SNAKEHEAD FISH - MUD FISH – SHOWL

The Snakehead (Channa striata) has a wide natural distribution ranging from tropical Southern Asia to most of Southeast Asia, including Vietnam. Snakehead (Channa striata) can be found in most types of slow-moving freshwater habitat, including rivers, lakes, flood rice paddies in Vietnam.

Snakehead became an important Vietnamese export earning “hundreds of millions of dollars”. The EU and Italia are our large export markets. IQF skinless, boneless Snakehead fillets are sometimes sold under other names such as “white grouper” in the United States.

Frozen snakehead from Vietnam is sold in different forms: whole round; whole gutted; fillets skin on/off IWP (Individually Wrapped Pack – wrapped in a thin foil layer); steaks; slices with nice packing.

Since snakehead fish is darkish brown in color, the species is also known as “mudfish” however the meat doesn’t taste at all of mud; it is white or slightly pink in color when cooked and is slightly sweet with a good flavor.

Snakehead is valuable food fish. Called nga yant in Burmese, shoal/showl in Bangladesh and in Manipur [Meiteilon] as porom, snakehead is prized fish eaten in a variety of ways. In Vietnam, snakehead is called cá lóc, cá quả, or cá chuối and is served in clay-pot, steamed, and pickled preparations. In Indonesia, snakehead fish, called ikan gabus, are served as the main parts of traditional dishes such as the Betawi people's pucung gabus, and considered to be a delicacy due to their rarity in the wild and in aquaculture, as snakehead is harder to raise than other popular freshwater fish such as catfish and carp. In Philippines where it's called "Haluan" (The Tagalogs call it "Dalag"), it is a favorite among Maguindanaons and Iranuns.

From the perspective of nutrition, snakehead fish acts as a functional food, bringing health benefits. Snakehead is a good food source because of its high content of amino acids and fatty acids. Also snakehead is a rich source of high quality protein and lean in lipid, making it a nutritious and effective diet. It is specially believed by Chinese to enhance wound healing process and support immune system during post surgery, which could be attributed to its high content of albumin and Zinc. The snakehead fish has a firm texture when cooked.

Cooking Tips for the Snakehead fish: Grilled Snakehead fish, Boiled Snakehead fish, Baked Snakehead fish, Cooked Snakehead fish with sauce, Fried or Fried-pan Snakehead fish, Steamed Snakehead fish with Black Beans & Ginger or with Lime juice, Stir-Fried Snakehead Fish Slices, Vietnamese style clay pot braised Snakehead fish, Rustic Curried Snakehead Fish Grilled, Snakehead Fish Soup with Sweet Corn and Huai Shan, etc.

We promote catch-and-release Snakehead (Channa striata) which helps sustain our valuable fishing resources and ensures great fishing for future generations.