 |
| Something fishy: Mallory Shure of Brooklyn enjoys grilled salmon over mixed greens at Ear Inn, a pub on the west side of Manhattan, New York
City. Ramin Talaie/Special to The Christian Science Monitor |
Wary diners ask: Is fish from China?
After the FDA voices safety concerns about certain Chinese exports, some Americans are beginning to look more closely at restaurant selections.
from the July 25, 2007 edition
Page 3 of 3
Americans 'don't pay attention'
Yet for the most part, "We usually don't pay attention to where our food comes from," says nutrition professor Carol Johnston of Arizona State University.
That's the case in New York, where John Southerland, a visitor from Huntsville, Ala., had a shrimp cocktail at Spark's Steak House. He didn't ask where the shrimp came from, but he remembers the restaurant "as the place where the mobster got shot out front."
Even restaurant personnel may need some prompting on fish origins. Take Hale and Hearty Soups, a chain in New York City. At one of its locations in Manhattan, it has a shrimp creole soup on the menu. One of the staff says she has no idea where the shrimp came from since the soup is made in a central location.
The website for Hale and Hearty gives the calorie content of the shrimp soup, but no indication of where the shrimp came from. "Good question," says Simon Jacobs, CEO of the company. "I don't know, but I'll call our supplier to find out."
A day later, Mr. Jacobs e-mailed that his purchaser believes the shrimp come from Ecuador, which is one of the largest sources of farmed shrimp in the West.
On a recent day, the Ear Inn had a shrimp dish on its blackboard of specials. "Where do the shrimp come from?" the bartender is asked. "The purveyor," she replies.
"No, what body of water?"
"Oh, who knows," she answers.
"Maybe the chef?" the other suggests.
"He wouldn't have a clue, I guarantee it," she declares.
The shrimp are from Thailand, says the owner, Mr. Sheridan.
RSS feed
