Beware the Escolar, My Son

This is a special warning post to protect my dear readers from harm by fish. I write this because we have increasingly encountered this particular fish on restaurant menus, a fish that should not be there. Eat it at your peril. We did, and now we know better.

The fish is called Escolar or Snake Mackerel, but more often is listed on menus as Super-White Tuna, Walu, Butterfish, and even as Sea Bass and Black Cod and a number of other fish that it isn't.  This is a misrepresentation. It's hard to say if this is the fault of the fish wholesaler or the restaurant, but it's dishonest. The best thing to do is to ask the waiter if it's the same thing as Escolar and hope that you get the correct answer...or order something else. If you order the fish, it will be very rich and delicious, and you would be unlikely to attribute the alarming after effects to this tasty fish. That said, there have been lawsuits against restaurants. It is currently illegal to sell the fish in Japan and Italy. Some countries allow it to be sold, but only with a warning. It was also prohibited in the United States until the 1990s, but now it's legal to sell and becoming more common.

Now, you're probably wondering what this fish does. I will not describe it here, but will guide you to a few informative links including Wikipedia and the Medellitin Food Blog . I would also mention that it is probably (?) safe to eat the fish in a tiny portion such as on a sushi roll. Many sources claim that if you keep the serving under six ounces you should be fine. I can tell you from experience, (we split an 8-oz portion) that that's not true. There are also claims that only 1 in 3 people have problems with it. I don't buy that either.

  Here is the back of the last card, associating good health with the fish. Believe it if you will.

Tram Tuesday - Berlin, Germany

As you can see, this gentleman is balancing the tram on his head. And yet he looks so nonchalant.

It's a shame that someone removed the stamp. It wasn't likely worth much anyway, and the postcard loses something important in the process, not just the stamp, but the cancellation date. We can make a pretty accurate guess though based on the cancellation message, which urges people to join the Reichluftschutzbund, the State Air Protection Corps., which was formed in 1933.

The Berlin tram system was (and is) extensive. It was one of the earliest tram systems, with the first public line opening in 1847. Most of the lines that ended up on the western side of the city after World War II were replaced with bus routes, but the East Berlin system remained largely intact.



The message on the back of the card reads:

I'm having a very nice time in Berlin and wish it could last forever. With best regards Edith Flemming

Edith could not have foreseen the horrors of World War II, just around the corner. She could not have known that this part of Berlin would become East Berlin and that the remains of the palace would be demolished in 1951. She would not have wanted to stay forever though, that is certain.

Juarez, Mexico

Was Juarez a dangerous city back in 1911? Probably not like it is today. The street scene looks very peaceful with the horse-drawn carriages and the shaded booths.

The message on the the card to Elnor (Eleanor?) Moss of Minneapolis reads:

Dear Elnor

As I have just come in from the 30 Mill station and had a few nickels in saved from the rations and found a few cards.

Yours truly

W.J.L.

I'm not sure what 30 Mill station might have been. Any ideas?