Mackerel is one of those small, oily fish that never seems to inspire American palates no matter how much conservation types exhort eating lower on the food chain. But part of the population has caught on -- in prisons, mackerel is money. Literally. The Wall Street Journal reports that after smoking bans drove cigarettes out of prisons, inmates had to come up with a new local currency. Stamps, PowerBars, and cans of tuna all barter well, but mackerel is king. Prison demand for mackerel packs has increased over the last four years, though apparently prisoners don't want to actually eat the fish either.People, do not fear the mackerel. Check out Paul Johnson's "Fish Forever" for some great mackerel recipes. After all, without mackerel, there would be no mackin'.
Thanks to the indomitable Pesco for the tip Tweet
