Pangasius
Pangasianodon hypophthalmus
Not Kosher
Has fins but no scales
Fins
Yes
Scales
No
Description
The iridescent shark or iridescent shark catfish is a species of shark catfish native to the rivers of Southeast Asia. Despite its name, it is not a shark.
Pangasius fillets are popular for their low cost, mild taste, and firm texture, and recipes for whitefish like sole or halibut adapt well to them. In Malaysia and Indonesia the fish are often steamed or cooked whole, sometimes with tempoyak and curry.
Pangasius is a freshwater catfish native to the Mekong and Chao Phraya rivers in Southeast Asia, living in tropical water around pH 6.5 to 7.5 and 22 to 26 C. It's farmed heavily in the Mekong region, with Vietnam's pangasius exports reaching US$1.8 billion in 2014.
Also known as
- basa
- swai
- tra
- cream dory
- panga
- iridescent shark
- sutchi catfish
Pangasius in foreign languages
| Scientific | Pangasianodon hypophthalmus |
| Hebrew | u05e9u05e4u05deu05e0u05d5u05df u05d0u05e1u05d9u05d9u05eau05d9 |
| Italian | Pangasio |
| German | Pangasius |
| Russian | u0410u043au0443u043bu0438u0439 u0441u043eu043c |
| Chinese | u4f4eu773cu7121u9f52ud867uddf6 |
| Japanese | u30abu30a4u30e4u30f3 |
| Korean | uac00uc774uc591 |
| Bengali | u09a5u09beu0987 u09aau09beu0999u09cdu0997u09beu09b6 |
| Vietnamese | cu00e1 tra |
| Thai | u0e1bu0e25u0e32u0e2au0e27u0e32u0e22 |
Gallery
Warnings & Kosher Issues
- Has fins but no scales, so it is not kosher.
- Sold under many market names, including swai, basa, panga, tra, and cream dory, which makes it easy to confuse with other whitefish.