Argentines consume only between 5 and 7 kg of fish per year per capita, which is equivalent to consuming less than 100 grams of a fillet per week. According to data from the Food Agriculture Organization (FAO), it is 30% less compared to the rest of Latin America. The country produces 750,000 tons of marine products and 40,000 tons of continental origin. Therefore, it is a country where fish is easily accessible.
During Easter, one of the most important Catholic holidays, abstinence from red meat and its replacement by fish is one of the rituals that stands out the most. However, it is not a constant habit and one of the main reasons is due to lack of habit. Also, the fact of being, par excellence, a country that produces bovine meat means that products from the long coasts often do not have adequate promotion.
In hypermarkets, this week, the prices of maritime products were released, pointing to consumption at Easter. In that regard, seafood remains the stars for the festive week. Peeled fallows, Chilean navajuelas, peeled mussels and some mixed varieties, are at an estimated value of three thousand pesos per kilo. However, those that come in 500 gram packages are around half the value.
Of course, these ingredients are the most chosen for paellas and casseroles, but the most expensive in this category is octopus. The octopus has a cost close to nine thousand pesos per kilo, a figure that determines the preparation of certain classic Spanish dishes for these dates, such as the well-known Galician octopus.
Another sought after is the prawn, with its various variants, the maritime product, is one of the most requested. Whole and raw are at an estimated value of three thousand pesos, while peeled the price increases to almost five thousand pesos in most shops.
In general, the most economical are processed marine products. The kani kama, surimi wands, fish rings and sticks, they are around a thousand pesos, the unit of the package. Depending on the chain’s current promotion, these groceries are the cheapest and have the widest offer.
The opposite case can be seen in certain cuts of fish. The steak of swhole pink salmon and frozen trout It is around six thousand to eight thousand pesos per kilo. In this aspect, other fish are kinder in the value of the kilo: the large tent is 700 pesos, the shad in 1000 pesos and the silverside in 1200 pesos. In some places, the battered hake ready to fry is offered for a thousand pesos per kilo.
Even so, for many consumers, fish is a meat that few know how to prepare or what foods to combine it with, generally because all its varieties are unknown. In addition, food is associated only with pleasure and not in relation to the nutrients that the body needs.
The recommendation of doctors and nutritionists is to incorporate it into the daily diet at least twice a week, since it is a food very rich in protein, vitamins, minerals and fatty acids. On the other hand, fish has less collagen than other meats, a feature that makes it more tender and easily digestible.
“All healthy eating has to be varied to ensure the greatest possible contribution of different nutrients. For this reason, rather than increasing the consumption of fish at Easter, it is convenient to distribute its intake in balanced proportions throughout the year”, explains the Bachelor of Nutrition Luciana Paduano, Medical Marketing Manager of the ENA laboratory.
It mainly provides essential fatty acids that are not present in other natural products. These Omega 3 fatty acids provide a protective or preventive effect for heart diseases, raise the level of good cholesterol, regulate the level of blood lipids and reduce blood pressure. In addition, they collaborate with neurological development, which makes it an essential nutrient for the proper development of the brain and the rest of the nervous system in children and reduces the risk of neurological diseases such as depression or Alzheimer’s.
Considered one of the healthiest diets, the Mediterranean diet consists of whole grains such as bread, pasta, rice, and raw and cooked vegetables that should be present in the two main meals of the day. The particularity of this type of diet is the type of fats that are consumed, which include olive oil, the high consumption of fish and nuts. Other characteristics of the Mediterranean diet are: the consumption of slightly processed foods, low intake of red meat, abundant fish dishes, meals accompanied by dairy products, seasonal fruit and plenty of water.
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