Seafood

Seafood can be defined as any sea animal that is suitable for consumption. This includes Fish, Shellfish and Crustaceans. Shellfish however is a broad term for all aquatic animals that have a shell of some kind. Shellfish are separated into two basic categories: Crustaceans and Mollusks. Crustaceans include Crabs, Crayfish, Lobsters and Shrimps. Mollusks are divided into three groups: Gastropods (also called univalves) such as the Abalone and Snails; Bivalves like the Clams and Oysters; and Cephalopods such as the Octopus and Squid.

Live Seafood

We offer our customers live Seafood such as Hamour, Lobsters and Mussels, which are only caught wild in the oceans (not the Gulf). We do not sell farmed fish, a method which uses artificial feeding, growth promoters and antibiotics or other medications. Our live Seafood is kept in holding tanks that have ultra modern purification systems to assure the best quality and taste. It is always best to buy live seafood where possible, especially with lobsters since bacteria form particularly quickly there and it is important that it is alive when you buy it. A simple trick to check is to pick up the lobster and it its tail curls under its body, it is alive. This test is useful as lobsters that have been stored on ice are often so motionless that it can be hard to see them move.

Organic Seafood?

Our Seafood, be it live or fresh, is only caught in the Wild, and as such, is not cultivated under artificial conditions. It therefore does not come into deliberate contact with any unnaturally present artificial substances. It is however important that the environment in which the seafood is caught is clean and pure and not contaminated in any way. These waters are controlled and certified regularly and can be termed as ‘Organic’. All our Seafood is ocean seafood from guaranteed clean water.

Quality and Freshness

In order to offer our customers the highest quality and also to keep in line with environmental policy, we sell only the daily ‘Omani’ catch subject to seasonal and climatic availability. Any imported seafood is flown in on the same day it is caught, and live seafood is taken directly from our live holding tanks. No better guarantee of freshness can be offered than live shellfish products, which come from waters certified as clean by a governing international authority. Those products whose natural environment is classed as water quality A or B are then purified prior to sales in our certified purification systems. These holding tanks are the only certified systems manufactured in co-operation with the Government of Italy and conform to CE standards.

Healthy!

Seafood is an excellent source of proteins, a good source of minerals and some vitamins and it is low in fats, cholesterol and sodium. In general, seafood can be seen as one of the most nutritionally balanced foods. A seafood diet helps control weight and goes a long way towards preventing heart disease. Most varieties of finfish and shellfish are very low in saturated fat: less than 5% fat and in many cases, less than 1% fat.

Protein:
Seafood contains all nine essential amino acids, making it the perfect choice for meeting daily protein needs. In addition to this, the protein in seafood is highly digestible. The protein in seafood is more readily broken down and absorbed than the protein in red meat and poultry.

Omega Oils:
Many fish oils are composed primarily of the healthy omega-3 fatty acids. Fish and shellfish ingest and accumulate omega-3 fatty acids through the food chain from algae and phytoplankton, the primary producers of omega-3 fatty acids. Man can only produce standard saturated and omega-9 fatty acids, which means we have to get the omega-3 fatty acids we need through our daily food intake.

Carnivorous fish such as salmon, tuna, mackerel, kingfish are especially rich in the most powerful of the omega oils, DHA and EPA. These are linked with better brain function and memory, and reduced risk of cancer and heart disease.

In order to keep the highest level of these oils intact, it is better to poach or bake the fish, rather than frying it.

Vitamins:
Fish also provide plenty of vitamin E, which is a powerful anti-oxidant that can protect fats such as cholesterol from being damaged.

Fish are also an excellent source of the B-complex vitamins, particularly Niacin, B12 and B6. Thiamine is also found in good quantities in seafood.

Minerals:
Seafood is an excellent source of minerals. Fish is one of the most important sources of calcium. The soft bones of small fish such as sardines and smelts and canned varieties such as salmon are especially valuable sources of calcium. Other minerals present in seafood include zinc (oysters and crustaceans), iron (oysters, bluefish and shrimps), copper (oysters, crabs and lobsters)), potassium (mussels, scallops and clams), and iodine, phosphorous and selenium (all seafood in general).

Fresh seafood is low in sodium which is good for those having to restrict the intake of salt.

Services

It is our goal that our customers gain an appreciation of seafood and we would like to support any queries that you may have. If in doubt or eager to try something new, please ask and we will be happy to give you both tips on handling and preparation as well as information on the background of any particular product. We also have a library of recipes and utensils that can cater especially to seafood. A further service to those wishing to purchase live lobsters is the preparation in our kitchen so that you can take home the lobster steamed, which means that you only need to make a sauce of your choice and it is ready to eat!