Now that I’m two weeks into having my first
community supported fish, I’m able to give the whole process and concept of it
all a more solid review. Weeks ago I mentioned how I excited I was for the
fresh, line-caught fish from Alaska to arrive at my doorstep. And here we are,
two weeks later.
I can honestly say that this fish is the best
I’ve ever tasted. Perhaps it’s because it’s line-caught instead of being caught
with tons of other bycatch. Maybe it’s because it’s fished sustainably and the
areas aren’t overfished. Perhaps it’s the process in which it’s only been
frozen one time. Or it could be the cleaning process. No matter what the reason
is, I’ve never had fish smell so unfishy before. The taste, the fluffiness, and
the aroma are all amazingly beyond what I expected from a “fish shipped to your
doorstep in shipping boxes” business model, and yet I’m floored nonetheless.
It’s funny that such a business could succeed
as it has. At first glance, it seems kind of weird or counterproductive. But
when you nail down exactly what is needed in certain parts of the country, you
have a recipe for an amazing business. For example, community supported
agricultures are all the rage right now, with the midwest having its heyday
compared to the coastal regions. But copying that model has been huge for
fisheries on both the east and west coast, and so community supported fisheries
became a thing.
Seems a bit unfair for different regions to be
cut off depending on their geography though, right? Well, that’s what this
company in Alaska noticed, and so they decided to make a second home base in
Chicago in order to ship the majority of their fish to the midwest and have it
delivered just days later.
I know that I’ll be looking forward to
shipment days each and every month, if only because it’s all quite exciting.
The last time my shipment arrived, I couldn’t wait to read more about the fish
within, check out the recipes that were sent with it, and also get a specially
crafted note for me as a consumer. Ripping into the shipping boxes will be
something I do from now on simply because it’s a lot of fun, and I love to see
the beautiful colors of the perfectly frozen fresh fish. It’s fish like I’ve
never seen it before, and I’m highly on board with this business.
