Abstract
Purpose: In 1999, to improve food security in Cuba, African catfish Clarias gariepinus were introduced. The hurricane "Michelle" hit the breeding facility in November 2001 and the alien invasive fish reached the natural fresh water environment such as Zapata swamp, a candidate of world heritage. To conserve the natural resources in Cuba, the promotion of catch and utilization of catfish meat as a food resource must be an efficient approach. The purpose of this study is to know if the catfish meat product is acceptable for Cuban people as a food material or not. Methods: Deep fried fish balls (partially with some vegetables) were prepared from frozen catfish meat. Tasting of the fish ball and ten kinds of commercial Japanese surimi products was performed. Results: Although the catfish product did not have enough elasticity (suwari), almost Cuban people felt it better than Japanese products. Among the Japanese products, fish sausages and imitation crab were preferred. For wide usage, the catfish product should be soft texture.
