TASTE THE SEAFOOD LEXICON Maureen Reynier (Reynier Research) Heather Middleton (Seafish)
Lexicon - Definition Definition of lexicon Noun The vocabulary of a person, language, or branch of knowledge
INTRODUCTION The Seafood Lexicon devised as a means of helping the consumer & foodservice sector better understand the characteristics of a broader range of fish In order that they can begin to have the confidence to use alternative species De-mystifying the species which are less familiar Encourage less enthusiastic consumers and the more conservative chefs to feel comfortable in trying new species OVERALL trying to raise awareness and knowledge in the sector So that, the TOP 5 fish are not the ONLY ones that turn to time after time
WHAT DID WE DO? Two extended tasting workshops Westminster Kingsway College Consumers & chefs 15 species tasted at each session so 30 species mapped December 2011 & July 2012 Fish all served plain, unseasoned, steamed Spontaneous and prompted vocabulary Looking for feedback on FLAVOUR AND TEXTURE Comparing with characteristics of known fish
WHO DID WE SPEAK TO? CONSUMERS: Women Good age spread Mix of working status Above average interest in food Self-declared good palates CHEFS: Mix of levels of skill and establishments From schools, event caterers, pubs, hotels, care homes Mix of men and women Mix of length of time in profession
PROFILE OF CHEF SAMPLE Private Nursery Fish x 2 a week On a budget but need quality (parents look at menus) Mashed mostly (no bones!) & sushi Guidance from owner & authorities Residential Care Home Fish 2 or 3 times a week Traditional tastes: - haddock - sea bass - salmon - skate Strict monitoring from authorities (esp. portion size under feeding!) Care re preparation & bones Event Catering Often canapé based Fish not that popular with clients Concerns re poisoning & bones Smoked salmon, dressed salmon, mini fish & chips But oyster bars = increasingly popular at champagne events Gastro Pub Seafood starter every day Plus, daily fish specials Fish from Billingsgate Sole, beerbattered fish, cod, haddock, prawns, mussels Chef had licence to try new dishes Tied Pub Suppliers provided by owner Traditional fare: - Fish & chips - Scampi - Fisherman s pie - Haddock No experimenting Set budget Set budget Budget dependent upon client & event Budget = issue Need to keep prices consistent Tight budget controls
PROFILE OF CHEF SAMPLE Spit & Sawdust Pub Basic cuisine Price = critical Classic dishes No surprises Buy from local High Street fishmonger Regular order Fish & chips, scampi, fish pie Event Caterer Spanish origins Adventurous Corporate, retail & private customers Creative approach needed Satisfying clients = paramount From show-off corporate events (ie lobster) to Spanish family gatherings & weddings Schools Private but still restricted budget Bursar holds purse strings Conservative fish repertoire Kids need to like & eat Fixed suppliers Little personal control Fixed budget & species Fixed budget & species Fixed budget & species
PROFILE OF CHEF SAMPLE Event Organiser Organise local London events (West Indian cuisine a speciality) Set recipes Known cuisine, native species Sushi Restaurant Long-standing venue Established restaurant Japanese cuisine inc sushi Quality & freshness of fish = paramount High standards all round Independent Café Family bias Child-friendly Offers healthy family food Happy to experiment Good family fare Care Home Conservative menu No shellfish at all (no red meat either!) Fixed budget Nutritional guidelines enforced Portion control Spot visits from health inspectors Easy to digest/eat Fish pie = most popular Flexible budgets & reasonably flexible species Fixed budget & reasonably flexible species Fixed budget & flexible species Fixed budget & fixed species
What did we learn about each fish? An example of how they classified and described Hake Repeated for all 30 fish Spontaneous and prompted feedback This data collated and used in conjunction with Seafish expertise to devise work-in-progess lexicon
HAKE: FLAVOUR DESCRIPTORS SPONTANEOUS FLAVOUR PROMPTED FLAVOUR DESCRIPTORS Consumers Chefs & Students Consumers Chefs Fishy** Mild** Bland Delicious Like sea bass Non-fishy Rich Full Buttery Neutral Good base for other flavours (Very) mild** Fresh** Salty Subtle Slightly sweet Strong Over-powering Strong Fishy Like an oily fish Creamy**** Meaty*** Earthy*** Medium flavour*** Sweet** Buttery Green plant Herbs Clean Musty Herbal Strong flavour Sweet*** Milk*** Mild flavour*** Oceanic** Meaty Clean Vanilla Medium flavour Strong flavour
HAKE: TEXTURE DESCRIPTORS SPONTANEOUS TEXTURE PROMPTED TEXTURE DESCRIPTORS Consumers Chefs & Students Consumers Chefs Melt in the mouth*** Flaky** Soft Interesting Meaty Less boney than sea bass Fluffy Buttery Firm Squeaky Filling Doughy Moist*** Meaty** Soft Rough Flaky Firm Grainy Fluffy Melting Succulent**** Meaty*** Moist*** Tender*** Medium texture*** Melting** Medium flakes** Large flakes** Soft texture** Fibrous Silky Dry Firm texture Medium flakes**** Succulent** Meaty** Moist** Tender** Juicy** Melting** Soft texture** Medium texture** Silky Smooth Small flakes
ADDITIONAL LEARNING MUCH more likely to try lesser fish now: For me, the cod and the coley were very similar and I would definitely consider using coley more in a dish. In a curry or a fish pie whereas I wouldn t have done before Seeing where fish might be substituted: A lot of the fish seemed interchangeable so you could use a cheaper version or if one was not available you could buy another one
ADDITIONAL LEARNING CONTINUED Using better value fish in dishes where more expensive fish used previously: I imagine that coley is a lot cheaper. Pollock, the poor man s cod, but still got the meatiness Some saw familiar fish in new light: Surprised how bland the cod was in comparison Others still impressed by familiar fish: The cod was gorgeous
SOME HIGHLIGHTS OF THE TASTINGS Pollock good but lacked the aesthetics of cod Coley better colour than the pollock and meatier for some than the cod Hake = VERY popular Soft, moist, meaty. Melts in the mouth. Sweet as well I d cook with hake now, try a light sauce, batter or a fish pie, whatever worked best Pouting = new to all, likened to cod by some Herring and Mackerel liked by those who liked fishy fish: Like salmon, a strong flavour, slightly sweet (Herring) Like Mackerel, earthy, savoury
HIGHLIGHTS OF THE TASTING Cold Water Prawns could be disappointing (cf. Warm Water Prawns which some were more used to) but a good ingredient in dishes such as stir fries and curries Langoustine = one of the stars of the show: Delicious, like eating Lobster! Squid and Cuttlefish not shown at their best steamed and served plain! Witch = popular (not too fishy so pleased some as a result), nice and moist: Didn t taste of fish so I liked it! Neutral for me, nice, I liked it
TOWARDS A LEXICON There were some good indications as to how the lexicon should be structured based on this feedback and output Shellfish Separate category Crustaceans & molluscs etc = different Require a separate section Indication of strength of flavour + nature of texture = important Bold, strong flavours Pronounced fishy flavour Fish Scale of fishiness Delicate light flavours Mild & Gentle Easy on palate Distinct flavour Child-friendly profile Within this, degree of meatiness: soft, medium or firm texture Smoked Fish Smoked Salmon Kippers Smoked Mackerel Separate section Strong, distinct flavours Textures = different
TOWARDS A LEXICON Consumer would like each fish defined in terms of : Simple flavour and texture descriptors (avoid flowery language, keep to food terminology) Relative price/expense indicator ( / / ) A posh curry or a family curry People want to know how much does it cost and what does it taste like If you re feeding your family, save 5 by switching to hake
TOWARDS A LEXICON Pictures showing appearance of fish once prepared for cooking Cooking methods (e.g grilling, frying, poaching, baking) Recipe suggestions suitable for that species and links to those recipes Accompaniments (vegetables, rice, pasta etc.) Wine suggestions? Seasonality = best time of year to buy (new idea for most) Health properties (but not in scary scientific way) Alternative species to try
Firm TEXTURE Medium Soft MAPPING ON THE GRID Taking the fish we sampled we can plot them on a grid to help devise the Seafood Lexicon Mild Medium Bold Pangasius (basa) Ling Hake Witch Plaice Scallops Catfish Mussels Lemon sole Haddock Coley Whiting Cod Pollock Pouting White crab meat Mackerel Herring Halibut Squid Cuttlefish Tuna Salmon Sea bream Sea bass Monkfish Cold Water Prawns Langoustine Warm water prawns FLAVOUR
Bring the Lexicon to Life in Language Just as we have with wine and cheese, a common language will now be used when describing the flavour and texture of seafood. FLAVOUR Sweet Mild Medium Savoury Strong TEXTURE Soft Medium Flaky Firm Meaty
Bring the Lexicon to Life in Symbols
Bringing the Lexicon to Life Next Stages Developing a 100 species face file Developing tools for consumers and the trade including online guides via www.fishisthedish.co.uk, staff development materials and prompts for buyers Consumer and trade PR programme Supporting companies to use the Lexicon in their business. For assistance and guidance please contact whichfish@fishisthedish.co.uk