Scary fish with heads in restaurants

[scarbowl]

In Europe as well they serve fish with the head. I don't know about Canada but it's the USA which is odd about food in this way. Doesn't a fish have a head? I can't imagine what is "gross" about that. Fish is often served whole while chickens and pigs are not. They are cut into pieces and you only get part of it. That's the difference. And you can buy your chicken feet in the hawker center if you want.

Sorry, but it does mark you as both American and uncultured but perhaps that is redundant!

[nakatago]

American recipe for whole fish:

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alto ... index.html

[sundaymorningstaple]

We bake rockfish (striped bass) and Red Snapper and Grouper all the time in the US. I'm not sure where BedokAmerican is from but it would have to be from somewhere it the isolated prarie states I'd say to be that naive about 'heads' on food.

[Max Headroom]

BA, in that case, I suggest you best not go those places that serve fish half-alive/half-fried. The body cooked, the gills still gasping. Crikey, those turn even my stomach.

[eastcoastsg]

How about freshly scooped monkey brains? Now that ought to turn anyone's stomach.

[JR8]

I've seen it before, the wish to disassociate dinner from something that lived and breathed. It seems to a view be predominantly reserved to some urban people, who have complete choice, as to what and when to eat.

Next level:
Shooting wild game
Who'd be ok going out, grabbing a chicken from the hutch, and wringing it's neck, and cooking it up.
Raising a pig or cow, then one day tying it to a post and slaughtering it.

Aren't they all shades of a scale?

Eating food, no head, bones, skin, nothing, - totally McAnonymous - would just seem to be towards the far end of one end, of that scale.

[BedokAmerican]

Interesting feedback.

To respond to some of the questions/comments:

Knuckles and monkey brains don't sound appetizing, in my opinion. But they're apparently ok for plenty of people in this part of the world and that's fine.

SMS -- Steamed crabs and lobsters that are alive in tanks are ok as long as they're not served on a plate with their eyes. Shells are ok, just no heads. I like lobster tail, crab and fish; and, as a native Floridian, have even been fishing a few times and have eaten what I've caught but not the heads. I also lived a few years in the interior West (but NEVER ate "Rocky Mtn oysters") but haven't lived in a prairie state. Many fisherman on Florida piers clean the fish they catch and toss the heads to the pelicans/birds or use the heads as bait to catch more fish out of the Atlantic Ocean.

Scarbowl -- Usually fish is served with the heads off in restaurants in the U.S. In grocery stores in the seafood section, the heads are usually off and the fish meat is often cut into pieces and you can buy by the pound. Yes, there are exceptions with heads. But generally fish also has its bones removed to make it easier to eat.

JR8 -- The reason I think whole pigs are gross is because I prefer getting ham already sliced or sausage already in rolls. I'd rather it not be looking at me. The picture of the little cooked pig I saw in the window reminded me of a dog. It was shocking and disgusting (in my opinion)! While I'm not a vegetarian, I often order vegetarian entrees when dining out in Singapore.

I understand that there's no right or wrong way to eat fish, pig, etc. The whole freshness aspect isn't as much of a priority for me, though. If it's labeled fresh and not past its expiration date, it's fine. If it's frozen, fine (I'll thaw it and cook it). I don't have to see fish heads to believe it's fresh.

[sundaymorningstaple]

Steamed crabs from Maryland and boiled Shrimps /Crayfish in Louisiana are always served with the heads on. The only time you get headless shrimp is if they are in a salad or breaded (in the US - here they live the heads on). Anyway, it's your prerogative on;-) what you eat and how much of life you miss because of it.