Beware the Butterfish, Warns Soiled Writer

Sometimes journalists really do pull stories out of their asses: Philadelphia writer A.J. Daulerio and former Gawker scribe Alex Balk are sounding the alarm on a succulent fish that causes some extremely undesirable and embarrassing side effects, namely hours of orange, uncontrollable anal leakage. It’s called escolar but it’s often sold under various assumed names like “butterfish”, “Hawaiian walu” or, when served raw, as “super white tuna” or “king tuna.” Whatever the name, the effects are often the same, as Daulerio himself divulged when he pitched the story via IM to Balk, now the executive editor for Radar online:

A.J.: Have you ever heard of Hawaiian butterfish and the orange shits it causes some unsuspecting diners?
BALK: I have not, but I’m not surprised that this would be your pitch.
A.J.: Thank you.
A.J.: Anyway. So, I love this fish, greatest tasting fish I’ve ever eaten. I’ve had it a couple times in restaurants without any problems.
A.J.: This past weekend? I buy some at DiBruno brothers – very reputable Italian place — and take it home and cook it.
A.J.: Now, mind you, we had a couple of friends who had eaten some at a restaurant and talked about their uncontrollable orange-oily shits they got due to eating it.
A.J.: Nonsense!, I thought.
A.J.: So, I eat some this weekend.
A.J.: And, pow. I’m stricken. In fact, it is beyond all comprehension of what went on. I actually had to stuff napkins down my pants in the middle of Target because I was leaking so bad.
A.J.: So, I do some research, standard googling for, you know, “Butterfish + anal leakage”.
A.J.: Lots of people.
A.J.: Hundreds, even.
A.J.: So, I tell my co-worker about what happened. He passes it along to the local radio djs at WMMR here and they talk about it all day.
A.J.: Their phone lines lit up.
A.J.: So many horror stories about this Butterfish and the horrible orangey shit mess it’s caused for people.
A.J.: Yet? Still served in restaurants without any disclaimers or anything.
A.J.: And in stores.
BALK: You’re pitching me a story about a fish that makes you shit orange?
A.J.: I am. Yes, I am.
A.J.: I think the word needs to get out there.

Like it or not, it's out there, thanks to Daulerio’s thorough reportage, in which he quotes a chief of clinical gastroenterology at the University of Wisconsin, who explains that “escolar is laden with an overwhelming amount of wax esters.” So unless your partner has a serious Cleveland Steamer fetish you want to spice up for Valentine’s Day, consider yourself warned to stay the hell away from the stuff.

Apparently Aquagrill in SoHo has been known to serve this “ex-lax of fish.” And Eric Ripert of the high class seafood restaurant La Bernadin has it on the menu; there it's served as an appetizer in portions too small to cause any regrettable side-effects, or so he tells Eater. Ever try it?

Photo of tantalizing Oven-Baked Butterfish with Honey Mustard Sauce via Masak-Masak.

Contact the author of this article or email tips@gothamist.com with further questions, comments or tips.

By John Del Signore in Food on February 13, 2008 3:41 PM

Comments [rss]

tj7978

That is, the fish was delicious... not the orange stuff

tj7978

Four of us had walu in Kauai and three of us got the orange poopies... but it was DELICIOUS!! If you stick to four ounces you'll be okay. If you go to six ounces at a time... bless you, my child.

joeb1kenobi

OK, have to set the record straight. Butterfish is delicious, oily, and will give you orange oily anal leakage. How do I know?? It happened to me. I have had Butterfish from expensive restraunts in the past, and had no problem, but this experience was not the same.

First day in Maui, I ask around for some fresh fish (you know, eat local healthy food on vacation). Everyone points me to Foodland in Kihei Maui. I see they have a stock of fresh "Hawaiian Butterfish" so I say....why not. Only $8 per pound for some of the best fish I have ever had? I bought about 8 - 10 ounces, added some lemon/pepper, and then broiled it thoroughly. Tasted wonderful (and very oily). Next day, I am in Paia Maui, getting ready to rent a surfboard and feel a little fart coming...so I let it squeak out....but its not just a little stink bomb...its a very fragrant orange oily "shart!" Stuck on mainstreet Paia with oily orange anal leakage coming down your leg is not a fun place to be. I mean...its been at least 5 years since my last shart....and that was due to a night of tequila and late night burrito. Anyway...I run into a store and grab some napkins to shove down my crack not knowing what else to do. By the time I finally make it to a toilet, I have orange oil covering my inner thighs, scrotum and ass crack. After a quick clean up, and lots of hand sanitizer I thought I had the situation under control. Later that night at the condo...a little test fart in the comforts of my own environment...bring in the clean up crew!!

So, now its the next morning, after a little coffee and orange oily leakage, I decided to figure out whats happening to my body. After reading several different articles I have found out that yes, Hawaiian butterfish has a wax that your body can't process, and yes it will give you orange anal leakage. It was probably the fact that I had a pretty big portion of it.

So...for anyone that doesn't believe me....all i can say is....

"Reality is when it happens to you!"

Itzhak Schier

Well, I just ate a pound of boiled escolar. Cooked it myself with the skin, but the skin is inedible so I threw it away once the fish was ready. I probably did boil it for at least 30 minutes because it was a giant thick piece of fish right from the escolar's belly. No idea where it was caught; I live in Ukraine and bought it locally. I'll see what happens tomorrow, but sounds like the fish is full of Omega 3, safer than salmon and therefore worth a couple of Imodium if worse comes to worse. In Russia and Ukraine cold smoked escolar is very common and I have eaten about 3 - 5 ounces of it if not more at a sitting with no ill effects.

tj7978

Boiled? GROSS! However... grill that sucker and it's delicious!!!!

Nure el tal

I had butterfish yesterday for lunch and the day before yesterday, and just this morning when i went to use the toilet there was like an italian dressing in the toilet sink, totally shocked and surprised , but after googling and reading this article i am relieved> SInce i thought i had a serious illness and proper greasy oil was out orange in color and no joke! certainly staying away from that fish

mattyg

hello folks, I have eaten butter fish at an amazing sushi joint in toronto two days in a row, and so far no orange oils blasting out of my ass at 90 mph just the usual case of extreme gas but thats normal for me.....actually i could eat a piece of toast and get a case of explosive ass so if it hasnt happened to me yet i think you will be okay eaten this amazing fish

Gary

From my knowledge its the skin that causes it. it has fine prickly skin which iritates the stomach lining and then the tomach gives of an oil in attemt to get rid of the iritation. make sure you remove the skin before you chow it. otherwise its great tasting. got some to do myself tonight. good luck all.

Sheena

Actually.....1 piece of sushi CAN cause the italian dressing poops. Fortunately, I suffered no anal leakage, but for about 2 days I was pretty much convinced I was dying of colon cancer.

I think all the nay sayers just dont want to admit they peed out of their butts.

graham072442

I just returned from a cruise up the East Coast of Australia, during which we were served butterfish as a main course at dinner one night. It was superb, was not full of bones, and there were no negative after-effects. I can only assume that (1) the fish was prepared properly, (2) the butterfish in the area of Australia are a different subgrouping or (3) I was just immune to any such negative effects. This was by far the best fish I have ever eaten. I reside on the coast just north of Boston, MA, and had never heard of butterfish although I understand it is common in this area; it is NOT common in the grocery stores, however. Personally, I'd eat it again and only wish it were possible to find it locally.

giod

Here's the Truth, "Butterfish" and escolar are Totally Different fish, but the smae great taste, fortunatley Butterfish also known as "Sablefish" and "Blackcod" doesn't have the smae side effects. It is EXCELLENT Smoked! **MUST TRY** Check it out here: http://www.giovannisfishmarket.com/ProductSearch.aspx?search=blackcod

VinoVino

Maybe the fish acts as natures cleanser if you know what I mean. Kinda like an intestinal flush.

I think if there was a health risk we would have known by now.

I know when I take Omega oil supplements I have an easier time in the bathroom...if you know what I mean...Lol.

geogirl

I recently bought some Walu ie escolar (that they called walu/butter fish) at our local farmers market here in Hawaii. The fish is fresh from boat action and the women are always helpful with directions. She told me to first, before anything else, boil the fish for 30 minutes to get rid of the oils. She says if I don't I will get the runs, but do this and the fish is very good. She uses it in her miso soup. These women have not led me wrong yet and I'm cooking it tonight as she instructed. Wish me luck. I will be your guinea pig.

greenroomrush

I am a resident of Maui, and last night I had hawaiian Walu for the first time. It was locally caught (so the label said)-bought from Foodland. The fish was very good, extreamly moist and tasty, baked with a mac-nut crust. Mmm -good! ....until... This afternoon...Yup same symptoms as A/J. (Not tring to be gross, but in the interest of science)with me,there was a large amount of oil that accomanied the BM. I personaly will be steering clear of this fish.. My $.02 worth.

SkippnBy

I guess this must be the Hawaiian type because I used to eat butterfish all the time, when in college, with no ill effects. I'm wondering if I ate the kind that is caught on the East Coast near Massachusetts even though I bought it in California. Are you talking about the fish that is also called a Dollarfish, Shiner, Skipjack,Sheepshead, or Harvest fish? Maybe you are eating a subspecies. I don't see it being sold anymore and the numbers on the East Coast have plummeted, sadly, from what I just read on Google. A highly underrated fish. Delicate and excellent raw.

sandradayoconnor

I thought this was crap when I read it, but a Google search for "escolar" "site:.gov" led me to this scientific abstract on PubMed:

Unusually high levels of non-saponifiable lipids in the fishes escolar and rudderfish identification by gas and thin-layer chromatography.

So, whaddaya know? Not definitive proof that it gives you the runs, but does make it seem likely.

La Leone

Hmmm, Alex Balk now shares a tag with: anal leakage, diarrhea, and discharge.

Streamwise

This is totally true and is well known. It only effects a person if they eat a decent amount of escolar. One piece of sushi isn't going to do it, but if a clueless chef is serving escolar as a main course (i.e. a big filet) stay away!! Do a google search on it, and you'll see some great grossout stories about it.....

Barbj8

The best fish you've ever tasted v.s. orange squirts. What a conundrum.

Karen

Maybe its like my ex boyfriend and any kind of hot peppers. He loves them, insisted on eating them, and then would be stinking up the bathroom for the rest of the night. YEt, I can eat peppers, with no problem. Of course, my shit don't stink.

Rocknrope

Johnny, how long have you waited to be able to appropriately use "Cleveland Steamer" in a post? Congratulations!

robist

The New York Times wrote about it at least once.

smitty

The best-selling diet pill in America is called Alli and pretty much has identical side-effects. Oily, leaky, anal discharge?? Yikes. I'll pass!

SP

I had plenty of Escolar with no subsequent ass spray. I call BS on this.

maevemealone

I just spit all over my computer screen reading this. Thank you!

just saying

This must be the Gothamist scatological story for the week. Thanks for sharing. Ugh.

JRod5417

According to wikipedia, escolar is often misleadingly sold and offered as butterfish, but is not truly a butterfish.

JRod5417

I had butterfish filet at Bar Americain and it was very yummy. No side effects though. Is this for real?

melp

yup. It's all amount the amount of escolar you eat . . . and it doesn't affect everyone . . but boy it's a big shocker.

jenchungsgrammar

i had hawaiian butterfish on saturday at a place called Blue Fish Grill in Flemington, NJ. It was delicious, and no orange poopies! maybe this guy got a bad batch. or maybe he fucked a carrot.