Pangasius fish: photo, description, useful properties and recipes

Pangasius refers to river dwellers, is a member of the catfish family, lives in Vietnam. He is considered an omnivore, so very often consumers have many questions about the advantages and disadvantages of such a delicacy for the body.

Pangasius is quite affordable and tasty fish. To date, this variety began to be bred in a number of other countries. Often such fish is raised on specialized farms, which are overcrowded. There are used various growth stimulants, additives and antibiotics. Such products can be dangerous to human health. As for the natural product, pangasius has a number of useful qualities, which will be described below.

Pangasius: what kind of fish it is, what it looks like, and where it lives

As already noted, the pangasius belongs to the order Catfish. As an adult, it can reach more than 1 m in length and weigh up to 40 kg. On sale are usually young inhabitants, whose weight does not exceed 2 kg. This fish is characterized by having a fin with 6 rays on its back. This species belongs to the river fish. Otherwise, it is also called a shark catfish. This is explained by the fact that the pangasius has a fin similar to that of a shark. The coloration is gray, while the back is dark and the belly is lighter in color. Adult fish have a sort of beard. Pangasius breathes not only through the gills but also through the skin, so it can survive even in water bodies with insufficient oxygen. The fish is characterized by an unpleasant muddy odor.

This species is usually found in the Mekong River. The fish is artificially raised for sale.

What is the difference between pangasius and tilapia

Tilapia - is a generic name that includes several hundred varieties of freshwater inhabitants belonging to the Cichlid family. Originally this species was found mainly in Africa and Asia Minor, but now this fish has been widely distributed almost all over the world.

Externally, the tilapia can be identified by its short, slightly laterally compressed body and large head with large eyes. Most often this fish has a silvery body color with shades of green. Its weight is 1-1.5 kg.

Tilapia is also an omnivore, but still the main part of the diet consists of plant food growing in a water body. An important feature of this fish is that it easily adapts to changes in living conditions. Despite the fact that more such fish prefer tropical conditions and belong to the freshwater, they can live in seawater, and can also withstand low temperatures.

The chemical composition of such a product is quite rich. It includes easily digestible protein, vitamins E, B, K, PP. The high ratio of useful substances makes it possible to include tilapia in children's diets, as well as in the menus of the elderly and women in a situation. The disadvantage of this species is a high concentration of cholesterol.

To distinguish between pangasius and tilapia, remember that the fillet of the first has a white-pink color, may have a grayish color. If the color of the product is darker, it indicates poor quality. Also note that shark catfish is characterized by an unpleasant slimy odor. In the middle part of the fish fillet there is a pink-brown stripe, and on the sides there is a fat layer.

Composition and calories

The chemical composition of pangasius is full of many useful components that are required for the normal functioning of the human body. Thus, this product contains omega acids, retinol, B-group vitamins such as thiamine, pyridoxine, ascorbic acid, tocopherol, niacin. The mineral composition is represented by an abundance of elements, including K, Ca, Mg, Na, S, P, Cl, Co, Cu, F, Zn and others.

If the fish was raised under normal conditions and fed a balanced diet, the product will be endowed with this entire spectrum of beneficial components. Moreover, organic acids, amino acids and enzymes have been found in this fish. The fact that pangasius has no carbohydrates and has "light" protein allows it to be used as a food in those cases where it is necessary to follow a diet to get rid of excess weight.

The caloric value of the product depends on how it is cooked. So, in 100 g of fresh fish there are about 90 kcal, fried product contains twice as much. In the boiled form the caloric value of the fish does not change, and baked pangasius contains about 105 kcal.

What Pangasius is useful for

General benefits

The valuable qualities of farm-raised pangasius have to do with the food the individual was fed. In order for the fish to retain all the healing properties, it is important to grow it according to special requirements. Only in this case, the product will benefit the body.

1. First, it should be noted that this fish has no carbohydrates, and the degree of caloric content is quite low. Due to these qualities, fish is one of the best dietary dishes.
2. Omega-3 acids found in the composition of the river dweller, give tissues elasticity, strengthen blood vessels, have a positive effect on the skin, nail plate and curls. Fish has a lot of protein that can strengthen the muscular system.
3. The macronutrient composition of the delicacy is good for the cardiovascular system. It protects capillaries and heart muscle.
4. Calcium and phosphorus in fish fillets are designed to strengthen the bone system, stabilize its activity and enhance bone growth. All this will help prevent the occurrence of osteoporosis.
5. B vitamins (B2, B6, B9) have a beneficial effect on CNS activity. Regular inclusion of pangasius in food helps to improve memory function, raise the mood, as well as to resist stress and insomnia, restoring the normal functioning of the brain.
6. Shark catfish is enriched with antioxidant substances that also have a positive effect on the functioning of the body as a whole. Thus, these substances act as a prophylactic against aging of the body cells, as well as protect against the negative effects of the environment.
7. Iron found in fish protects against the development of anemia caused by the lack of this element. Selenium has a beneficial effect on hair and nails. This substance helps to protect them from dryness and breakage.
8. Vitamin D is also present in pangasius. The role of this component in the body is that it allows other useful substances to be better assimilated, as well as suppresses the development of tumor cells.

For women

For the beautiful half of humanity, this product is useful because it contains vitamin E, which gives the skin elasticity, prolonging the natural youth. Also tocopherol makes blood vessels more elastic, which prevents blood clots. Amino acids and calcium help ladies keep their hair and nails beautiful, antioxidants and polyunsaturated fats also help protect against premature aging.

For men

Due to the presence of phosphorus and fats in the river delicacy improves brain activity, strengthens memory. Polyunsaturated fatty acids help to restore the activity of the musculoskeletal system, protecting people from the development of joint pathologies.

The benefits of this fish is also that the fillet is rich in large amounts of protein, which acts as a building material for cells, and also takes part in virtually all processes occurring in the human body. Especially need protein for those people who are intensively engaged in sports, because this component is actively involved in the recruitment of muscle mass.

When pregnant

If the product meets the requirements and does not contain dangerous substances, it can be included in the diet of future mothers. However, its consumption is still not recommended in this period, although this meat is concentrated in a lot of trace elements, particularly iron, which have a positive effect on the circulatory system. This helps to prevent the occurrence of anemia. But experts do not recommend the use of this kind of fish during the period of carrying a fetus, as there is a high risk of getting a dangerous product, which contains salts of heavy metals.

When breastfeeding.

In addition to the aforementioned benefits, pangasius has another plus. Since this product contains a lot of chromium, that is a substance that regulates the synthesis of insulin in the body, this fish is useful for the baby and for the mother because it can regulate glucose metabolism.

At the same time, it should be taken into account that there is a possibility of buying low-quality products, which can only harm the health of the young child and the young mother. Therefore, during lactation, it is also recommended to give up such a delicacy.

For children

Undoubtedly, there is a benefit of the fish product for the body of the child. It consists of a high level of calcium, phosphorus in the fish fillet. These substances help to strengthen the baby's bone system and establish the nervous system.

We must remember that, like any other variety of fish, pangasius can be introduced into the baby's diet only after three years.

Again, we should not forget about the origin of such fish. Therefore, before including shark catfish fillets in the diet of children, you should make sure the quality of such a delicacy and be sure to consult a pediatrician.

The small bones in the fish also pose a danger to the child. For this reason, you need to look very carefully at the pieces of meat on your child's plate.

When losing weight

Due to the low caloric content of such fish refers to dietary products. After all, in 100 g of such a delicacy contains only 90 kcal. This allows the use of this fish in various diets designed to reduce weight. Thus, during weight loss such a component can be included in food almost every day.

Only individual intolerance or allergic reaction to fish dishes can be a contraindication.

The product is characterized by high popularity due to the low-fat, tasty and at the same time inexpensive fish fillet. Such meat can be used to make various salads, appetizers, second courses.

Harm and contraindications

Often the conditions under which pangasius is grown are unfavorable. It can be contaminated water bodies, non-compliance with safety requirements, the use of chemical additives to stimulate growth, as well as the use of low-quality feed.

When buying such fish it is important to choose quality products. At the same time, one should be guided by the appearance, smell. A very low cost should also raise doubts, because high-quality fish cannot cost cheap.

Pangasius is contraindicated to persons with a seafood intolerance. The presence of pathologies of the gastrointestinal tract is also a restriction to the use of such a delicacy. Young children should not be given the fish, to protect them from accidentally swallowing the seeds.

During pregnancy and during breastfeeding, you can eat such fish only if there is confidence that the product is of high quality.

How to choose and store

Undoubtedly, the body benefits only from the quality product. When choosing pangasius you need to pay attention to certain points.

To begin with, it is worth noting that such fish carcasses are hardly available for sale. This is explained by the fact that it is usually cut in the places where it is grown. After that, the fillets are subjected to the so-called "shock" freezing. In this form, the product is transported for sale. Information about the method of freezing should be printed on the packaging. This helps simplify the procedure for selecting goods.

According to the rules, fish fillets are delivered frozen, therefore, they must be stored in freezers.

It is also important to study the quality of packaging. Good fish is packed in vacuum film with the date and batch number printed on it.

Next, you must pay attention to the appearance of the product. The carcasses should be intact, light pink in color. Dark color and lack of integrity of pieces indicates that the storage rules were violated, perhaps the product has been frozen more than once.

Pangasius is stored frozen in the freezer. Repeated freezing after defrosting is not allowed.

How to distinguish pangasius from sole

These representatives are completely different, they belong to different groups. To distinguish them from each other is quite simple. Pangasius is a representative of plaice-like fish, so it is characterized by a flat carcass. But since more often in front of the consumer is presented already processed raw material, it is quite difficult to determine at a glance what kind of species is on sale.

The meat of the sea tongue is characterized by a light color, it is almost transparent. But the meat of pangasius varies from pale pink to grayish hue, in any case it has areas of pink color, which is not observed in the sea tongue.

Also, the difference is that the tongue fillet is always thin because the fish itself is flat. In addition, such meat does not exude a fishy smell, and it has no fatty layers.

How to cook Pangasius: Recipes

This fish is combined with a large variety of products, it can be prepared in a variety of ways. There are more than a hundred known recipes that include such an ingredient, from first courses to pies.

Pangasius with vegetables, seasoned with herbs, turns out best. You can also bake it or use the fillets for grilling. In general, pangasius goes well with any vegetables, which is what explains the great popularity of such a delicacy.

Frozen fish is stored for one month. After defrosting, it must be used to make a dish within a few hours, otherwise it will quickly spoil.

In the oven

If you need to quickly prepare a delicious dinner, you can send the pangasius in the oven. You will need 2 pieces of fish fillet, 2 tomatoes, 2 green onions, dill greens, vegetable-based oil, a few cloves of garlic, lettuce, salt and pepper.

Such a dish will be a great helper when after work you need to quickly set the table for the family or unexpected guests.

So, to cook pangasius baked in foil, you need to salt and pepper the fish meat on both sides. Next, lay the dill or parsley greens, prepared fish on the foil, and on top lay the green onions and tomatoes, cut into large pieces. Sprinkle the whole thing with sunflower oil and wrap it up tightly in foil. In this form, put the fish on a baking tray and send it for baking in the oven at 200 degrees. Cooking usually takes no more than half an hour. The dish is ready to serve. Seafood lovers will love this treat, because the fish in this case turns out incredibly tender.

In the pan

Cooked in a pan pangasius fillet can be served with mashed potatoes. Adding a mixture of seasonings makes the fish quite juicy and flavorful. It is important in this case not to overdry the fillet, this will allow you to enjoy the unparalleled taste of such a delicacy. Such a dish is recommended to serve both for lunch and for dinner. As a decoration you can use chopped coriander and coriander.

Among the ingredients you will need 4 pieces of pangasius fillet, 1 tbsp. spices, 1 tbsp. salt, 1 tbsp. black pepper, 4 tbsp. butter, one lemon squeeze, a bunch of coriander and coriander each.

First, you need to wash the meat of the fish and dry it. After that, rub the fillet on both sides with salt, pepper and spice mixture. In this form, the product should marinade for some time. Next, add the butter to the heated frying pan and wait until it heats up. Now fry fish fillets on both sides for two minutes.

Place the fried fish on a plate, which will be served to the table. Then reduce fire to minimum, squeeze lemon juice into the pan and stew it with the remaining spices for a little longer. Use the resulting mixture to dress the fish product.

In the multicooker.

Almost all varieties of fish under a layer of cheese have incredible flavor characteristics. In combination with cheese and sour cream-based sauce, you get a very tender and juicy dish. To prepare it you need the following products: 0.5 kg of fish, 1 onion, a glass of sour cream, 1 carrot, 200 g of Russian cheese, 1 tbsp of vegetable oil, salt, black pepper.

First you need to defrost the delicacy and rinse it. After that, cut the fillet into pieces and dry it on a paper towel. Then salt and pepper the fish.

Next, shred the carrots on a coarse grater, cut the onions into rings. Oil the bowl of the multicooker and turn on the function "Baking". Now place the fish in the device, and on top sprinkle the prepared vegetables. After that, pour a layer of sour cream over all the products. It will take 40 minutes to make such a dish. While the fish is stewing, grate the cheese. 10 minutes before cooking, sprinkle pangasius with cheese, shredded on a grater.

Serve the ready dish with vegetables and sauce. You can decorate the dish with chopped greens.

In the steamer

Pangasius, which is steamed, turns out quite nourishing and delicious. Initially it is necessary to marinate the fish in soy sauce with the addition of spices. Ready delicacy perfectly combines with dishes of rice or potatoes.

To cook fish fillets in a steamer with your own hands, you must first marinate the product in a mixture consisting of soy sauce, coriander and black pepper. Some housewives prefer to add lemon juice to the marinade. Such fish is cooked in a steamer for a quarter of an hour.

So, we need 500 g of fish, 2 tbsp of soy sauce, spices - to taste. Cut the fish meat into slices, marinate it in the above described composition. After 20 minutes you can use the product for cooking. Grease the grid of the device with sunflower oil and lay the fish on it. Cook the dish for 15 minutes.

On the grill

To grill pangasius, you need a fresh carcass, a few limes, you can take lemons instead, as well as a special seasoning for fish. The ready dish is served with vegetables, herbs and olives.

Among the ingredients you will need 1.5 kg of fish fillets, 3 limes or lemons, spices for fish dishes. Cut the citrus fruit into rings. Rinse the fish thoroughly. Then salt and season it. Now place the fish on the grill grate, and place the lemon circles on top. While the meat marinates, you can build a fire. It is recommended to grill delicacy on coals. Marinating can take about 60 minutes. After that, the grate with the fish is placed on the coals. Cook the pangasius until golden crusts, turning it constantly.

On the grill

Pangasius can be grilled as well. The dish is prepared very quickly, it only takes about half an hour to marinate the product, but if there is no time, this procedure can be skipped.

To cook fish fillets on the grill, you should prepare pangasius, 2 bell peppers, 3 tablespoons of soy sauce, salt and ground black pepper.

Washed pangasius cut in pieces, salt and pepper it, add the sauce and leave for 20-30 minutes. After that, soak the skewers for shashlik in water. This is necessary so that they do not burn later. Cut the peppers into large squares and thread them on skewers, alternating with the fish meat. Now all that is left is to fry the fish on all sides, and the delicious kebab is ready to eat.

What can be cooked from pangasius: recipes

Pangasius is a freshwater fish, which is used to prepare various dishes. This is due to its low price. It is worth noting that the most useful is the fish that is grown in the wild, but nowadays the main supplier of such products is specialized fish farms. Nutritionists recommend to include such a product in the food of those who suffer from excess weight. In cooking, such an ingredient is a component of both first and second dishes.

Cutlets

Pangasius turns out very tasty cutlets. They are very easy to prepare, since the sale of this species comes already in processed form, that is, from the purchased fish fillets you can easily make minced meat. It only needs to be put through a meat grinder. Due to the fact that such fish has a fat layer, the dish turns out very juicy. The semolina, which is part of such a delicacy, makes the cutlets appetizing and puffy.

To prepare the cutlets you will need 800 g of fish fillets, 1 chicken egg, 1 onion, 3 tablespoons of semolina, breadcrumbs, salt, a small amount of oil, if desired, you can add ground pepper.

First, you need to twist the pangasius on a meat grinder. Here you can also chop the peeled onion. After that, add the egg, semolina, about 1 tbsp. of breadcrumbs and salt and pepper at your discretion. This mixture should be thoroughly mixed and left for some time in the refrigerator. Such a procedure is necessary to allow the semolina to swell. Thus, the semolina will absorb the excess liquid, and when frying cutlets will not fall apart. In the refrigerator minced meat should stand for at least an hour. If there is time, it is better to leave the preparation in a cold place overnight, and fry cutlets for the morning.

Before cooking, take the minced meat out of the fridge, form cutlets and sprinkle them with breadcrumbs. After that, pour a little oil on a hot frying pan and put the cutlets and lightly fry them on both sides. Next, grease a baking pan with vegetable oil and put the fried cutlets into it. Then send them to the preheated oven for 20 minutes. At the end of the specified time, take out the dish, cool it and put it on a plate to serve.

Soup

To prepare the first dish of pangasius, you need to take 500 g of fish fillet, 400 g of potatoes, 1 carrot, 1 sweet bell pepper, 1 onion, 1 bay leaf, 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil, black pepper, ground paprika and salt to taste. You can also add chopped greens to the soup.

Pangasius meat should be cut into small pieces. At this time, put 3 liters of water to boil on the fire, put the thawed fish into the boiling liquid, add salt and bayroot. On low heat, cook the mass for a quarter of an hour. After that, add potatoes, and after 5 minutes - diced peppers. Boil the mixture for another 10 minutes, until the potatoes are ready. Next, chop the onion and grate the carrots. Edi two components to fry in oil, then add to the pot with the dish. All that remains is to season the soup with paprika and other spices, stir and simmer for another 5 minutes. Before serving the soup, it is recommended to season it with herbs.

Interesting Facts

1. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration provided data, based on which it became clear that the pangasius ranks sixth in the ranking of the most popular fish.
2. Previously, this type of fish was called Asian catfish. In the early 2000s, a bill was passed to prevent the pangasius from being labeled and advertised as a catfish. This name belongs only to members of the Ictalure family, which includes the American catfish.

Pangasius photo