Escolar on Menu May Be Trendy, but Also Trouble

What You Don't Know About the "Ex-Lax Fish" Might Hurt You

Carol Tellin never suspected such an enjoyable meal would cause her so much distress.

Dining out with her husband in a fashionable Albuquerque restaurant, Tellin ordered the fish special, escolar. Described by the waiter as a mild, white fish, she found it delicious. "It was a very thick filet, very white, moist, and tender," she says. "Melted in the mouth."

About an hour after leaving the restaurant, while shopping, Tellin was gripped by stomach cramps. She managed to get home, but spent much of the night and half the next day with her intestines in an uproar.

Suspicious of her meal, Tellin began to do research on the Internet. What she found was that escolar, a warm-water deep-sea fish currently popular on upscale restaurant menus, has an unfortunate nickname: The Ex-Lax Fish.

Leslie Bonci, a Pittsburgh-area registered dietitian and author of the book The American Dietetic Association Guide to Better Digestion, says that 90 percent of the oil in escolar is wax ester, which cannot be digested or absorbed by the body. The result is that some consumers of escolar will experience cramping and diarrhea, usually a few hours after eating the fish.

Unlike products containing the synthetic fat-substitute Olestra, which until recently were required to include a warning statement on the label detailing potential laxative effects, the FDA does not require similar labeling for escolar because the wax esters are a natural component of the food. However, the FDA does advise caution in consumption of escolar due to the potential side effects in those with sensitive digestive systems.

Most escolar is imported into the United States, and that which is caught in domestic waters have long been considered a "by-catch." Today, escolar graces upscale restaurant menus all over the country, thanks to the demand of seafood aficionados looking for the next trendy dish. 

What complicates matters is that escolar is sometimes marketed or sold under different names.