Costa Rican Tilapia

 That's what the sign said at the fancy fish market in Manhattan. It was more than $10 a pound, and it sure sounded exotic.

It turns out that Costa Rican tilapia is grown in backyard ponds by women just like this one. Here's's a picture I took of her, kissing our fish before cleaning it on the open-air table in her backyard. She grows 500 at a time, has a dozen or so chickens for eggs, and she's a lot better off (and doing a lot more long term good) than the rancher next door.

A tilapia from this wonderful person costs about seventy-five cents.

When you see the sign in New York, though, you imagine spear fisherman or spring-fed crystal clear rivers. You certainly don't think you're buying a home-farmed commodity.

Somewhere between cheap protein near the equator and my home in New York, the price and the value of the fish skyrocketed.

Not because of the cost of shipping. Because of the story. Tilapia sounds exotic. Costa Rica is exotic. Put them together and amateur chefs are ready to line up and pay a premium.

Is someone getting ripped off here? Of course not. Chowhounds like me want to buy something that sounds exotic. Fish mongers want to find new supplies of fish and also want to charge enough to cover their risk. And my friend in Costa Rica certainly deserves the higher prices she'll get if her fish becomes popular in the United States. Everybody is telling a story so that I'll be able to lie to myself when I cook dinner tonight.

Comments

[Term Paper]

A tilapia from this wonderful person costs about seventy-five cents,Its very cheap price ,I have bought this fish 99 cents.

[Paul Marin]

Hi Seth,

As I am from Costa Rica, I can tell you that this happens with everything around here. Did you know a minimum wage here is $500 to $600 a month? By the way, here is a tip for your readers if they plan to visit Costa Rica some day...

Many service providers, such as cab drivers, would charge a lot more money if they perceive that the customers are foreigners, which I have always thought is an unfair treatment. Not all of them do that though. However, the way I see it, they are just killing the cow (no pun intended with your pruple one ;) )

You know what they say..."You May Shear a Sheep Many Times...But Skin it only Once!"

The same happens when the story is no longer effective. Costa Rica is exotic with, or without us costaricans and that is, fortunately, the main reason for visitors to come. Also, I guess that those Tilapias would taste better in this tropical paradise ;)

Finally, I have about 100 Square meters of free space in my backyard. I'd probably start growing Tilapias.. Thanks for the hobbie idea!

[Stas]

very interesting thanks