Panga Fish in Spain - Spanish Real Estate forum - Spanish property

Homefinder · 09-20-2008, 06:06 PM

Panga Fish, Castellano or Valenciano? None of that at all? I have been asking around, among my Spanish, friend about this but they never heard the word. Nevertheless Panga is now sold in most supermarkets.
Panga is stated by Wikipedia to be the name used in Spain for Pangasius Hypophthalmus or the Iridiscent Shark which is native to Asian freshwater, particularly the Mecong River.
Looking into it a little more it seems to be a major import into Europe from Thailand and Vietnam and in recent years it has overtaken the salmon as the word's most farmed fish.
It seems that the Panga is a very good fish to farm as the female's breeding pattern can be modified by injecting a hormone extracted from the dreied urine of pregnant women - this is produced in China!
There has been a lot said against eating panga fish. Personally I am not against the hormone thing, except the idea of eating dehydrated pee, but there are stories about heath hazards that exist due to the contaminted water where the panga is farmed and the way in which it is reared.

So why can't we rear the fish here in Europe? The problem is that it requires water with a pH of 6.5 to 7.5, which is quite acidic for fresh water, and a temperature of 22 to 26 Centigrade.

As this is the recipe section, here's one for Panga Fish. Enjoy!

Homefinder

Homefinder · 09-20-2008, 06:38 PM

I thought that my post would not be complete without a few Panga Pics. You may have to click on the pics and select <Show Pictures>

Seriously, these fish would have had to pass rigorous tests before the EU permitted their importation.

Homefinder

Linka · 09-21-2008, 12:31 AM

Oh You sell it so well,'Note to self' Must pop out first thing and get myself a pound of wee wee fish.:unsure
If you find any other foods that sound so yummy please share!!!

Homefinder · 09-21-2008, 03:33 PM

Seriously, I hope that the health authorities are keeping an eye on what gets imported and sold in Spain.
There was this problem before where gambas and other seafoods were imported from the Far East that had been given massive doses of antbiotics to make them grow quickly. As it turned out there was no direct health hazard but it could have caused an imunity to certain antibiotics - with very obvious implications!

Still, I do love gambas and cigalas - what a way to go!

Homefinder

Linka · 09-21-2008, 04:21 PM

When will people learen that food shouldn't be messed with! Argentinian men have strouted breasts because they have pumped there cattle so full of hormones.

Homefinder · 09-21-2008, 08:07 PM

Everyone is just as bad. The Brits practically invented mad cow disease by feed cows to cows.

Homefinder

Linka · 09-23-2008, 10:06 AM

Rams.jpg I told all my cats about the Panga Fish and this is the reaction!
I don't know how to make the picture bigger but if you click on it it becomes large.

Homefinder · 09-23-2008, 12:33 PM

Linka, you included the picture as an attachment and a size restriction applies.
Another way of doing it, without the size restriction, is to click the "Insert Image" logo and place the URL of a picture. Exactly -

Locate you picture somewhere on the web.
Right mouse click on it and select "Properties"
Copy the full URL of the picture.
Point to the position in your post where you want to insert the picture and click.
Click the "Insert Picture" icon and a small window appears asking for the URL of the picture. Paste here!

If you have a picture it is best to "Preview" before you post. Pictures normally look best with a CR before and after. They can be centred, just like text.

Homefinder

Homefinder · 11-01-2008, 07:47 PM

If it is anything like the Segura river here, then it is only a question of time until someone pulls the alarm on eating pangas.

Quote:

The Mekong River is one of the most polluted rivers on the planet and this is where pangas are farmed.

So, pangas are "packed frozen in contaminated river water".
The way of feeding farmed pangas is UNREGULATED.
And we remember what happened to cows when they were being fed in an unregulated way. Mad fish disease anyone?
I know, fish is supposed to be good for you. But this is taking it a bit far, surely not THAT sort of fish?

Homefinder