Hello and a very happy 2016 to everyone !!!!!!!!!
This month I will speak explaining the various types of fish and a few suggestions for the best buy.
Antonia
The Fish
The classification of the various types of fish is made according to several criteria.
From the biological point of view, depending on habitat, fish are divided into:
Saltwater fish which represent the majority of existing species. Are saltwater fish:
- White fish such as sea bass, mullet, grouper, monkfish, hake, sea bream, bream, perch, turbot, bream, St. Peter. It ‘s called white meat for the light color, it is leaner than blue fish, but it contains the same amount of protein and minerals.
- Oily fish, such as herring, mackerel, bonito, anchovy, the ‘Eagle, hake, tuna, swordfish. This fish is characterized by hips and belly covered with silvery scales with blue reflections: it lives on the high seas and moves near the coast only during the breeding season.
The most common species in the mediterranean area are those listed above. They all have a scientific name, one official and many regional names. All the specimens, large or small, have a slim body, which narrows near the tail.
Freshwater fish
They live in rivers and lakes and represent only a fraction of the existing species such as tench, carp, sturgeon, eel, whitefish, pike.
Mixed water fish
They live in environments where there is a mixture of the two types of water, such as in coastal lagoons (e.g. salmon and eel).
Shellfish
We define shellfish marine animals whose main characteristic is to have a soft body. They are classified in
- Molluscs (with outer shell)
- Cephalopods
- Molluscs:
The best known are oyster, scallop, fasolaro, clams, truffles. They are easy to pick up and good to eat raw, which is the preferred way for many to enjoy shellfish, especially oyster, the “queen” of the shellfish. The French, who are the largest breeders and users, eat oysters directly in their valve, with the addition of salt, pepper and lemon juice. - Cephalopods:
Are molluscs without shells, or cephalopods: octopus, cuttlefish, dormouse, squid.
They have a soft body, devoid of skeleton, and are equipped with eight or ten tentacles, with suction cups. As a defense mechanism, in their body lies a small bag containing a black liquid that, in case of danger, is squirted out to obscure the vision and, apparently, the detection ability of olfactory predators.
Also characteristic are the head with bulging eyes and a sort of beak. Cuttlefish and calamari are equipped with swimming membranes more or less pronounced, which are absent, however, in octopus and squid.
Crustaceans
Crustaceans are aquatic organisms characterized by having appendages joined to each other. The body is covered with a hard envelope impregnated with mineral salts, which in crustaceans form a robust armor. This hard shell does not increase size with the animal, but is changing seasonally during the “muta”.
Best known crustaceans are lobster, red shrimp, shrimp prawn, and crab. Except for the crabs, which have a rounded shape, all others have an elongated body, protected in front by the “carapace”, a kind of shield, more or less hard, that covers the head and part of the trunk.
How to choose the fish
Before being purchased, the fish must be subjected to a careful organoleptic analysis: In addition to the eye and touch, it must satisfy the sense of smell, because the product has a pleasant fresh sea smell.
Recognizing the freshness of the fish is more important than knowing how to distinguish at first sight a mullet from a sea bass.
The characteristics of the fresh fish are: the bright eye, the bright color of the gills, the firm and elastic flesh.
In addition to the freshness is necessary to observe and recognize the following chracteristics:
– When picked up, it must remain rigid;
– The scales should appear shiny and firmly attached, if they can be removed too easily the fish is not fresh;
– The color and the humidity of the gills, which must be moist and pink or bright red depending on the type of fish;
– Consistency: a fresh fish is firm, with time it becomes soft and if pocked the dent remains on the meat.
In summary, the best fish is caught and consumed immediately and also, according to a general rule, the fresher the fish, the simpler can be its cooking.
Receipt of the Mounth: Mediterranean sea bass
