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PuccifFoods on
Monday, December 5th, 2016
Dungeness crab is local, sustainable, and in season during the holidays, making it a perfect choice for customers looking for a centerpiece for their Feast of the Seven Fishes on Christmas Eve. Image source: Flickr CC user Becky Berry
One of my favorite holiday traditions happens to be Italian–it’s the Feast of the Seven Fishes, usually eaten on Christmas Eve, and it is the perfect way for us in the seafood industry to celebrate our professional passions with our families. That’s especially true here in the Bay Area, where we have such a wide variety of delicious, sustainable, local seafood that is perfect for this festive celebration. For that reason, I think the Feast of the Seven Fishes should be not only an Italian tradition, but also a Bay Area tradition–a way for seafood lovers to try new recipes and indulge in seasonal favorites like Dungeness crab. So what is the Feast of the Seven Fishes, and how can Bay Area seafood vendors make it part of Bay Area tradition?
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PuccifFoods on
Sunday, November 13th, 2016
This year’s booming Alaskan king crab season is a good sign for the species, and especially good news for Bay Area customers who care about the sustainability of king crab populations. Image source: Flickr CC user Eric Heath
I know the spotlight here in the Bay Area has been on Dungeness crab lately, and if you’re like me you’ve been keeping up-to-date on the latest news about the local fisheries. But don’t forget about another customer favorite from this side of the country: king crab. Alaskan king crab is having one of its best seasons in recent memory in spite of predictions of a less-than-stellar season.
“From the time we set pots in the water, we were done in 60 hours,” said commercial fisherman Gordon Christiansen in an interview with radio station KDLG in Dillingham, Alaska. “It was amazing, tremendous fishing. We’d like to go out again and do it again tomorrow.”
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PuccifFoods on
Monday, November 7th, 2016
As ocean conditions are promising to be much better than last year, Bay Area wholesale seafood vendors should look forward to the upcoming Dungeness crab season! Image courtesy of Flickr CC user Jazz Guy
Last year during the November closure of our local Dungeness crab fishery due to domoic acid, hundreds of vendors and thousands of people (myself included) around the Bay Area dearly missed our annual indulgence in one of San Francisco’s favorite seafood dishes. I also felt for the fishermen whose livelihoods depend on this economically important fishery. It was a relief when the fishery was opened up again back in May, but at that point in the season it was almost too late to enjoy them. This year promises to be different, as scientists and fisheries managers are optimistic about 2016-2017 ocean conditions and the state of Dungeness crab fishery.
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Posted by
PuccifFoods on
Monday, November 7th, 2016
A few years ago for Thanksgiving, I spent the holiday with my friend and her husband. When I arrived at their house, everything looked familiar. The table was set with an autumnal cloth, there were decorative gourds scattered about, and I could hear Dallas Cowboys football playing on the living room TV. But something was off. Their house didn’t smell like turkey. That’s when I remembered: my friends are pescetarians (at least, they’re vegetarians during most the year, and pescetarians on holidays).
I have to admit, I was skeptical about a Thanksgiving without turkey, but the Thanksgiving dinner they served was honestly one of the best holiday dining experiences I’ve ever had. In other words, I’ve come to love my new pescetarian Thanksgivings traditions.
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PuccifFoods on
Friday, November 4th, 2016
I’ll admit, I’ve been a little biased against selling prepared seafood at the fish counter. In the past I was happy to give customers cooking advice, but that’s about as far as I went. The cooking was their job. I’ve since opened my mind.
I’ll always lead with the star of the show–fresh, raw fish–but offering a variety of prepared seafood not only meets growing demand by time-pressed customers, but I think prepared foods and fresh fish are mutually reinforcing. A beautiful display of top-quality fresh fish lets customers know that your prepared items are fresh and thoughtfully prepared, too. And if the to-go items are good, it’s my experience customers will look to your fish counter when they want fresh, raw seafood to cook at home–and will look to your advice on how to cook it, too!
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Posted by
PuccifFoods on
Friday, November 4th, 2016
An upgrade in sustainability could increase prices and sales of Dungeness crab, already hotly anticipated this year. Image source: Flickr CC user Bob n Renee
Dungeness crab season is almost upon us here in the San Francisco Bay Area, and besides the news that the season will open on time, with no predicted domoic acid issues, there’s even more good news for the Dungeness this year. Currently listed as a yellow “Good Alternative” choice by Seafood Watch, the local seasonal specialty could be upgraded to the green “Best Choice” level due to the efforts of the Monterey Bay fishing community. This is exciting for the seafood industry as we head into the holiday season, typically the time most consumers associate with feasting on the beloved crustacean.
Dungeness crab season is almost upon us here in the San Francisco Bay Area, and besides the news that the season will open on time, with no predicted domoic acid issues, there’s even more good news for the Dungeness this year. Currently listed as a yellow “Good Alternative” choice by Seafood Watch, the local seasonal specialty could be upgraded to the green “Best Choice” level due to the efforts of the Monterey Bay fishing community. This is exciting for the seafood industry as we head into the holiday season, typically the time most consumers associate with feasting on the beloved crustacean.
Read the full article…
Posted by
PuccifFoods on
Monday, October 24th, 2016
Offering seafood products from healthy aquaculture farms is important for keeping customers loyal. Image courtesy of Flickr Creative Commons User Natalie Maynor.
On my weekly trip to the local grocery market here in the Bay Area, I make it a point to seek out organic, free-range, antibiotic-free chicken, beef, and pork. These labels tell me that my choice of protein is healthy and not full of pharmaceutical drugs or growth hormones. But it is different for seafood. Walking into any grocery store or market in the Bay Area, customers will see labels like “sustainable,” “wild-caught,” and “farm-raised”, with no mention of antibiotics.Yet the “antibiotic free” label on farmed fish is actually becoming more common in the seafood industry, alongside consumer awareness. The growth of aquaculture has brought forth concerns over the use of drugs, much the same as other food industries.
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Posted by
PuccifFoods on
Sunday, October 16th, 2016
Salmon is a particularly nutrient-rich fish, which appeals to increasingly health-conscious customers. Image source: Flickr CC user Sharon Chen
Health conscious consumers in the Bay Area are seeking out nutrient-rich foods–as witnessed by our residents’ love for vegetable juices, kale, nut butters, and lentils–and that means they’re also looking for seafood that’s rich in nutrients as well, like omega-3. There’s a big difference between wild salmon, which is incredibly rich in omega-3 and other nutrients, and some other types of fish which, although are often a great source of protein, can be nearly devoid of omega-3s. As we all pay closer attention to nutrition, how have our seafood sales changed? And how can we keep up with consumers’ preferences?
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Posted by
PuccifFoods on
Friday, October 14th, 2016
I think of Target as an affordable source of common household items, but when I’ve visited my local Target, I’ve never really considered going there for the sole purpose of purchasing fish. Surprisingly, it turns out that Target is actually one of the best sources for sustainable seafood products.
Back in 2011, Target set the incredibly ambitious goal of selling only sustainable or traceable fresh and frozen seafood by the end of 2015. Although it’s coming a year later than planned, Target now offers 100% sustainable seafood in its own brands, and 97% of company’s entire seafood assortment, with the remaining 3% of products set to meet compliance by the end of 2016.
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Posted by
PuccifFoods on
Friday, October 7th, 2016
When I visit my local seafood store in nearby Oakland, it’s pretty straightforward to find sustainable wild-caught fish for my family’s dinner table. However, when it comes to farmed seafood it’s a different story. The U.S. imports some wonderful sustainable aquaculture products from around the world, but they are far outnumbered by the unsustainable ones we import. Unlike wild-caught seafood, there are very few fish products locally farmed in California available on our shelves. What this means is that purchasing farmed seafood simply requires more time on the part of both the vendor when choosing a responsible wholesale distributor that sells farmed fish, and on the part of the Bay Area consumers who put in an effort to buy sustainable food.
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