Bass, Wild Striped

Hook-and-line caught, Rhode Island

As related by Barton Seaver, striped bass was part of American food culture long before Europeans set foot here. English colonist Roger Williams claimed that the Narragansett (Native American) word for many striped bass (Missukeke-kequock) meant "great black ones." The name refers to stripers' great abundance as well as their large size.

Yet by about the 1960s the East Coast striped bass fishery was nearly decimated by overfishing and pollution. The fishery has since rebounded, under the careful management of the Interstate Fishery Management Plan for Atlantic Striped Bass. 

Compared to farmed striped bass, the wild variety we have selected is larger, richer, and slightly sweet in flavor. It has a firm, large flake, and it can be baked, grilled, steamed, and sautéed. If you like crispy skin, this bass has perfect skin for crisping. Seafood Watch rates it a "Best Choice." Moderate mercury level. Kosher.