What is Pompano ? The world's most edible fish

Pompano is a marine fish also known as ‘pampano’ or ‘jacks’, a deep-bodied fish that has a silver to blue graduation of color on its body’s scales, with the fins gradually turning to a yellow hue or sometimes in a darker blue color. But what kind of fish is Pompano and why has it been dubbed ‘the world’s most edible fish’ ?

A Short Introduction

Having been a popularly cooked and eaten fish by many foodies and chefs in the past few years. The Pompano fish is part of the genus “Trachinotus” with over 20 types of pompano fish found in the sea. Growing to a length of 20 centimeters, and weighing around 400 to 800 grams or more. With the variety comes the popularity of the type of fish. Some being more popular than the others like the African pompano, found in tropical waters, the Irish pompano with a pointy snout, high dorsal fin with spikes on the edge, to the Florida pompano with a short snout, found in the western coast of the Atlantic ocean. Being a famous fish in the past, it declined in popularity due to how unaffordable it became. These fishes are costly to cultivate, especially during their larva stage, this type of fish thrives in shore and near shore waters, spawning from March to September, eating microscopic sea plants aka shrimps, tiny fish, or mollusks being the ideal food to feed. This makes some lose interest and investment when farming these expensive yet tasty fishes. But from the recent comeback and many people’s favor for Pompano, it’s become an expensive yet still sought after fish many are willing to pay for.

Described as fragrant and aromatic, Pompano has a white translucent flesh that turns white when cooked. Pompano tastes rich, a bit salty, and mildly sweet due to what it feeds on. Compared to other fishes, these fishes don’t have to be scaled, have a clean taste, and can play well with other spices and herbs. A versatile fish cooked steamed, broiled, fried, or baked to suit the meal plan of the day or diet restrictions.

Pompano Health Benefits

A deliciously flavorful and delicate fish with lush vitamin and nutrients, eaten to maintain good health like some of the examples below:

Helps increase metabolism, being rich in vitamin B.
Like most fish, this is great for strengthening bones, for brain health, and lowering bad cholesterol.
These are rich in protein, even offering 40% of daily protein in one filet. These are needed for the body’s growth and development.

Pompano, the Philippines’s Local salmon

With so many fish dishes in the Philippines, what makes Pompano so special? This mild and succulent fish is a favorite to many worldwide. In the Philippines these are called “Talakitok” or “Pampano”, cultured in marine cages, farmed by fish growers since there is less competition from other fishes like tilapia and bangus. While it’s almost twice expensive as the bangus, many are still vying for this well-liked fish.

A hard to catch fighting flatfish that is still loved by many Filipinos who have given it a try. It can be found in the wet markets for a fresher and better price, to the supermarkets, frozen. These are just some pompano recipes that feature the wonderful fish:

Baked Pompano, a simple recipe made with onions , garlic, tomatoes, ginger, and the fish wrapped in banana leaves, giving it an extra aromatic and earthy taste.
Steamed Pompano, a quick dish to make for dinner, steaming the fish then adding a deliciously sweet, savory, and a bit spicy homemade sauce that really livens the dish.
Pinangat na Pompano, for those who prefer the simmering technique, making the base of the sauce really immerse itself with the fish. A flavor packed option.