I was in Europe last week and happened to be reading an advance copy of a new book coming out this spring called Bottomfeeder: How to Eat Ethically in a World of Vanishing Seafood, by Taras Grescoe. Among many other things, Grescoe makes a compelling case for giving a break to the big, popular fish high on the food chain, like tuna.

Sea creatures that occupy a niche high in the ocean’s food chain—the big predators, in other words—are generally the ones that are badly overfished, and often bad for your health, because they contain more toxins such as mercury. Grescoe advocates eating lower on the food chain, which means consuming some of the sea’s smaller fish instead. These types of fish often grow and reproduce more quickly, and accumulate less toxins.

But what are we sacrificing here, in terms of taste and culinary enjoyment? Europeans tend to be more accustomed to eating small fish than Americans, so I thought I’d find out. At a restaurant in Europe I ordered a plate of grayling, tiny fish from the Baltic Sea. (They’re also called “vendace.”) Each fish was no longer than my finger. They’d been fried whole, and were served piled on top of mashed potatoes with lingonberries and parsley (pictured above).

I have to tell you, it was one of the most flavorful seafood dishes I have sampled anywhere. Absolutely scrumptious, and far more interesting to eat than tuna. Bring on the tiny fish!

P.S. Only trouble is, the Europeans are going ga-ga over sushi now, too. Sushi seems to be for sale in every European airport. Here’s a snapshot from the fast-food counter at the airport in, of all places, Iceland:

Text and top & bottom photos are copyright © 2008 by Trevor Corson. All rights reserved.