Fish have a long history of having their names changed to appeal to more customers. The monkfish has gone through numerous names over the years, including goosefish, sea-devil, and frog-fish.
Orange roughy was originally known as slimehead.
Now is the moment for Asian carp. The state of Illinois has renamed the invasive fish “copi” in an effort to stimulate demand for it as food. According to Kevin Irons of the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, the name was created to aid people in enjoying this excellent fish and help us accomplish our work in keeping them out of the waterways. Authorities believe that if people ate more of the fish, they wouldn’t be able to migrate into the Great Lakes, where they might do a lot of damage to the ecology and the fishing industry there.
The term “copious” served as the inspiration for the new moniker. Since their introduction to the Mississippi River basin in the 1970s, Asian carp populations have flourished, and the Great Lakes Fishery Commission reports that they now make up more than 90% of the fish biomass in several major rivers. Silver, bighead, black, and grass carp are all referred to as “Asian carp.”
Chicago’s Dirk’s Fish and Gourmet Shop owner Dirk Fucik claims that the versatile meat substitute may be used in place of ground beef in any recipe. He says burgers are the most popular food item, but they’ve also served tacos and sausage. Everything that we as a species have been programmed to like.
The name change is an effort to distance copi from the common carp, which has a much murkier flavor and smaller bones, and so avoid any confusion among consumers. Former Indiana DNR director and consultant for the Asian Carp Control Project, John Goss, claims that the best way to cook and eat a common carp is to attach it to a pine board, smoke it, and then discard the fish and eat the board.
Copi, a firm whitefish, he says, is a different story since clients preferred it over catfish in blind tastings. For Goss, the new name “evokes refined, maybe Mediterranean thoughts connected with amazing meals,” and is thus fantastic.
God the libs are relentless. They just keep coming at you. Don’t like plant based burgers? Then try carp based burgers, but just DON”T EAT BEEF!!!
Asian carp? Aren’t they also called goldfish, or koi?
General Xi’s Chicken of the Sea…
Crap it’s what’s on the menu!
No thanks 🤮
@ stirrin the FJB Pot
I’ll bet you that all the fish emissions in the world would make a livestock methane load look like a drop in the bucket.
Would white folks be guilty of cultural appropriation if they ate “Asian carp”?
A simple name change would do it; Beatlefish (After Chicago’s mayor, Beatlejuice) or lightintheloathersfish (after their effeminate community organizer turned race hustler president).
Just put a bounty on them and turn them into cat and dog food.
Only Democrats eat bottom feeders.
Ford has not yet reached that understanding.
They changed “raidfish” to “searchfish”, but I still don’t like it at all.
To properly cook a carp, nail it to a 2×4 and roast it over a blazing fire. When it’s thoroughly cooked throw the carp away and eat the 2×4.
I’m still trying to figure out when Filbert nuts became Hazelnuts. And why.
@Tony R — On the other hand, I’m pretty sure we all know more or less when we got Brazil Nuts instead of ██████ Toes.
Tilapia is much better when you call it Sea Beast.
Uncle Al, we’ve often tossed around the idea of starting a nut company. We’d have all nuts always in stock except, mysteriously, Brazil nuts. The nut company would be called NNT Nuts and never disclose it means No ██████ Toes.
Crickets will hanceforth be known as micro-cattle. Now eat you peasants!
@TonyR – me too.
My grandfather called Brazil nuts ni**er toes, but what did he know, that was over 60 years ago. And anyone else remember when we used to call carp squaw fish in Wash. state. Now they’re known as pike minnow needle fish. Gimme a friggin break!
There was a time in Illinois when carp wasn’t a problem. But now carp fishing has given way to crime and murder.
What’s known nowadays as a Grouper used to be called a Jewfish.