A few years ago hardly anyone in the United States ever heard of tilapia, and now it is ubiquitous.   Mild and tender, it is fast becoming my favorite fish.  In the meal pictured here, I have sauteed the fish in a little butter, and seasoned it with black pepper, curry powder, and petals from the chicory plant that is blooming in the raised planter in my back yard.  Pictured alongside are red cherry tomatoes that I grew from seeds started indoors in my AeroGarden planter, and an egg.  Not pictured are my wholegrain apple spice oat muffin tops. 

Tilapia is a freshwater fish said to contain very low levels of mercury.  If the idea of growing both fish and vegetables in your backyard is tantalizing, you might consider the use of tilapia in aquaponics, because the live fish both help to control mosquitos and to purify the water.   They are mentioned in the site of a riparian preserve called Water Ranch near Phoenix.  In fact, according to the University of Arizona’s agricultural website, in addition to being used for weed control in Arizona canals,  Tilapia may soon become an important cash crop for farmers in Arizona.

Tilapia became popular in the Philipines several decades ago.  The Sun Star Davao cites it as being the most popular fish by Filipinos, and the third most popular fish world wide.  

Tuna may have earned the moniker chicken of the sea, but people are starting to call tilapia “Poultry of the Pond.”