Canteens to add African catfish on the menu

Catfish with pea purée or grilled catfish with baked vegetables are among the meals that you will soon be able to try in Masaryk University canteens. This unusual fish species will join tuna, salmon or trout. It is called African sharptooth catfish.

This freshwater species is typically found in Africa, Asia or Madagascar. It is distributed in the Czech Republic and Slovakia thanks to a farm in Senica in western Slovakia and its rearing project. “The popularity of this meat is growing, as it is high in protein and low in fat. It tastes great, it has almost no bones and the meat is reddish and juicy. Unlike the traditional carp, it is not muddy. The taste is mildly sweet without the typical fishy-ness. It may find its fans among patrons who normally do not eat fish,” Head of Canteen Management Tomáš Kala explains.

Short supply chain is among the key benefits of this species. The journey from the farm to processing and consumers in school canteens is direct, which significantly reduces the risk associated with long transportation and storage, typically associated with certain important saltwater species. “This species comes from controlled farming in an enclosed recirculation system where the quality of the entire environment, not just water, is monitored. The meat is clean and free from pesticides, heavy metals and pharmaceuticals, as lab tests have shown,” says ACS’s Head of Purchasing Veronika Hrozková.

By adding this special meat MU shows support for local producers and sustainable dining. “The meat is also tender and easily digestible, so it is suitable for people with dietary restrictions,” Hrozková added.

Recipes submitted by students enter the stage

Students and employees can also look forward to new vegetarian and vegan dishes which will be added to the menu in the second half of March as “winners” of a contest organised last June: red lentil dhal with coconut milk and basmati rice submitted by Zuzana Matějová from the Faculty of Social Studies and chickpea curry goulash with baked vegetables and steamed rice submitted by Samuel Ivančík from the Faculty of Medicine. One of the winning dishes – saffron risotto with zucchini submitted by Ema Fukasová from the Faculty of Medicine – was offered in late February. The frequency of these dishes will be based on the number of portions sold.