ottawa foodies

We got a pound of some delicious US 10-15# wild shrimp this weekend. It came in under just shy of $20, but was worth it. Delicious. I, too, have read the less-than-savoury reports on farmed shrimp, and feel these are worth the extra cost.

Time now to enjoy all the wild seafood we can before it's all gone.

Then we can tell our grandchildren just how good tasting the wild atlantic salmom tasted compared to the farmed stuff.

I used a similar philosophy when I bought my large Djembe (drum) from Africa. Got a piece of the 'old growth' African forest before it's all gone. (At least I'll pass the drum down do my grandchildren to enjoy.)

We live in the best of times. We enjoy the highest standard of living ... ever. Better enjoy now before the party ends and the bottom falls out.

But then again, I was once told "We may not be responsible for the world we find ourselves in, but we surely we will be held accountable for the one we leave behind".

"Like it or not, farmed fish of any kind are the only sustainable product."

Not exactly true. For more information on sustainable fish check out www.endangeredfishalliance.org

Also the whalesbone oyster house offers a wholesale seafood outlet to chefs (and now the public) on Kent street. The folks at whalesbone pride themselves on only selling sustainable seafood and having lots of knowledge to back it up with. Currently they are are offering Wild white bass, and Bc white albacore tuna. I can assure you, the tuna ain't farmed.

In some cases farmed fish is better but not all. Farmed Salmon is actually BAD for sustainability. It actually threatens the lives of wild salmon.

I had the pleasure of eating/preparing wild shrimp on the west coast from the west coast. Mainly side stripe. So nice, came in fresh with the heads on. Also had shrimp caught by a friend of mine(off the west coast) that was sooo tender and flavorful. Pan fried it in a little butter and that was all it needed. Not sure what kind it was but still to this day I have not had any shrimp like it?
Not sure where or if you can get west coast shrimp around here?
Want to add a plug though for my favorite hangout The Whalesbone Sustainable Oyster and Fish Supply located at 504 Kent Street. Now open to the public!
Pretty sure all/most of their stuff comes from the east coast so maybe they might have or can get shrimp for you?
The number is 231-FISH.

Like it or not, farmed fish of any kind are the only sustainable product. Do a quick google on "90% ocean species gone" (without the quotes) and it will shock you. We are on a very quick path to extinction with most of our ocean species around the world. I heard a piece on CBC on the weekend on jellyfish in the Black Sea - how they've taken over because all of their predators are gone.

Most shrimp we get here in Ottawa are not only from Asia but are farmed (at the cost of destroying mangroves).

I have seen some shrimp from South America but I don't know if they were farmed or not (and can't remember where I saw them ... sorry)

I have seen shrimp at Blah-Blah's a while back that said, believe it or not, "Product of Canada".

I few years ago I remember seeing large shrimp boats, with onboard processing/freezing, at the docks in North Sydney, Nova Scotia. The few discarded retail shrimp boxes I saw laying about said "Ocean Pride" or "Ocean ..." something or other.

I think that most shrimp landed in Canada are 'Salad Shrimp' / 'Pink Shrimp" / Pandalus borealis. The small ones you see in cans in the supermarket (yuccch !).

Hope this entry triggers the memory of others to further help out FF's quest.

PS: The picture is of the Canadian Eastcoast shrimp fishing zones. Notice the notch out for St. Pierre et Miquelon. Islands still owned by France.

I'm looking for shrimp that weren't raised in a sludgy, pesticide and antibiotic filled pond in Asia... (Yep, I'm finally reading Taras Grescoe's book "Bottomfeeder.")

Does anyone know where to find them in Ottawa?

thanks Chimi
i forgot the Pelican will have thawed available

now it has me jonesing for NW spot prawns

I'll second OB's recommendations - Pelican had some very nice looking ones this past weekend. When 1 fish 2 fish was open, they had some great wild gulf shrimp, alas, their doors have closed.

FF,
you can find wild shrimp at both the Pelican Fishery and Jost Kaufman's
since Jeff pasted on, I have not kept in touch with LaPointe's wholesale

they are US white shrimp not Chinese or Thai or Mexican...those are all farmed

US white shrimp are wild caught using traps laid overnight

Stay as far away from farmed as the eco-impact is so devasting and the pens are never empty and there are reports of alarming rates of salmonella (as a sushi fan I love amaebi--raw live shrimp but now I refrain)

a note of warning about the wild shrimp though: they come in 5 pound blocks

I partially thaw them at home and peel em, bag em and freeze by the pound
shells saved for stock or bisque

hope this helps
*please peeps, always read the labels and place of origin*