think mostly because 480 00:30:11,760 --> 00:30:17,800 Speaker 2: it's kind of dangerous for the person and more potentially 481 00:30:17,880 --> 00:30:21,560 Speaker 2: disruptive of the environment than other fishing methods. But it's 482 00:30:21,560 --> 00:30:25,520 Speaker 2: also like a deep cultural practice in some places. I 483 00:30:25,840 --> 00:30:29,000 Speaker 2: didn't look too much into it, and I'm not familiar 484 00:30:29,040 --> 00:30:31,680 Speaker 2: with this culture. I would want to learn more before 485 00:30:31,720 --> 00:30:34,400 Speaker 2: I said much more about it. But yeah, noodling you can, 486 00:30:34,560 --> 00:30:37,320 Speaker 2: you can look it up or if you have experience, 487 00:30:37,480 --> 00:30:38,480 Speaker 2: please write in. 488 00:30:39,000 --> 00:30:42,800 Speaker 1: Please write in. And there are noodling festivals. Oh yeah, 489 00:30:42,920 --> 00:30:46,600 Speaker 1: oh yeah, So if you had experience with that, let 490 00:30:46,680 --> 00:30:50,040 Speaker 1: us know, yes, oh my gosh. And if you have 491 00:30:50,120 --> 00:30:58,400 Speaker 1: any catfish recipes memories? Yeah, how did you handle fishing? 492 00:30:59,000 --> 00:31:05,320 Speaker 2: Yeah? If you yeah, how do you avoid those weird spines? Do? 493 00:31:06,040 --> 00:31:08,200 Speaker 2: Have you ever had a pet catfish of any kind? 494 00:31:09,760 --> 00:31:14,680 Speaker 2: If I want to hear all about your fish. 495 00:31:13,480 --> 00:31:17,120 Speaker 1: Yes, absolutely, But I think that's what we have to 496 00:31:17,120 --> 00:31:18,880 Speaker 1: say about channel catfish for now. 497 00:31:19,280 --> 00:31:22,400 Speaker 2: It is. We do already have some listener mail for you, though, 498 00:31:22,440 --> 00:31:23,760 Speaker 2: and we are going to get into that as soon 499 00:31:23,760 --> 00:31:25,720 Speaker 2: as we get back from one more quick break forward 500 00:31:25,760 --> 00:31:36,560 Speaker 2: from our sponsors. And we're back. 501 00:31:36,600 --> 00:31:39,520 Speaker 1: Thank you sponsors, Yes, thank you, And we're back with 502 00:31:48,000 --> 00:31:53,440 Speaker 1: catfish whiskers and everything. 503 00:31:54,040 --> 00:31:55,160 Speaker 2: Yeah. 504 00:31:55,280 --> 00:31:59,040 Speaker 1: Okay, so today we have two messages about tear Gone. 505 00:31:59,160 --> 00:32:01,480 Speaker 1: I love how many people people are writing it about tarragon. 506 00:32:01,640 --> 00:32:02,760 Speaker 2: Yeah. 507 00:32:02,560 --> 00:32:04,640 Speaker 1: Yeah, you never know what's gonna really hit with people. 508 00:32:04,800 --> 00:32:07,160 Speaker 2: They're like, yeah, that one resonates. 509 00:32:07,440 --> 00:32:11,080 Speaker 1: I gotta send in my memories about this gone. Yeah, okay. 510 00:32:11,640 --> 00:32:14,680 Speaker 1: Brian wrote, I'm a fan, but I don't use it 511 00:32:14,800 --> 00:32:19,760 Speaker 1: very often. I do like that liquoricey anise esque taste, 512 00:32:20,280 --> 00:32:22,640 Speaker 1: but no one else in my house really enjoys it. 513 00:32:23,040 --> 00:32:24,800 Speaker 1: There are a couple of recipes I've come across that 514 00:32:24,840 --> 00:32:28,040 Speaker 1: I enjoy, and I figured i'd pass them along. Plumb 515 00:32:28,120 --> 00:32:32,920 Speaker 1: tarragon popsicles and steak sauce if you're into tarragon, or 516 00:32:32,960 --> 00:32:34,560 Speaker 1: at least an a post to it. I think the 517 00:32:34,600 --> 00:32:37,560 Speaker 1: flavor is subtle enough to not be offensive to the haters, 518 00:32:37,840 --> 00:32:40,080 Speaker 1: but sort of enough for those who enjoy it to 519 00:32:40,120 --> 00:32:44,840 Speaker 1: appreciate it. But mileage will vary. And yes, Brian did 520 00:32:44,840 --> 00:32:47,840 Speaker 1: send these recipes. If you want to get them, just 521 00:32:47,880 --> 00:32:49,720 Speaker 1: email us and we'll pass them along. They're kind of 522 00:32:49,720 --> 00:32:53,000 Speaker 1: a bit longer than what we only read, but they 523 00:32:53,000 --> 00:32:57,960 Speaker 1: do sound really nice. Oh yeah, popsicle popsicles. Yeah, Oh 524 00:32:58,000 --> 00:33:00,640 Speaker 1: my gosh, especially right now what it is so hot, 525 00:33:00,920 --> 00:33:01,480 Speaker 1: so warm? 526 00:33:02,560 --> 00:33:05,920 Speaker 2: So I hadn't thought about yeah, right right, I hadn't 527 00:33:05,920 --> 00:33:10,360 Speaker 2: thought about tarragon that much in sweet recipes. But yeah, 528 00:33:10,720 --> 00:33:15,680 Speaker 2: plum absolutely, Okay, all right, anyway, Joe wrote, French tarragon 529 00:33:15,840 --> 00:33:17,960 Speaker 2: isn't one of my favorite herbs, if I'm honest. The 530 00:33:18,000 --> 00:33:20,480 Speaker 2: anna's lickorage profile is one I have a hard time with, 531 00:33:20,800 --> 00:33:23,160 Speaker 2: but it does feature in one of my favorite memories. 532 00:33:23,760 --> 00:33:25,920 Speaker 2: During my master's year in England, one of my best 533 00:33:25,960 --> 00:33:28,280 Speaker 2: friends studied a broad in France for the fall semester. 534 00:33:28,720 --> 00:33:30,600 Speaker 2: Before he headed back to the US. We decided to 535 00:33:30,600 --> 00:33:33,840 Speaker 2: spend Christmas together in Paris. We stayed in a tiny 536 00:33:33,880 --> 00:33:36,200 Speaker 2: flat on the fifth floor of a building with no elevator, 537 00:33:36,360 --> 00:33:39,000 Speaker 2: so the climb was always a challenge. What good after 538 00:33:39,120 --> 00:33:42,800 Speaker 2: eating a hardy French dinner on Christmas Day? We stayed 539 00:33:42,800 --> 00:33:45,200 Speaker 2: in and cooked Christmas lunch in the tiny but well 540 00:33:45,200 --> 00:33:48,880 Speaker 2: equipped kitchen. The only thing missing was an oven. We 541 00:33:48,920 --> 00:33:51,280 Speaker 2: decided to go ahead with pan fried chicken breast and 542 00:33:51,320 --> 00:33:54,240 Speaker 2: mashed potatoes, which I noticed was mentioned in listener mail 543 00:33:54,720 --> 00:33:57,800 Speaker 2: of Great Minds and all that. Our chicken breast was 544 00:33:57,840 --> 00:34:00,280 Speaker 2: served with a white wine mustard sauce, and saw swopped 545 00:34:00,400 --> 00:34:04,000 Speaker 2: time for tarragon. The mashed potatoes had chopped tarragon folded 546 00:34:04,040 --> 00:34:07,040 Speaker 2: into them as well. The chicken recipe is below, as 547 00:34:07,080 --> 00:34:09,399 Speaker 2: well as a picture of our meal. We also had 548 00:34:09,400 --> 00:34:12,359 Speaker 2: a rubel of salad, cheese and bread, of course, and 549 00:34:12,440 --> 00:34:15,960 Speaker 2: a raspberry tart from the iconic French bakery, the name 550 00:34:15,960 --> 00:34:20,640 Speaker 2: of which I've not looked up how to pronounce stroher Stroller. 551 00:34:22,520 --> 00:34:28,480 Speaker 2: Sorry apologies anyway, truly a Christmas to remember. Said friend 552 00:34:28,520 --> 00:34:30,799 Speaker 2: also loves coming up with cocktails based on what he 553 00:34:30,840 --> 00:34:33,319 Speaker 2: has on hand. Last year, he came up with one 554 00:34:33,320 --> 00:34:37,400 Speaker 2: that has vodka, orange blossom water, honey, and orange sand pellegrino. 555 00:34:37,840 --> 00:34:40,200 Speaker 2: He never measures anything, but I'd assume it's a shot 556 00:34:40,200 --> 00:34:42,839 Speaker 2: glass of vodka, about an eighth of a tea spoon 557 00:34:42,920 --> 00:34:45,160 Speaker 2: of orange blossom water, and a teaspoon of honey mixed 558 00:34:45,200 --> 00:34:47,759 Speaker 2: together before adding ice and topping it off with the 559 00:34:47,760 --> 00:34:52,680 Speaker 2: orange sand pellegrino. Super refreshing and timely for summer. Oh 560 00:34:53,400 --> 00:35:00,840 Speaker 2: yeah right, ooh yes, yeah, oh. 561 00:35:00,640 --> 00:35:02,200 Speaker 1: I love this. I love when you have the friend 562 00:35:02,200 --> 00:35:03,560 Speaker 1: that's like, I'll make the cocktail. 563 00:35:03,600 --> 00:35:08,680 Speaker 2: It's like, hold on, I got youa yeah, a nice 564 00:35:08,719 --> 00:35:10,840 Speaker 2: orange blossom water and terragon. 565 00:35:11,160 --> 00:35:12,680 Speaker 1: Yeah too. 566 00:35:13,360 --> 00:35:16,280 Speaker 2: M Oh, that does sound like a really lovely Christmas 567 00:35:17,440 --> 00:35:17,960 Speaker 2: that does. 568 00:35:18,920 --> 00:35:22,040 Speaker 1: That does, and this sounds like a great meal came 569 00:35:22,080 --> 00:35:23,600 Speaker 1: together wonderfully. 570 00:35:24,920 --> 00:35:28,440 Speaker 2: Oh oh that cocktail though, I need to I really 571 00:35:28,680 --> 00:35:33,640 Speaker 2: need to get some get some orange blossom water cocktails 572 00:35:33,640 --> 00:35:37,839 Speaker 2: going because I've been on a kick. I've just been 573 00:35:38,920 --> 00:35:41,040 Speaker 2: just been like like a like a drop or two 574 00:35:41,160 --> 00:35:42,239 Speaker 2: and a glass of soda water. 575 00:35:42,400 --> 00:35:49,680 Speaker 1: Oh yeah, adds so much, yeah, add so much. Well, 576 00:35:50,120 --> 00:35:52,839 Speaker 1: thank you to both of these listeners for writing in 577 00:35:52,880 --> 00:35:56,480 Speaker 1: and sending recipes. Yeah like we're happy to pass along. 578 00:35:57,680 --> 00:36:01,240 Speaker 1: You can emailos at Hello dot com. 579 00:36:01,280 --> 00:36:03,840 Speaker 2: We're also on social media. You can find us on 580 00:36:04,360 --> 00:36:07,440 Speaker 2: Instagram and blue Sky at savor pod and we do 581 00:36:07,480 --> 00:36:10,200 Speaker 2: hope to hear from you. Savor is production of iHeartRadio. 582 00:36:10,400 --> 00:36:13,399 Speaker 2: For more podcasts from iHeartRadio, you can visit the iHeartRadio app, 583 00:36:13,560 --> 00:36:16,280 Speaker 2: Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows. 584 00:36:16,480 --> 00:36:19,040 Speaker 2: Thanks as always to our super producers Dylan Fagan and 585 00:36:19,040 --> 00:36:21,359 Speaker 2: Andrew Howard. Thanks to you for listening, and we hope 586 00:36:21,400 --> 00:36:30,800 Speaker 2: that lots of We're good things are coming your way