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It’s not often that you find shark in the supermarkets here - but I seized upon it in one of the classier supermarkets yesterday. The Boy had never eaten it before - which surprised me because we eat it a lot in Australia (under the name “flake” - boy were we surprised when we found out flake was shark!)

He liked it. I had a shark sandwich for lunch the next day. The reactions are interesting to note - got quote a few raised eyebrows.

Checking up on the flake = shark thing I came across a bunch of health sites in Australia which recommend that you shouldn’t eat shark often because they absorb a lot of mercury from the water. In fact they stated that pregnant women shouldn’t eat it at all. They recommended salmon - but then we were told just recently that you shouldn’t each much salmon because of the high levels of something else. So even though you are recommended to eat fish - you have to be aware of what fish and how often. Or eat beef - but then there is the issue of mad cow disease and chickens have something else as do pigs, and sheep probably have a stack as well and then vegetables are a problem because of chemical pesticides and then you’ve got to be careful of carbs and proteins and balance, but then maybe you shouldn’t be eating carbs - no wait protein = cholesterol, and then how about vitamins and acids, and is it true that in a certain type of water there is enough fibre to equal two lettuces and then what about genetically modified food will it make a extra head grow out of my body and, and….

To all of which I say piss off. If you are what you eat - then call me delicious, baby (~^)

• MJ, the problem with shark and tuna and other big fish is that mercury and other heavy metals bioaccumulate- the metals end up in the dominant predator fishes and end up within us when we eat them.  Sad but true.

  gen
  04/06/10 06:53 AM

• hmmm dammit - the dangers of being at the top of the food chain….

  mj
  04/06/10 08:37 AM

• So envious…I love shark. First time I brought my then-girlfriend over to meet my mom, we barbecued thick slabs of shark and tuna. I’ve eaten a ton of shark, and it hasn’t affected me, except that I sometimes walk in tight circles while pink foam shoots out of my nose.

  nils
  04/06/10 04:20 PM

• Delicious shark in Western Australia, although we never called it flake—it was always shark (the name flavoured our dominance over it, but we were still always a little bit scared to get in the water: people do get taken from time to time). One of my favourite fish, especially if you know a good fish and chip shop.

  The father of someone I knew long ago had stayed at the Esalen Institute in Big Sur, and he said they served shark once a month or so precisely to *rid* the body of accumulated metals. So there you go.

  My money’s on the proven phenomenon of bioaccumulation, and I know I’m at the top of the foodchain when that fish passes my lips, but it’s just too good to pass up.

  jh
  04/07/05 05:14 AM