Perhaps you've seen this fish at your local fishmonger or on the menu at restaurants. Sometimes it's under the name "butterfish," "oilfish," or "waloo/walu." Sushi restaurants occasionally serve it as "super white tuna" or "king tuna." Maybe you've heard it's extremely tasty. This is true; escolar is delicious. It's buttery and succulent. But before you eat it, there is something important you need to know.
Use Caution When Eating Escolar
Escolar has been popping up on restaurant menus and in seafood markets as of late. With some varieties of fish in danger of being overfished and other species becoming undesirable due to their high mercury content, seafood purveyors need a fish that's delicious, cheap, sustainable, and low in mercury. Escolar fits the bill as it is economical and politically correct, but it comes with a side effect that fishmongers and waiters fail to mention.
Escolar is a type of snake mackerel that cannot metabolize the wax esters naturally found in its diet. These esters are called gempylotoxin, and are very similar to castor or mineral oil. This is what gives the flesh of escolar its oily texture. As a result, when full portions of escolar are consumed, these wax esters cause gastrointestinal symptoms.
To be frankly and bluntly specific - and I'm sorry for this - consumption of escolar causes explosive, oily, orange diarrhea. People have reported that the discharges are often difficult to control and accidents can happen while passing gas. I personally know someone who ate an escolar steak one night, unaware of its side effects. The next day he was riding the elevator to his office when out of nowhere his bowels unleashed a surprise attack on his pants. As he said later, "Thank God I had my gym bag with me, which had a clean pair of underwear in it." This explains why escolar is also called the "olestra fish" and the "ex-lax fish."
The Japanese and Italian governments have banned the importation and sale of escolar for these reasons. The governments of Canada, Sweden and Denmark require that all escolar come with warning labels. The FDA lifted the escolar ban in 1992 because the fish is nontoxic - sure, it causes embarrassing things to happen in your pants, but it won't hurt or kill you.
In spite of all this, escolar is indeed very buttery and delicious, and should be enjoyed, but never in portions larger than six ounces. Portions below six ounces will not cause gastrointestinal distress. Don't say we didn't warn you.
Related: Good Fish, Bad Fish: How to Inspect Fish for Freshness
(Image: Kathryn Hill)
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Ingredients - Seafood, Health, fish, escolar, butterfish, oilfish, snake mackerel, waloo, waluRelated Links
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Yikes! Thanks for the warning, Kathryn.
view faith's profile
Eeek! That's pretty awful.
view jamiealyse's profile
6 ounces, one size serving is safe for all body sizes? Thanks for the warning, if I have the chance to eat delicious escolar, I'll say thanks, but no thanks! And all the hours I've frittered on this site will have been so worth it.
view Kate (NC)'s profile
Wow! I bet a lot of restaurants that serve this have been accused of food poisoning. Thanks the for info.
view Likey's profile
Hey, but the rest of you go ahead and enjoy it. DEPENDS on how prepared you are to risk the consequences,
view Kate (NC)'s profile
LOL! Kate, I'm with you. And if we can save just one person from such an awful fate, our existence will definitely be that much more justified!
view faith's profile
My Aunt was given a piece of "tuna" at a restaurant that turned out to be Escolar. She didn't find out until 5 hours later when she was stuck in the bathroom. This is the only time I have heard of a restaurant selling the fish under a totally false name but I have heard lots of stories of people ordering the fish under its true name without knowing about the side effects!
view sara13's profile
Maybe they'll market this as the "miraculous diet fish". I'll be sure to be wary of my intake of this particular fish at the sushi bar...just means I'll have to order an additional pair of otoro!
view gregory's profile
Escolar is very tasty and some people are more sensitive than others. Our local sushi place used to call it "white tuna." A small two piece serving was great for many people and with no side effects. We really enjoyed it.
However, Angelenos are not know for sushi moderation and they had so many issues with overeating they had to take it off the menu.
view JudiAU's profile
I saw it used on Iron Chef and Alton Brown gave a very descrete warning about it's horrible side effect. It was amusing.
view revolution9's profile
I have eaten a piece or two of it at a sushi place near me that labels it "white tuna" and I've never had any problems. Apparently, in the northeast, lots of sushi places market this fish as white tuna. I don't think I'd chance eating a whole portion of it, though.
view ScienceandtheCity's profile
I must beg to differ with under 6 oz. being safe! I will never eat it again, that's for sure ;)
view foodporncess's profile
In our household, a meal of butterfish has been followed by an urgent visit to the doctors the next day. Pooing oil totally freaked us out. The doctor was no help, but the symtoms did pass quickly.
view sab's profile
Poop fish!
view art's profile
Yikes! I guess it's a good thing the one time I tried it at a sushi restaurant, I hated the bland taste and only ate one slice.
I do think it's a bad idea for restaurants to call it "white tuna" - the place I went to gave it the same name, and all that did was make me horribly disappointed when I took the first bite and it was nothing like tuna at all.
view Kaete's profile
My sushi hoovering son remembered we had it and loved it. Good thing we're not rich enough to buy as much as we like.
view Kate (NC)'s profile
Me and my husband have always called this one poo fish. It does taste good - but moderation is key.
view skittlbrau's profile
I don't remember it, but when we were kids my parents bought and served us this stuff. A whole family with oily poo is not a pretty site. My still parents mention it every now and then when a good poo story is required.
view buda's profile
HA! Oh wow. I'm glad I don't eat much fish.
This reminds me of that Best of Craigslist post about the person who ate 2 CANS of Low-Fat Pringles (with Olestra!) in one day and experienced "unwashable poo."
view sparkle's profile
Worse side effects can occur than those already mentioned. Erratic heart rate, cold sweats, chest pressure and other symptoms similar to the beginnings of a heart attack or anxiety attack can happen within 1 hour of eating Escolar. google the health warnings from other countries and you won't eat this delicous fish again. Wonder why it was removed from restricted lists? Gee, maybe the $$$.
view harold's profile