This Is The Absolute Best Fish To Buy At Costco, According To Reddit

Costco shoppers all have their favorite products, like sweet treats from the bakery or the popular Kirkland Signature foods customers buy on repeat. One frozen item people have been raving about on Reddit is barramundi, with many touting it as the best fish to buy at Costco. The problem is that it's not always easy to find this favorite in the warehouses.

The barramundi's fans are talking about The Better Fish brand. At Costco, they are sold in a 2-pound bag with around seven individually vacuum-packed frozen fillets. It gets praise for being a good value, nutritious (it contains 21 grams of protein per serving and loads of omega-3 fatty acids), and tasty, with a light flavor some compared to tilapia. But Redditors bemoaned that finding the barramundi can be hit or miss. It doesn't appear to be carried by all Costcos, and some said it can be out of stock for months. Fans of the fish tend to stock up on several bags when they spot it. The good news is other retailers sell it too, including Walmart, HEB, Vons, Albertsons, and more.

Barramundi — also called Asian sea bass — isn't as well-known in some parts of the world, including the U.S., so The Better Fish package helpfully describes its taste as sweet, mild, and buttery. It's pinkish when raw but turns white when cooked, and it has a firm texture with large flakes. In addition to tilapia, it also gets compared to snapper and sole.

Barramundi is found in the Indo-Pacific region, from northern Australia through Southeast Asia and west to India. Its name comes from an Australian aboriginal language meaning "large-scaled fish," and it is very popular across the country. People beyond its native region are now eating barramundi partly because of the Better Fish brand.

The people at the company behind the brand, Australis Aquaculture, carried out a search to find a fish that was healthy, tasty, and robust enough for sustainable ocean farming and landed on barramundi. Australis farms the barramundi in Vietnam, first raising them in nursery tanks, then moving them to offshore ocean pens. The fish, which can grow as long as six feet, are purposely not overcrowded in the pens so they live a healthier life.

The sale of The Better Fish barramundi around the world has helped grow awareness of the versatile fish, which can be cooked in the same ways as other white fish. Its moderate amount of fat keeps it moist when cooked, and it has a thin skin that pan-fries to a perfect crisp. Because it is mild fish, it's one of the best fish for tacos. It can also be breaded and fried for an upgraded fish sandwich. Other suggestions from Redditors included air frying, roasting, broiling, and even making it sous vide, with classic fish complements like lemon, garlic, butter, lemon pepper, Old Bay seasoning, and herbs.