Tilapia is largely consumed in the United States, owing to its low cost and a good mild taste.The tilapia fish is among the top five fish to be eaten in the US since the start of the 21st century as it is easy to prepare and conveniently available in the market. The tilapia available in the US is all farm raised, which reduces the chances of any toxins entering its body, reducing the threat of mercury poisoning as they contain less mercury.There have been many rumors about tilapia being mutant fish and not having bones and scales. In reality, tilapia is a freshwater fish naturally found in African countries such as Egypt. They are known by the same name in Australia. The rumors about tilapia in the US are that these fish ate human waste and that consuming tilapia could lead to inflammation. These all were just rumors and there was no truth in them as tilapias, just like every farm raised fish, is fed pelleted vegetable based feed and consuming it won’t harm the body. In fact, tilapia is rich in protein and Omega-3 fatty acids which enrich the condition of the heart, making us healthier. The rumors about tilapia spread as there was a report released which stated that due to a tilapia’s low concentration of Omega-3 fatty acids compared to its concentration of Omega-6 fatty acids, its inflammatory potential was more than hamburger or pork bacon. Although some people say one should never eat tilapia, this doesn’t mean that tilapia is unhealthier than pork bacon or hamburger as the pros of tilapia such as its high protein content outweigh any benefits of pork bacon and hamburger. Tilapia is good for consumption as it improves our health and so can be a part of a healthy diet.If you enjoyed this article, why not also read about Most dangerous animal in Africa: here’s what you need to know and do birds fart here on Kidadl?Why does tilapia have so many bones?Many Americans prefer eating tilapia over salmon or cod for its mild taste and natural flavors. There are various species of tilapia found all across the world. Fishes which are available at a cheap rate and found conveniently all over the world are together named tilapia. It is natural for tilapia to have bones just like any other freshwater fish such as a salmon or a tuna. There are only very few fishes which do not have bones such as jellyfish. Every other popular fish that people consume is a vertebrate, meaning it has bones and a spine.These bones help tilapia to swim in any kind of water body they are kept in. Now, whether the a tilapia fish has any bones if you decide to cook one depends on where the fish comes from. If the fish has been just caught and you bring it home in a fresh condition, it will still have all the bones inside it, but if you buy one from a grocery store, chances are high that the fish has been cleaned completely and there are no bones inside.Do you need to debone tilapia?Farmed tilapia is available all across the United States, because of all the fish farms. Tilapia is highly consumed because of its health benefits, low cost, and for its delicious white flesh. People usually eat tilapia once its deboned and completely cleaned from the inside. After all, would you prefer picking the bones out of the tilapia every couple of minutes or eat tilapia in peace without worrying or paying attention towards its bones? Farm-raised tilapia is no different from the tilapia naturally found in its native places in Africa. Farmed tilapia too has bones in it.Now whether or not you need to debone tilapia depends on what you prefer. You will certainly get a better taste and feel if you debone it before you eat it. If the fish you have brought from the market has been deboned in a good way by a butcher, some small bones still remain in it. If you find any small bones in it, do not leave them and clean the fish out as it is better to take out any remaining bones when you finally begin to cook the fish. Even though many people eat fish along with its bone, it is advised not to. The bone you consume can at times scratch your throat and lead to internal injuries. This phenomenon is rare but still possible and precaution is better than cure. Additionally, if a fish has bones in it, it takes more time to cook. This is the same with all fish species, whether it is farmed tilapia or a natural salmon. The food will take more time to cook as bones take more time to cook than flesh. All in all, when properly cooked, tilapia is good for your health and can be added to your diet without any second thoughts.Where are the bones in tilapia?Being a vertebrate, tilapia has many bones throughout its body and spine as well. These features help it to swim in water. There is no difference between the number or placement of bones between a farmed tilapia fish and one living in the wild. In fact, one can hardly differentiate between the two kinds. Apart from the environment they are kept in, everything is the same about the fish. Interestingly, due to their high availability and low price, tilapias are often used to cheat customers in small restaurants when they go for seafood.Tilapias have bodies which are laterally compressed, and they have a whole set of bones running throughout their body. It would be really inconvenient for you if you plan to eat tilapia without deboning it. Some people assume frozen tilapias to be boneless but this is just a misconception. Whether it is a frozen fish or a fresh one, both of them have the same bone structure.Tilapia is a native fish of Africa. These fish have become popular all around the world as they are tasty to eat, have good health benefits, and are easily farmed. Additionally, they are not affected by diseases easily. When this fish was exported to Australia, it was sent as a seasonal aquarium fish rather than a kind of freshwater food.How do you debone a whole tilapia?People usually buy tilapias for their healthy Omega-3 fatty acids and this fish usually comes cleaned and totally deboned when it is bought from a grocery store. However, in case it hasn’t been deboned already, you can clean the fish yourself at home without trouble. One can follow the below mentioned steps to clean any species of fish, even a salmon.The first step is to remove the scales of the fish. To do this, rinse the fish and place it on a chopping board. Find a knife and slowly start from the tail of the fish. Scrape its body all the way towards its head area and make sure you have removed all the scales from its skin. Now the next step is to make slits along the fins. You need to make cuts on both the sides of the fin and then grab it. Once ready, pull the fin to remove all the connected bones and tissues inside it. The third step is to hold the fish species by the tail, take a knife and dig into the fish starting from the tail. Slit the belly of the fish but stop when you reach the gill. Now use a pair of hand gloves to keep the process clean and healthy, and put your fingers inside to scrap out all the innards from below its skin. All the steps up to this point prove that the tilapia fish isn’t a mutant. It is just another fish and there is no truth behind all the rumors that tilapia can cause mercury poisoning. The fifth step is to rinse the inner body of the fish with cold water and remove any remains. Your fish is clean and the final step is to chop it into fillets. Now the tilapia is ready to cook. You can make yourself a very healthy meal with all the protein in the body of the boneless tilapia.Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for Does a tilapia have bones? Here’s everything you need to know! then why not take a look at Pistol shrimp vs mantis shrimp smack down: here’s the winner or Nile tilapia facts?
Tilapia is largely consumed in the United States, owing to its low cost and a good mild taste.
