# What are the tastiest creatures of the sea? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** food-cooking\ **Created:** [April 3, 2023, 12:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-tastiest-creatures-of-the-sea/982082 "2023-04-03T12:18:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![peccavi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peccavi/32/388_2.png) [@peccavi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/peccavi)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2023, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-tastiest-creatures-of-the-sea/982082/21 "2023-04-03T15:27:39Z")
> [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](#): > > I also love a decent cioppini. Do you mean [Cioppino](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cioppino)? The real San Francisco treat. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2023, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-tastiest-creatures-of-the-sea/982082/22 "2023-04-03T15:27:49Z")
Mmm … lake perch is another one I always get if I see it on the menu. I also harbor a fondness for smelt. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2023, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-tastiest-creatures-of-the-sea/982082/23 "2023-04-03T15:30:51Z")
> [@peccavi](#): > > Do you mean [Cioppino](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cioppino)? The real San Francisco treat. I like it so much I pluralize it. And I’ll go to my grave insisting the plural is ‘cioppini’ and not ‘cioppinos’. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2023, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-tastiest-creatures-of-the-sea/982082/24 "2023-04-03T15:32:18Z")
Yeah, a cioppino is delicious. Way better than Rice-a-Roni ---
**Author:** ![Dendarii\_Dame](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bbce88/32.png) [@Dendarii\_Dame](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dendarii_Dame)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2023, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-tastiest-creatures-of-the-sea/982082/25 "2023-04-03T15:32:19Z")
Flounder is my favorite. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2023, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-tastiest-creatures-of-the-sea/982082/26 "2023-04-03T15:45:40Z")
> [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](#): > > Not a big fan of scallops, and I’ve tried to like them many times. Ever have them as ceviche? Thinly slice a few nice scallops and marinate 20 minutes in lime juice, minced onion and jalapeno, cilantro, etc. I also know someone who loves bay scallops but not sea scallops. ---
**Author:** ![solost](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/solost/32/11776_2.png) [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2023, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-tastiest-creatures-of-the-sea/982082/27 "2023-04-03T15:53:49Z")
> [@Dendarii\_Dame](#): > > Flounder is my favorite. Sister and BIL live in Florida. BIL’s family used to own a restaurant down there, in Pompano Beach. It wasn’t anything too fancy, a diner-style place, but they had a delicious crab-stuffed flounder dish on the menu I’d get every time I came to visit. ---
**Author:** ![JohnGalt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johngalt/32/184_2.png) [@JohnGalt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnGalt)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2023, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-tastiest-creatures-of-the-sea/982082/28 "2023-04-03T15:57:21Z")
Although I like almost all fish and seafood, nothing can beat freshly caught walleye. Maybe that’s a Minnesota thing, but a walleye that was in the lake 15 minutes ago, nicely fileted and deep fried in a beer-batter is amazing (just watch for the inevitable bones). Years ago we had a business trip from Minnesota to the Silicon Valley area and stopped at the famous Fish Market in Santa Clara (which is sadly now closed). Of course they had a wide variety of fresh ocean fish, but one of the fisherman from Minnesota was incredulous that they didn’t have walleye. The young waitress had never heard of it. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2023, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-tastiest-creatures-of-the-sea/982082/29 "2023-04-03T16:05:26Z")
Maybe because walleye are freshwater fish and not from the sea. Seafood stores and fish markets may include some fresh water fish but I’ve never seen any of them carry walleye. ---
**Author:** ![JohnGalt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johngalt/32/184_2.png) [@JohnGalt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnGalt)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2023, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-tastiest-creatures-of-the-sea/982082/30 "2023-04-03T16:07:58Z")
Of course, but we had to laugh at the coworker who saw “fish” and the only thing he could think of was a lake fish. ---
**Author:** ![solost](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/solost/32/11776_2.png) [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2023, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-tastiest-creatures-of-the-sea/982082/31 "2023-04-03T16:17:34Z")
> [@JohnGalt](#): > > Although I like almost all fish and seafood, nothing can beat freshly caught walleye. I’ve heard how good walleye is. Though I don’t think I’ve ever eaten it, I did catch a nice-sized one on a lake 5 minutes away from my house once. I was just doing catch-and-release though- didn’t have a bucket or cooler to keep it in. Another delicious fresh lake fish is bluegill–Maybe even better than fresh trout. I’ve caught, cleaned and cooked my own bluegill. Only amounted to a few bites each between me and my kids though. Have to catch a hundred of them to make a decent meal. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2023, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-tastiest-creatures-of-the-sea/982082/32 "2023-04-03T16:18:56Z")
> [@JohnGalt](#): > > nothing can beat freshly caught walleye. Maybe that’s a Minnesota thing, but a walleye that was in the lake 15 minutes ago, nicely fileted and deep fried in a beer-batter is amazing (just watch for the inevitable bones). I don’t think I’ve ever had fresh walleye. But in general, really fresh fish is better than other fish. ---
**Author:** ![Tibby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tibby/32/17030_2.png) [@Tibby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tibby)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2023, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-tastiest-creatures-of-the-sea/982082/33 "2023-04-03T16:43:23Z")
My favorite seafood is crab and my favorite crab is stone crab. Big, meaty [stone crab claws](https://th.bing.com/th/id/R.2ebf17368ea22e442c70b756be1a7cfe?rik=RmcN4Bqh%2bU7VDQ&riu=http%3a%2f%2fkitscoastal.com%2fwp-content%2fuploads%2f2016%2f04%2fstonecrab4-1024x683.jpg&ehk=pLrZDLG7I%2bxnQgg9VSUVZ%2fY2go78vZiCLvu2tNC4%2bDQ%3d&risl=&pid=ImgRaw&r=0)—_mmm, mmm, good!_ Besides being absolutely delicious, you can rest easy knowing the stone crab claw you are dipping into your lemon-butter sauce is probably still alive, scampering about merrily on the sea floor. Don’t worry about his missing claw, he will grow that back. [Here, in Florida](http://www.ournationalparks.us/south_florida/biscayne/when_in_season_fisherman_seek_elusive_stone_crabs/), stone crabs are catch-and-release. Only the front claw (or claws) are harvested. While it’s legal to take both claws, it’s more humane (and more sustainable) to take only one. Mr. crab has a better chance to survive and thrive with at least one claw. You can order stone crab from many Florida seafood restaurants, but you can’t go wrong with [Joe’s Stone Crab](https://joesstonecrab.com/) in Miami. One of the finest meals I’ve ever eaten was stone crab at Joe’s. 🦀 🦀 🦀 ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2023, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-tastiest-creatures-of-the-sea/982082/34 "2023-04-03T16:46:45Z")
More likely just because they aren’t local. Because fresh seafood is so good, and keeps so poorly, many seafood places specialize in whatever is local. ---
**Author:** ![solost](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/solost/32/11776_2.png) [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2023, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-tastiest-creatures-of-the-sea/982082/35 "2023-04-03T16:54:34Z")
> [@Tibby](#): > > My favorite seafood is crab and my favorite crab is stone crab. Big, meaty [stone crab claws](https://th.bing.com/th/id/R.2ebf17368ea22e442c70b756be1a7cfe?rik=RmcN4Bqh%2bU7VDQ&riu=http%3a%2f%2fkitscoastal.com%2fwp-content%2fuploads%2f2016%2f04%2fstonecrab4-1024x683.jpg&ehk=pLrZDLG7I%2bxnQgg9VSUVZ%2fY2go78vZiCLvu2tNC4%2bDQ%3d&risl=&pid=ImgRaw&r=0)—_mmm, mmm, good!_ Ooh yeah, stone crab claws. I used to get those all the time going out to dinner when visiting my sister and BIL in Florida over the Winter. > [@Tibby](#): > > Besides being absolutely delicious, you can rest easy knowing the stone crab claw you are dipping into your lemon-butter sauce is probably still alive, scampering about merrily on the sea floor. Don’t worry about his missing claw, he will grow that back. I did not know the claws were live-harvested… that’s pretty cool and interesting to know, thanks for that factoid! Is that the only case of an animal providing live-harvested meat to us, I wonder? I can’t think of another example offhand. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2023, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-tastiest-creatures-of-the-sea/982082/36 "2023-04-03T16:56:32Z")
Freshly caught Copper River sockeye salmon, cooked until it starts to flake. Dry-smoked sockeye salmon, packed in olive oil. Deep fried battered cod or walleye. Fresh-caught rainbow trout, floured and fried in fat over a campfire. Oh yeah, and _moules_ Provençale. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2023, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-tastiest-creatures-of-the-sea/982082/37 "2023-04-03T17:01:13Z")
Yeah, here in Chicago I’ve seen walleye at Costco, Whole Foods, and Mariano’s (a local Chain.) ---
**Author:** ![Tibby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tibby/32/17030_2.png) [@Tibby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tibby)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2023, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-tastiest-creatures-of-the-sea/982082/38 "2023-04-03T17:03:21Z")
> [@solost](#): > > Is that the only case of an animal providing live-harvested meat to us, I wonder? I can’t think of another example offhand. Well, I used to have a pig from whom I harvested only one leg at a time (you don’t eat a good pig like that all at once). Good ‘ol Stumpy—he was a good pig. j/k 😃 I’m not sure if any other animals, other than stone crabs, are catch-and-release live-harvested. I’ll have to research that. ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2023, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-tastiest-creatures-of-the-sea/982082/39 "2023-04-03T17:12:02Z")
My top 3: Broiled salmon Pan fried trout Blackened grouper ---
**Author:** ![Novelty\_Bobble](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Novelty\_Bobble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Novelty_Bobble)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2023, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-tastiest-creatures-of-the-sea/982082/40 "2023-04-03T17:12:33Z")
Lobster often gets referenced but I’ve always thought it can’t live up to its high price. Personally, really good fresh squid is wonderful (with a light batter and a 30 second frying), as is sea bream (hard fried or grilled and served with a papaya salad) also spanish mackerel, (battered and fried with chips and tartare sauce) and right near the top is the humble UK brown shrimp. Tiny, fiddly to eat and unlikely to fill you up but utterly delicious. (the pistachio of the seafood world) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-tastiest-creatures-of-the-sea/982082.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-tastiest-creatures-of-the-sea/982082.md?page=3)