Available fresh or frozen.

When buying fresh tilapia, ensure that the fish has a shiny surface with well-attached scales. The gills should be lightly colored, from pink to dark red, and there should be no perceptible odor. 

Fillets should have nice translucent white flesh with no odor. 

The flesh should be firm, which will also enable the fillets to stand up better when cooked. 

 2 to 3 days in the refrigerator.

Whole
If you use a marinade or spice rub, make two incisions on each side of the fish so that the ingredients are better able to flavor the flesh. 

Tilapia can be cooked in almost any way imaginable. It can be used in recipes which call for catfish or sole, as the texture and flavor are quite similar. You can poach, steam, roast, fry, grill or sauté it with equally good results.

It is a great choice for busy cooks, since it cooks quickly: as soon as the flesh turns opaque, it's done.

Simple preparations are recommended to preserve the subtle flavor of tilapia. Even its skin is edible.

> Tilapia is very good just pan-fried in olive oil and served with a lemon wedge.

> It can be oven-baked slowly with a small amount of broth or fish stock accompanied by aromatic vegetables like carrots, celery, onion or fennel.

Tilapia is a semi-fatty fish. For the weight conscious, steaming, poaching or cooking in parchment would be the wise choice.

Asian-style
Tilapia is delicious marinated or grilled with a little fresh ginger and soy sauce.