The Skin-Crawling Reason Anthony Bourdain Would Never Order Swordfish

Anthony Bourdain was known to have his fair share of culinary opinions. Bourdain despised several food trends, warned diners off ordering mussels from restaurants, and hated burgers that came in brioche buns. That being said, one of his most stomach-turning opinions had to do with fish, particularly swordfish. In a nutshell, Bourdain would never order swordfish because he'd seen the long parasitic worms that often live inside the fish's flesh. He wrote about this in his hit book "Kitchen Confidential."

An excerpt from "Kitchen Confidential," shared by The Guardian, reads: "My seafood purveyor, when he goes out to dinner, won't eat [swordfish]. He's seen too many of those 3-foot-long parasitic worms that riddle the fish's flesh. You see a few of these babies — and we all do — and you won't be tucking into swordfish anytime soon." No wonder, we listed swordfish as one of the menu items you should never order at a seafood restaurant.

Bourdain is not the only chef to eschew swordfish because of its tendency to harbor parasites. In a Los Angeles Times article published way back in 1986, chef Gerri Gilliland shared that she'd sworn off swordfish since working in a kitchen for the very same reason. Eric Ripert, chef at Le Bernardin, is also wary of consuming swordfish because of parasites, especially when the fish is sourced from warmer waters.

Swordfish are much more likely to carry parasites than other fish for a couple of reasons. Firstly, swordfish are predatory; they survive by eating various fish, crustaceans, and other marine animals such as squid. Because swordfish eat so much wild, raw seafood, it is highly likely that they will eventually ingest an animal that contains parasites. Often, these parasites will subsequently infect the swordfish. Secondly, swordfish tend to live for about nine years. This means they have plenty of time to accrue various parasites. (For the same reason, swordfish tend to contain a large amount of mercury.)

Well over 40 different parasites have been found in various swordfish samples. These include tapeworms, nematodes, and various ectoparasites. Given this information, I completely understand if, like Anthony Bourdain, this information puts you off eating swordfish for good. However, if you do want to keep enjoying swordfish, there are a few things you should do to be safe. Most importantly, you should cook your swordfish. According to the United States Department of Agriculture, fish should be cooked to an internal temperature of 145 degrees Fahrenheit, killing any parasites that the fish contains. The Food and Drug Administration also notes that freezing fish at minus 4 degrees Fahrenheit for seven days will also kill parasites. So, if you really want to eat raw swordfish, make sure you're freezing it first.