How to distinguish cod from China. Pollock: benefits and harm to the human body Which fish is healthier than cod or pollock

Almost all representatives of the cod genus, with the exception of burbot, prefer to live in salt water. Moreover, reservoirs should be located closer to the northern hemisphere, since their element is cold water.

The cod family includes about 100 species of different fish, and almost all of them are inhabitants of salty sea water, and only one burbot inhabits freshwater rivers and other bodies of water. The most common of them are: haddock, navaga, blue whiting, cod, hake and many others. What are the differences between the cod family and other representatives of the seas and oceans will be discussed in this article.

Appearance

The cod family has a number of distinctive external features. For example, representatives of this family have several dorsal fins, as well as the presence of one or two anal fins. The most developed of them is the caudal fin.

As a rule, the caudal fin can be integral with the dorsal and anal fins or can be separated from them. What is interesting is that all of them do not have sharp, prickly rays on their fins. Fish of this family have enlarged gill openings, as well as the presence of a barbel in the area of ​​the lower jaw. The body of the fish is covered with small scales, which are easy to clean. Basically, codfish prefer to move in small schools, with the exception of burbot, a freshwater representative of this family.

Of the 100 species, absolutely diverse representatives can be distinguished, differing in completely different sizes. Species that feed on plankton are much smaller in size compared to those that feed on larger living organisms. The smallest of them is the deep-sea viper, which can reach no more than 15 cm in length. The largest representatives include predators such as moth and Atlantic cod, which can reach up to 1.8 meters in length.

Habitats

Representatives of this family are found in almost all waters of the northern hemisphere of the earth and only 5 species inhabit the seas of the southern hemisphere. All of them should be classified as marine inhabitants living in salt water and only burbot prefers the fresh waters of northern Europe, Asia and America.

The highest numbers of cod are observed in the eastern parts of the Atlantic, including the Norwegian and Barents Seas. The Baltic Sea is inhabited exclusively by cod. Representatives of cod can also be found in the Black and Mediterranean Seas.

It is unlikely that representatives of this family will be found in the equatorial zone, but as many as three species of this family live off the coast of South America, South Africa and New Zealand.

What do cod eat?

Some types of fish prefer plant food, while others exclusively animal food, since they are predators. Some of them, such as blue whiting, arctic cod, and polar cod, eat zooplankton.

Pollock and cod feed on fairly large living organisms. In these fish, the fat that they store during feeding accumulates in the liver, which is their significant difference from other species of fish that do not belong to this family.

Each species of fish belonging to this family is different in that it has its own reproductive characteristics. Most of them lay eggs in sea water, although some of them that live in northern latitudes choose desalinated areas of reservoirs for spawning. Not the majority of them enter rivers to lay eggs.

Representatives of this family begin to lay eggs only after 3 years of life, and some of them even later - after 8-10 years of life. They lay eggs for several years in a row, laying several million eggs each, although there are others, like navaga, which lay only a few thousand eggs.

Almost the majority of representatives of this family love cold water and lay eggs at a temperature of about 0 degrees and mainly in winter or at the end of winter.

After the fry appear, some of them remain in place, and some are carried away by the current, therefore, from the first days of their life, the fry of these fish begin to spread throughout the waters of the seas and oceans. Interestingly, haddock fry use jellyfish to hide from their natural enemies. Throughout their lives, representatives of this family carry out long migrations. This is due to some natural factors, such as sea and ocean currents, fluctuations in water temperature, including the presence of food supply.

Due to the fact that most cod species have unsurpassed nutritional qualities, they are caught on a huge industrial scale. Every year about 10 million tons of cod fish are caught and most of them are caught in the Atlantic Ocean. As a rule, the bulk consists of the following types of cod:

• Atlantic cod.
• Pacific pollock.

Almost all of them lead a bottom-dwelling lifestyle, so they are caught using deep-sea trawls. The meat of these fish is a popular product due to its nutritional value. Their liver is considered especially valuable, as it contains a huge amount of useful substances.

Types of cod with photos and descriptions

As mentioned above, cod fish include up to hundreds of species of different fish. Among them are the most famous and most valuable, which will be discussed below.

This small fish is also called the “big-eyed cod.” Cod lives at depths from 200 meters to almost a kilometer. It is easy to distinguish it from other types of fish by its rather large eyes, which actually occupy a third of the head. During its life, the fish can grow to a maximum of 15 centimeters, and most specimens are found with a length of 9-12 centimeters. The viper is found in the Mediterranean, as well as in the waters of Northern Norway. Sometimes found in oceans at very great depths. There are two types of this amazing fish:

• Northern.
• South.

They differ from each other, although only slightly. Basically, they have different numbers of fin rays and vertebrae, which is due to their habitat.

This representative of the cod family is found in the waters of the Mediterranean and Atlantic, as well as off the coast of Europe. This fish can be found in the Black Sea, off the coast of Crimea, where it is brought by the current after intense storms. Capable of growing up to 50 centimeters in length. The diet of whiting consists of small crustaceans and small fish. The whiting itself supplements the diet of larger predators, such as dolphins or dogfish. Commercial catch of this fish is carried out exclusively in northern waters.

Whiting does not like great depths. After two years of life, whiting can already lay eggs. At the same time, caviar is deposited at depths of no more than 1 meter, at a water temperature of at least 5 degrees.

Almost everyone knows this fish, since it can be found on almost all fish store shelves. Pollock lives mainly in the north of the Pacific Ocean, because it prefers to live in cold water with a temperature of 2 to 9 degrees.

This fish almost always stays in the water column, at depths of half a kilometer or more, and only during spawning does it move closer to the coast, to shallower areas.

Pollock begins to spawn after 3 or 4 years of life. The spawning period, depending on habitat conditions, can begin in winter and continue until summer. Pollock can grow up to 0.5 meters in length, and sometimes more.

Pollock is one of the most numerous representatives of this family, which are found within the cold Pacific waters. This fish is caught on an industrial scale in huge volumes, so it ranks first in terms of the number of fish caught today. Both the meat of this fish and its liver are nutritious and healthy.

Prefers to lead a bottom-dwelling lifestyle. An exceptionally predatory fish that hunts at a depth of 500 meters. This predator is capable of growing up to 2 meters in length, although there are mainly individuals up to 1 meter in length.

They can lay eggs only at 8-10 years of life. Its diet consists of small fish and other living organisms.

This fish is of serious commercial interest. Lives in the waters of the North Pacific Ocean, as well as the Chukchi, Okhotsk and Japanese Seas.

Far Eastern navaga can grow up to 35 centimeters in length, although larger specimens are found, up to 50 cm in length, but very rarely. This fish prefers to stay in the coastal zone, leaving it only to find food.

At 2 or 3 years of life it can spawn. Navaga spawns only in winter, at the lowest temperatures.

Populations of navaga are quite large, so they are caught in large quantities. It is mined 10 times more than the White Sea navaga.

The main habitats of this fish are:

• White Sea.
• Pechora Sea.
• Kara Sea.

It also prefers to be in the coastal zone, and during the spawning period it can go to rivers. Despite this, the process of spawning is carried out only in salt water, in winter, at depths of about 10 meters. The female lays eggs, which firmly adhere to the base of the bottom, after which they develop here for 4 months.

Reaches a length of about 35 centimeters, although there are representatives up to 45 centimeters in length. The diet of northern navaga consists of fairly small crustaceans, worms and small fish.

It is caught commercially in the autumn-winter period, as its meat has an unsurpassed taste.

This is the only representative of the cod family that is found in fresh water. Like most codfish, burbot prefers cool water, so it is most often found in rivers and lakes of America, Asia and Europe.

The most numerous population of burbot is considered to be in Siberian rivers, where it is caught both on an industrial scale and by amateur fishermen. Burbot spawns exclusively in winter, when the reservoir is covered with ice. In summer, it prefers to hide in stones, holes or snags. With the onset of autumn, he begins an active lifestyle. Burbot is a nocturnal fish that does not tolerate sunlight. According to many anglers, at night it can be lured by the light emanating from a fire.

Burbot grows up to 0.6 meters in length and weighs up to 1.5 kg. Despite this, there are specimens up to 1.2 meters in length and weighing up to 20 kilograms. The diet of burbot consists of larvae, crustaceans and small fish.

Haddock is found in the North Atlantic and mainly in the coastal waters of Europe and America. Prefers to lead a bottom-dwelling lifestyle. The body is characterized as laterally compressed. The body color is silver, with a black lateral line and a black spot located above the pectoral fin. The average length of the fish is in the range of 50-70 cm, although there are individuals longer than 1 meter. Haddock feeds on mollusks, worms, crustaceans, and also eats herring eggs.

At the 3rd or 5th year of life, females are already ready to lay eggs. The haddock fishery is quite well developed and in terms of the mass of fish caught, it ranks firmly third after pollock and cod. It is caught mainly in the North and Barents Seas. The catch volumes are estimated at approximately one million tons per year.

It can grow up to 35 cm in length, although sometimes individuals up to 50 cm in length are found. This fish grows too slowly.

It is found mainly in the northeastern Atlantic, located at depths from 30 to 800 meters. The diet consists of fish fry, plankton and small crustaceans.

It is also caught on a commercial scale and is also sold in many retail outlets.

Southern blue whiting

This representative of the cod family is somewhat larger in size compared to the northern whiting. It can weigh up to 1 kg, growing up to 0.5 meters in length. Closer to the southern hemisphere, it prefers to be closer to the surface of the water, but the further from these places it is, the deeper it is found, at depths of up to half a kilometer.

It is mined on an industrial scale, making mainly canned food, although many housewives boil, bake and fry it.

It can also be easily purchased at a fish store.

Leads a gregarious lifestyle, being either in the water column or closer to the bottom. It grows up to 70 cm in length, although there are individuals up to 1 meter long, and sometimes more. Lives mainly in the northern waters of the Atlantic. It migrates across the Atlantic over considerable distances: with the arrival of spring it heads north, and with the advent of autumn it returns again to the warmer waters of the Atlantic Ocean.

Pollock is also caught in large quantities. It makes quite tasty canned food called “sea salmon.” This is due to the fact that pollock meat and salmon meat are characterized by a similar taste, but pollock meat costs much less.

This type of fish is already listed in the International Red Book and the Red Book of Russia. Atlantic cod grows up to 1.8 meters in length, although the average size is between 40-70 centimeters. Atlantic cod feeds on various crustaceans, mollusks, including fish.

Female cod begin laying eggs at the age of 8-10 years, weighing 3-4 kilograms. She lives in the Atlantic Ocean. Highly valued for its nutritious and healthy meat, including liver, rich in healthy fats. Cod makes delicious canned food. Many people are familiar with such a delicacy as cod liver, which is used to make delicious sandwiches and other cold snacks.

In 1992, the Canadian government imposed a ban on the fishing of Atlantic cod, as its numbers had sharply declined, which threatened the complete disappearance of this type of fish.

This representative of the cod family differs from the Atlantic cod in its larger head and smaller body dimensions. It can reach a length of 1.2 meters, although mostly individuals are found measuring 50-80 cm.

This type of cod lives in the Seas of Okhotsk, Bering and Japan. It does not carry out long migrations, adhering to the waters of these seas and the coastline.

Begins to spawn in the 5th year of life. The total life expectancy is about 10-12 years. Each female is capable of laying several million eggs. It feeds on invertebrates and fish. It is also caught in huge quantities. Its meat is delicious in any form: it is salted, smoked, fried, boiled, baked and made into delicious canned food.

Useful properties of cod

Meat of these species is considered dietary, since its fat content reaches only 4 percent. In this regard, cod dishes have an excellent taste and are quite healthy for humans.

Availability of vitamins

The following vitamins were found in the meat of these fish species:

• Group B

Availability of trace elements

The meat of these fish contains useful minerals, such as:

• Potassium.
• Phosphorus.
• Calcium.
• Magnesium.
• Fluorine.
• Sodium.
• Manganese.
• Copper.
• Iron.
• Molybdenum, etc.

When choosing one or another method of preparing fish, you should always remember that the task is to preserve the maximum of nutrients without losing taste. This is only possible if the fish is consumed raw, boiled or baked. Naturally, the maximum of useful substances is retained if it is consumed raw. To do this, it is simply salted or cooked in a marinade. To prepare it correctly, it is better to use ready-made recipes, of which there are sufficient quantities. Still, it is better to resort to heat treatment. If you cook fish in the oven, you can get a very tasty and healthy dish. As a last resort, it can be fried and served along with a side dish and vegetables, although this will not be so healthy, and it may be a bit heavy on the stomach.

Representatives of cod are considered the most numerous species of fish inhabiting the waters of the Pacific and Atlantic oceans. Due to the fact that the meat of these fish is not only tasty, but also healthy, they are caught at a huge rate, which is reflected in the figures associated with millions of tons annually. If this continues, our children may not see most seafood on their tables.

The liver of these fish is no less valuable, since many useful substances accumulate in it. Since the meat is not fatty, it can be consumed by almost all categories of people, and especially by those who have gained excess weight. Only personal intolerance to seafood can become a real obstacle to eating cod fish.

Sea fish, both white and red, contains more polyunsaturated fatty acids Omega-3 and Omega-6 than river fish. Over time, sea fish can accumulate compounds of heavy metals - mercury and lead; it is better not to buy large ones, as well as artificially grown ones.

Fish has less cholesterol than meat and is better absorbed. True, satiety lasts only a couple of hours. Fish should be included in the diet two to three times a week. It is better, of course, to boil it, since fried meat accumulates carcinogens and is higher in calories. When steamed, it turns out juicy and tender, and the fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K, for which it is valued, do not suffer much from heat treatment. But you need to cook at a temperature no higher than 150 °C.

The most purchased fish in Russia:

• herring;
• white fish (cod, pollock);
• smoked mackerel;
• Pacific salmon (pink salmon, chum salmon, coho salmon);
• navaga, haddock.

How to choose the right fish so as not to make a mistake in the quality of the raw material? What should you pay attention to?

The development of microbes during cooling is inhibited, but the chemical composition and condition of the tissues does not change. The faster the carcass is cooled, the longer it stays fresh. Under such conditions, fish is stored for up to 12 days, but now antiseptics and antibiotics are often added, which increases the period by another 8 days.

Fish that is not found in your area cannot be refrigerated, only thawed. It is caught in distant seas, frozen directly in trawlers and in this form transported to cooling sites.

Imported products are now being successfully replaced by domestic ones: our fishermen produced 80% more this year than last year.

Before purchasing, you should ask the seller if he has the following documents:

• veterinary certificate (or veterinary certificate if the raw materials were caught within your region);
• quality certificate;
• certificate of conformity.

You will definitely be provided with these documents in stores and markets. But we still need to look into these documents; they may be fake. Therefore, be extremely careful when choosing a product.

What should you pay attention to when choosing fish?

1. Smell the carcass. The smell of ammonia or other unpleasant aroma will force you to return a low-quality product. No matter what the seller says, the deception will be revealed. Fresh raw materials do not have a specific smell.
2. Look at the gills and scales. To do this, take it in your hands. The scales should be smooth, tightly pressed, without bald spots, with a thin layer of shiny mucus. The belly is not swollen or sagging, without green or black spots. When pressed, there is no dent left. The color of the gills of the fresh product is pink or red, and there is no cloudy liquid in them. If the fish is thawed, they are whitish-gray, and if they start to spoil, they are dirty gray, almost black.
3. A recently caught fish has bulging, transparent eyes. And the defrosted ones are cloudy and sunken. It is better not to take a carcass without a head. What if the seller deliberately removed the “evidence”?
4. If you buy an aquatic vertebrate from an aquarium, then choose one that is playful, vigorous, and well-fed.
5. Wild river fish may be fresh, but there is a real danger: recently, freshwater bodies of central Russia have been infested with fish infected with helminths.

In what form can raw materials be on the counter?

1. Frozen sea, ocean - halibut, hake, pollock, catfish, flounder, sea bass, navaga, ice.
2. Fresh river - carp, carp, crucian carp, pike perch, pike, catfish, sturgeon, bream.
3. Live aquaculture - sea bass, bream, trout, sturgeon, carp, salmon, silver carp, nelma.

How to choose cod fish?

Cod is one of the most important commercial aquatic vertebrates in Russia. But despite its abundance in Russian waters, cod consumption in our country is declining. Even under the guise of this fish they sell another fish that is not as healthy and tasty.

Today it is the most popular in Russia, Europe, and Asia. Cod is believed to be found exclusively in the wild. But in reality it is grown in captivity in small quantities.

“The Fish That Changed the World” is the title of the book by American journalist Mark Kurlyandsky. Dried cod was the main food product of participants in various pioneer expeditions. The Vikings ate it on their travels, and the Christians of medieval Europe ate it during Lent. In the last century, cod wars flared up because of it.

This is a large sea fish, it has practically no bones. It is low in fat, so it is included in various diets. But cod liver is fattier, which is why it is valued. It is rich in healthy Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids. By the way, fish oil, sold in pharmacies in convenient capsules, is most often extracted from cod liver.

How to choose?

Cod is much more expensive than its relatives haddock and pollock. The main thing when choosing is not to make a mistake with the choice of fillet. After all, you often come across something dry or with a very loose consistency - most likely, it has been defrosted several times. Or even a counterfeit.

Did you bring cod from the store or other similar but cheaper fish? Here you have to trust the seller. Even an experienced expert will not be able to distinguish whose fillet it is. Only by doing a DNA analysis can you understand what kind of fish it is.

Substitution is far from uncommon. The state organization Roskachestvo conducted an experiment - it studied 16 samples of frozen cod fillets. As a result, a deception was revealed: in five cases it turned out to be pollock, in one case it was haddock. It is clear that the buyer will not be poisoned by eating such a product. But there is a violation of consumer rights to reliable information about the product on the packaging.

The easiest way to fake skinless fillets. In appearance it is no different from tilapia or haddock. But if there is skin, you can determine what kind of aquatic vertebrate it is. Haddock has a dark stripe on its skin, pollock has a light stripe, and cod has no stripes. Although it is safer to buy fillets with skin, the peeled version is, of course, more convenient.

When buying frozen fillets, you need to make sure that they have not been thawed. If you see a lot of ice or snow in the package, most likely the product has already thawed.

Moreover, this may indicate that when freezing there was 5% more glaze than required. That is, you practically pay for water.

Fish dictionary

• s/m - fresh frozen
• n/a - ungutted
• PBG - gutted without head
• PSG - gutted with the head
• n/r - uncut
• s/g - with the head
• b/g - without a head
• n/sh - on the skin
• used - without skin
• used - without tail.

Glaze is an ice coating on the surface of a fish product that prevents dehydration of the product and oxidation of fat.

Preserved fish - made from fresh, chilled or frozen fish, which is salted and filleted. An antiseptic must be added to the filling, which often consists of vegetable oils and spices. Preserved food does not undergo heat treatment.

Storage times and temperatures for cod fish according to GOST No. 32366-2013

Cod, pollock and navaga, uncut and cut, glazed - 9 months at a temperature not exceeding -18°C, unglazed - 8 months at the same temperature.

For industrial processing, it is allowed to use polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) in glazing solutions.

How to choose hake fish?

Last year, Russian fishermen caught a record four and a half million tons of fish over the past 15 years. But in 2015, our consumption of this product decreased due to rising prices. In this regard, the popularity of tasty and inexpensive hake has grown.

Hake belongs to the family of hake fish, close to cod. Sometimes it is called that - hake. Lives in the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.

Today we eat a different hake than we used to buy in the Soviet Union. It was silver hake, mined only near North America. At that time, we caught these fish ourselves, in large quantities, in the coastal waters of the United States and Canada. Then it became an exclusively imported product.

And after the introduction of sanctions, when the import of silver hake from the United States stopped, its closest relatives - hake fish caught off the coast of South Africa, Ecuador or Argentina - began to be brought to us.

Hake is not yet grown artificially. This is exactly a wild aquatic vertebrate animal caught in nature. Compared to cod, hake meat is fattier and slightly higher in calories.

Housewives choose it for its small number of bones. Therefore, hake is boiled, fried, and made into cutlets. But in order for it to be tasty, you must remember: the meat must not be dried out; you must constantly water it with rendered fat or sauce.

Which fish to choose?

This is a tasty fish that is in demand. This is probably why hake, like cod, is sometimes replaced with cheaper pollock or haddock.

Pay attention to the skin. Hake has small, dense scales, so fillets are often found on the shelves on the skin - so that the piece remains intact. By its appearance, you can determine that this is a hake: the real one has a dark back and silver-gray sides.

If the country of origin is indicated on the product and it turns out to be China, this is a signal that fraud with the product is likely. A tiny percentage of hake comes from China, but there is a lot of artificially grown pangasius, which has a very similar loin.

High-quality loin is white, without a gray or yellowish tint. If you come across seeds, do not rush to reject the product. Nowadays, the fish are soaked in special compounds that soften and dissolve the bones. So the remains of bone tissue are an indicator that there was no chemical treatment, and the product is truly natural.

After defrosting, the hake meat should have a dense consistency. The expiration date is set by the manufacturer - it depends on the type of freezing and packaging. So, the glazed one is stored longer than the unglazed one. But if unglazed raw materials are in vacuum packaging, then its shelf life is the same as that of glazed ones.

If the fillet is broken, it means that it was re-frozen and its taste properties have been lost.

A modern way to increase shelf life is packaging in a modified gas environment - usually a mixture of nitrogen and carbon dioxide. That is, the air inside the package is replaced by a mixture of inert gases, which slows down oxidation and prevents the growth of bacteria, that is, it slows down the spoilage of the product. But this technology is expensive and not very widespread.

Do not defrost fish at room temperature: with a sharp change from -18 to +20 degrees, the cellular tissue ruptures, and the juice leaves the fish along with useful components. So just move it from the freezer to the refrigerator.

How to choose pollock fish?

Pollock belongs to the cod family. It is mainly caught in Russia and America. China, Korea and Japan produce pollock in small quantities. In Korea and Japan, this fish is the king of the table. In Russia, pollock was fed to cats, as it cost a penny. This is undeserved, because it is no worse than its relatives from the cod family.

Crab sticks are made from pollock or hake.

Pollock is a sea fish that is considered healthier because it accumulates fewer toxins. It contains more iodine than cod, and the same amount of protein. Cod is slightly richer in valuable substances.

Beneficial features.

1. Dietary non-greasy.
2. It contains all the essential amino acids a person needs.
3. A hypoallergenic product, it is even introduced as complementary food to children from 9-10 months.
4. Cheaper than cod.

How to choose fish?

1. Despite the fact that this fish is the main commercial fish in Russia, it ends up in stores frozen and not chilled. You can see the color through the ice - there should be no yellow spots on a well-frozen fillet.
2. The composition must be indicated on the label. Fish and water are ideal. But today at fish factories they are able to make 500 grams of pollock from 200 grams. The fillet is dipped into a solution of water-retaining polyphosphates, then a lot of water is added and put in the freezer. Volume increases quickly and cheaply. But polyphosphates provoke edema and heart disease. If you see the additive E 452 on the label, then it is better not to take such a product.
3. Pollock is a long-liver, living up to 20 years. At the age of 3-4 years they reach their maximum weight - 2.5-5 kg. If you want to buy domestic fish, pay attention to the size. It should not be less than 20 cm, since catching young animals is prohibited.
4. Check the quality of the freezing. The fillet should be rock hard. And the glaze on it is thin, but at the same time durable. Pay attention to the temperature in the freezer, it should not be more than -18 °C.

Types of freezing.

Sea frosen is carried out on board a fishing vessel within three hours after catching. It retains all its taste and organoleptic properties.

Coastal (land frosen) - at the fish factory, but more time has passed since the moment of catching.

Natural - freezing using salt and ice in cold air.

Artificial - can be wet, the fish are bathed in baths with brine, after which a glaze is formed. Dry (instant freezing) - in chambers at temperatures from -30 °C and below. In this case, the nutritional value and taste are preserved. When frozen this way, there will be glaze, but it will be thinner.

Acceptable food additives in frozen fillets of oceanic and marine fish. GOST R 51494-99

• Sodium orthophosphate (E339i, E340i)
• Sodium pyrophosphate E450iii
• Potassium pyrophosphate E450v
• Sodium triphosphate E451i
• Potassium triphosphate E451ii
• Calcium polyphosphate E452iv
• Sodium polyphosphate E452i
• Sodium alginate E401
• Sodium ascorbate E301
• Potassium ascorbate E303

How to choose perch fish?

Sea bass is very similar to river bass, but they have many differences. Russia produces it in the Barents Sea and the Irminger Sea. as well as in the Far East.

According to experts, most buyers do not understand fish and pay attention only to the name on the package. But fish is quite expensive and you need to be more careful with your choice.

In stores it is found frozen and smoked. It is impossible to find chilled perch on the shelves. The fish is brought from far away, so it’s impossible to get to the shelves without freezing. If you see chilled perch, it was defrosted in the store - on ice.

How to choose perch fish?

Was the product frozen simply: take the carcass from the counter and press on it, if a hole remains, then the product is definitely not chilled. A fresh carcass is elastic.

When buying, smell the carcass; the smell should be fresh, without harsh fishy overtones.

One should be wary of the situation when supposedly chilled perch is sold without the head and entrails. This is not the seller's concern for you. Most likely he was just playing it safe. After all, the fish rots from the head.

Look at the color of the fish. In this sense, the carcass is more advantageous than the fillet. After all, skin and scales can tell a lot. Perch has a red skin. The redder the better. During storage, natural pigments can be destroyed, so a bright red tone is an indicator of freshness.

The color of the meat itself is white with a slight creamy tint. The fish should be wet; if it is leeward, it means it has been stale.

It is useless to smell or touch a frozen product. You need to focus on appearance. Choose perch in a bag with transparent windows.

The icy glaze protects against weathering and oxidation. But the ice crust should be thin and uniform over the entire surface. If you don't want to pay extra, choose fish whose glaze breaks with a light pressure.

The packaging should not be damaged: many small holes are a sign of improper transportation.

Of course, it is cheaper to buy at markets, but there the chance of encountering low-quality and hazardous fish is much higher. But you can always ask the seller for a veterinary certificate for the raw materials sold.

Our reader Nina Gordenko contacted the editors of KP. A Muscovite, no less, said that a large chain store is cheating its customers. After all, under the guise of frozen cod, there is a completely different fish in the refrigerators!

“I now live in the capital, but I spent my childhood and youth in Vladivostok,” the woman said. – My father worked on a fishing trawler. I can unmistakably distinguish the taste of any popular fish. Previously, due to poverty, the family only ate this, dad brought food from the service. I recently bought packaged cod steaks at the store. My suspicions arose when I opened the package - somehow the fish looked wrong. The meat is too dark. I fried the cod and the taste was also not the same. Looks more like saithe.

The next day, the Muscovite went back to the store and asked the administrator for documents for the goods. But she was told that there were no papers. And they sent us to the company’s head office to get the certificates.

I wasn’t too lazy and gave the remaining cod steak for analysis to the laboratory,” says Nina Gordenko. - What do you think? Experts confirmed that the pack contains a completely different fish! True, they could not immediately name the species.

TRUST BUT CHECK

I decided to follow the path of our reader. In the same store near the Alekseevskaya metro station, I easily found the same fish that Gordenko was talking about. Frozen cod steaks from the Lenmoreproduct company lie in the freezer next to the carcasses of pollock, hake and salmon.

“I have a suspicion that under the guise of cod you are selling other fish,” I turn to the administrator. – Can I see at least some documents for the goods?

The girl asked to wait and disappeared into the back room for five minutes.

You know, we have nothing for cod. Try contacting the central office by mail.

I don’t really want to spend weeks corresponding with the administration. Therefore, together with the fish and the check, I went straight to the laboratory. Let science answer what is in the bag after all.

The store was unable to answer the buyer's question. Therefore, the KP journalist went straight to the laboratory with the fish and the check. Photo: Oleg ADAMOVICH

FISH FAKE

It took the National Center for the Safety of Aquatic Products and Aquaculture at the Ministry of Agriculture a week to investigate my purchase.

We did not find DNA of Atlantic cod in the submitted samples,” said Irina Kapitova, head of the laboratory. “We can definitely say that this is some other fish.”

Which one?

I do not know this. We have launched a test to determine the species of your steaks. But the result will be only in a month - this is not a quick process.

Is this the first time you have received “fake” fish?

In the last year, such cases have become more and more frequent. Since Russia introduced food counter-sanctions, fish producers have begun to cheat. They try to pass off cheap types as expensive. For some reason, it is cod that is most often counterfeited. The statistics would be even higher, but the test is too expensive for many. Therefore, people do not turn to the laboratory for testing as regularly.

"MENSOFAMILY"

Here's the answer: what's in the bag? – I went to the Department of Bioecology and Ichthyology of the Moscow State University of Technology and Management. Maybe scientists can, at least by eye, identify the type of fish from the store.

I’ll say right away that the product is of very low quality,” said associate professor of the department Larisa Bychkova. “Everything was soaked with blood from the kidneys.” Because of this, the white meat turned simply red. The muscle fibers are actively stratifying, which indicates that the fish has been frozen and thawed many times. And the smell is somehow unpleasant. I think these steaks were a little rotten before they even got to the store.

“I’ll say straight away that the product is of very low quality,” said associate professor of the department Larisa Bychkova. Photo: Vladimir VELENGURIN

What kind of fish is this?

Hard to tell. It still looks like cod.

No,” objected the professor of the department, Yuri Simakov. A whole scientific “consilium” gathered for the sake of my riddle. - Under a microscope, I compared the scales of the cod and the scales of the fish that we bought in the store. They are different.

After consulting, ichthyologists decided that the frozen steaks still belonged to someone from the cod family. Although this is not Atlantic cod. Pollock, haddock or pollock fit the description.

Conclusion of experts. In other words, this is not cod...Photo: Oleg ADAMOVICH

HOW TO IDENTIFY COD

The seller's benefit with fish substitution is obvious. In the store, cod costs about 300 rubles, and the same pollock sells for 220 rubles.

The difference is even greater if you look at purchase prices. Cod in the form of raw materials from suppliers costs 150-160 rubles, and pollock – 100-110 rubles.

It turns out that cheap fish, sold as expensive, gains 300% in price. Such a markup was unimaginable even for sellers of household appliances at the time of the collapse of the ruble.

Buyers just have to be vigilant. It is difficult to distinguish frozen pieces of cod from some other fish of the same family. But there are signs.

Cod steaks are a little lighter, pollock, in turn, has a grayish tint,” said Igor Andrusyuk, chief technologist of Russian Sea CJSC. - The skin of pollock is gray, while that of cod is gray-greenish. In addition, cod is shorter, but the steaks themselves are larger in size than pollock. The pollock is oblong.

Why does pollock fillet cost five times less than cod fillet, is it worse, what can you cook from it, mixed up the fillet?+ and got the best answer

Answer from Yuliok[guru]
I recommend cooking it this way, it’s sooo tasty and not harmful and fatty, like frying in batter :)
in short, take three parts of pollock fillet and one part of onion, cut the onion into rings, put in a pan, preferably cast iron if you have one, a little vegetable oil, a little water (not a lot), bay leaf, a little ground black pepper and salt to taste, simmer under the lid until tender (15 minutes) and that’s it, delicious, easy and very fast, be sure to try it
There is no need to add carrots, much less sugar (it will have a slightly sweet taste)
Yuliok
Sage
(18930)
You can do it in a deep frying pan, but the pan is great, and the potatoes stewed in it come out great, many people stew poultry in these, meat.. :)

Answer from Hedgehog in the fog[guru]
Yes, you can make it in batter. Any fish in it is delicious.)

Answer from Anatoly Kamorin[guru]
It is impossible to compare. Cod is a valuable commercial fish. Pollock is a trash fish; previously (and even now) it was used as flour for feeding livestock and industrially farmed fish such as Norwegian trout and salmon.

Answer from ftskrpykuar yuvpyvap[active]
yes, everything is the same, but the price is lower mainly because of show-off, like the taste is 10% less refined, a little tougher or something like that or stupid, it’s no less tasty, but it’s harder to eat, so we’ll break the price 5 times - we’ll fuck you rich people - let the rich people think that since it’s so expensive, it means this fillet is divine =)
common marketing principle

Answer from Natalia Svechnikova[guru]
Since pollock, like cod, is a bit dry, it is best to cook it in a marinade.
4 medium sized carrots
3 onions
4 tbsp. l vinegar 9%
3 tbsp. l sugar
0.5 l. salt
Grate the carrots on a coarse grater, lightly sauté in a frying pan or saucepan, add the onion, and simmer until half cooked. At this time, fry the pollock fillet on both sides. Add 1 glass of water to the carrots, bring to a boil, add salt, sugar and vinegar, add fried pollock and let simmer for 30 minutes over medium heat. Serve with mashed potatoes.

Answer from Natalya Veresova[guru]
Pollock is tastier than cod. Just fry, dipped in flour, without any batter. Previously, pollock was in abundance and cost a penny. We fried it and ate it like seeds, but now it costs us like meat, but there is no taste, because it sits for a long time and no one buys it. The main thing is that it is made of bones, only a spine.

Answer from Nnn *****[guru]
Pollock is a very tasty fish, cut into large portions, roll in flour and fry like regular fish, or even as a whole piece of fillet. Fry on both sides and you're done. Fry the chopped carrots and onions separately in the same oil, more and cover the fish on top with these vegetables. All.
You can also eat it cold, it will be no less tasty.

Answer from Yoeryoga Konoplyov[active]
I make almost all my fish in French. And everything turns out very tasty. So don’t worry about taking the wrong fillet

Answer from Julia Epimakhova (Nikolaeva)[guru]
ulojit na protiven, posoloit, poperchit, sverhu tonenko narezannyi luk, krujochki pomidor, posypat syrom i zapecn v duhovke...

Answer from Flame[guru]
I just fried a large frying pan of battered pollock. For 1 kilogram of headless pollock: 2 eggs, 4 tablespoons of flour, salt, pepper and whisk in a bowl with a fork, add a little water so that the batter is like thick sour cream. I put the pollock cut into halves in a bowl and put it in a frying pan with hot oil. I fry on one side, turn over, reduce the heat and turn over a couple more times until done. I pour the remaining batter onto the fish. When I turn it over again, it is fried, it turns out very tasty.

Answer from Oliya Vlasenko[active]
Pollock fillets and cod fillets cost almost the same from the same manufacturer.
Perhaps the comparison is between Chinese and Russian fillets. The Chinese pump water into fillets for weight and then freeze them. Domestic producers are more responsible in this regard.
But they don’t taste much different; they come from the same family of fish - cod. Unless pollock is not as dry as cod.
From Wikipedia: Pollock is a bottom-dwelling pelagic cold-loving fish of the cod family.

Answer from For_liliy[guru]

Pollock in sour cream
Pollock - 800 grams
Carrots - 2 pieces (small size)
Onion - 1 piece
Sour cream - 200 Grams (20%)
Vegetable oil - -To taste
Salt, pepper, seasonings - - To taste
Number of servings: 4
How to cook "Pollock in sour cream"
Peel the vegetables and chop them finely (I recommend grating the carrots on a coarse grater). Heat vegetable oil in a frying pan. First, fry the onion for about 2 minutes, then add the carrots.
We clean the pollock, wash it, dry it, cut it into small cubes or pieces, add it to the vegetables, and mix. Cover with a lid and simmer for about
5-7 minutes.
Then add sour cream, salt, pepper, season to taste, mix well. Cover again and continue to simmer for 15 minutes.
In the end, the finished dish looks very appetizing. Because of the carrots, pollock in sour cream acquires a golden and ruddy hue.

Answer from 3 answers[guru]

Hello! Here is a selection of topics with answers to your question: Why does pollock fillet cost five times less than cod fillet, is it worse, what can you cook from it, did you mix up the fillet?+

Description and composition of cod fish:
The fish of the Cod family includes more than a hundred species that live in both salt and freshwater bodies of water in the northern hemisphere. Cod fish include such well-known fish as:
cod (sea fish)
pollock (sea fish)
navaga (sea fish)
burbot (freshwater fish)
haddock (sea fish)
hake (sea fish)
and other fish

Cod fish meat is considered one of the most dietary. The fat content of almost all fish of the Cod family does not exceed 1%, and even in fattier species it is no more than 4%. Cod fish contain group B and such useful micro- and macroelements as phosphorus, manganese, molybdenum and many others.
Dishes from fish of the Cod family, due to their excellent composition, are considered extremely popular.

Useful properties of cod fish:

Cod. The benefits of cod.
Cod is a very tasty and healthy fish. A large number of different dishes are prepared from it; it is boiled, stewed, baked, fried, steamed. Doctors recommend including this fish in the diet for people of all ages, starting from childhood. Don’t forget about the very useful liver and... The calorie content of cod is about 82 kcal. Cod has the following beneficial properties:

• Cod helps in strengthening teeth and bones.

• Helps improve immunity.

• Cod helps the body recover from illness and gives strength.

• Thanks to Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, cod is beneficial for lowering cholesterol levels and fighting cardiovascular disease.

• Cod is very useful for the nervous system, fighting stress and improving mood.

• Favorable for the functioning of the respiratory system.

• Doctors advise people suffering from arthritis and arthrosis to consume cod, as it has a beneficial effect on joints.

• Cod helps strengthen hair and nails, as well as improve skin condition.

• Cod helps improve oxygen supply to the brain and is beneficial for mental activity.

Pollock. The benefits of pollock
Pollock is inferior in taste to cod, but is a surprisingly beneficial fish for human health. In Russia, completely undeservedly, pollock is not popular. For example, in Korea, pollock is considered the most valuable and favorite fish; many tasty and healthy dishes are prepared from it. By adding a variety of seasonings and soy sauce, almost tasteless pollock can be used to create very tasty dishes that will bring great health benefits. Pollock is especially useful for older people. Doctors recommend including pollock in a child’s diet from the age of 8 months. The calorie content of pollock is about 72 kcal.
Pollock has the following beneficial properties:

• Doctors recommend that overweight people include this fish in their diet.

• Pollock helps strengthen gums, teeth and bones.

• Pollock has antioxidant properties.

• Helps normalize blood sugar and is recommended for people suffering from diabetes.

• Strengthens the cardiovascular system, reduces cholesterol levels.

• Pollock is useful for the normal functioning of the digestive tract and is a preventive measure for diseases of the gastrointestinal tract.

• Has a beneficial effect on the thyroid gland.

• Pollock helps remove excess fluid from the body.

• Useful for the human nervous system.

• Pollock has a beneficial effect on the condition of the skin and mucous membranes.

• It has a good effect on the respiratory system.

Navaga. The benefits of navaga
Navaga is one of the most delicious fish of the Cod family. Fried fresh ice-caught navaga is one of the most favorite dishes of residents of the Far East. In addition to excellent taste, this fish has many beneficial properties.

• Navaga helps strengthen the immune system.

• Normalizes the functioning of the nervous system.

• Has a beneficial effect on the thyroid gland.

• Polyunsaturated fatty acids contained in navaga have an anti-inflammatory effect.

• Navaga is useful for people suffering from cardiovascular diseases. Navaga lowers cholesterol levels.

• Navaga helps in strengthening bone tissue.

• Has a beneficial effect on the condition of the skin.

• Promotes rejuvenation of the body.

• Navaga is a good helper in the fight against excess weight.

• Experts recommend including navaga in the diet of children.

Recipes for healthy cod fish dishes:
— .

You can read about the beneficial properties of products and possible contraindications for their use on the page

Due to belonging to the same family, cod fish have more similarities than differences. In total, there are about one hundred species of codfish in the world. The largest species of cod are cod, haddock and pollock. However, the commercial sizes of all cod fish are almost the same, with the exception of very small species. There are the least external differences between cod and haddock. These are the most popular cod fish and are caught in the largest quantities. Cod and haddock differ in biochemical composition, nutritional value and pulp consistency. But only experts can discern this difference. As a rule, cod and haddock are in the same price segment. But on average, cod is a little more expensive. Therefore, some sellers sell haddock and even pollock under the guise of cod, taking advantage of the fish’s external resemblance. Especially such manipulations with goods are facilitated by a large amount of glaze on frozen fish - it makes it difficult to discern the differences.

Differences between Cod and Haddock

When buying fresh frozen fish whole carcasses, choose fish with a minimum glaze content. This is a sign not only of the quality and competent production of fresh frozen fish products, but also of trade transparency. It is quite easy to distinguish haddock from cod if you have a carcass in the skin in front of you. Cod is covered with very small scales that easily come off the skin. Haddock has denser and larger scales. The absence of scales is a sign of poor quality products, since cod fish production facilities do not remove scales. Light longitudinal stripes are visible on the sides of cod, while haddock is covered with dark, almost black stripes. There are also dark spots above the pectoral fins of haddock, which do not exist on cod.

How to distinguish Cod Fillet from Haddock Fillet

If you buy fish fillets, it is almost impossible to distinguish haddock fillets from cod fillets. In this case, it is best to find a conscientious seller who strictly labels all fish products. Explore the assortment of the fish store, compare prices, find out about the manufacturers. When you have to deal with fish that are almost identical in appearance, it is important to trust the seller. General recommendations for purchasing fresh frozen cod fish fillets are as follows:

Don't pay for water. Choose cod or haddock fillets with as little glaze as possible.

Don't save money. In the case of fish fillets, price is most often an indicator of quality.

Check the integrity of the packaging and the shape of the fillet. Only the correct, unaltered fillet shape is a sign of one-time freezing of the product.