The difference between water cod and silver cod, can you tell them apart?
Many people love seafood, and surely many food lovers have heard of the delicacy that is cod, but cod has many varieties. Can everyone recognize them? Today, the editor will introduce to you the difference between water cod and silver cod.
1. The difference between water cod and silver cod
Water cod and silver cod are both types of cod, but the two look similar, making them hard for consumers to identify. It takes careful observation to spot the clues. Some merchants deceive consumers by passing off water cod as silver cod and selling it at a high price. Usually, the large chunks of cod in supermarkets are water cod, which has too much moisture and loose flesh, so the taste is greatly compromised, and the price is different too: water cod costs only about 7 yuan per jin, while the price of silver cod is several times higher. At the same time, water cod and dragon cod are not cod at all, but belong to the order Perciformes, with the scientific name Ruvettus pretiosus (oilfish). Their fat content is much higher than that of true cod and is not easy for the human body to digest, whereas silver cod has a lower fat content and is more delicious and healthy.
2. Where does cod come from?
Cod is a cold-water bottom-dwelling fish that feeds on invertebrates and small fish. It is distributed in the North Pacific and North Atlantic. On both sides of the North Atlantic, it generally inhabits the near-bottom layer, ranging from coastal waters to the deep sea. It is native to the cold waters of the North Atlantic from Northern Europe to Canada and the eastern United States. The world's main cod-producing countries are Canada, Iceland, Norway and Russia. In Japan, the main producing area is Hokkaido. In China, it is mainly distributed in the Bohai Sea, the Yellow Sea and the northern East China Sea. The main fishing grounds are in the northern Yellow Sea, the area east-southeast of Shandong Gaogao, and the southern and southeastern sea areas of Haiyang Island.
3. What types of cod are there?
1. Silver cod
There are usually two kinds of fish called silver cod: one is the Chilean sea bass, and the other is the Alaskan black cod. These two fish share many common characteristics. The difference is that the Chilean sea bass is distributed in the waters near Antarctica, while the Alaskan black cod is distributed in near-Arctic waters. The name silver cod was first given by the Japanese market, and because of its high nutritional value, it is often used in cooking.
2. Haddock
Haddock is a bottom-dwelling sea fish distributed in the North Atlantic. Its black lateral line and the dark patch above the pectoral fin and below the black line are haddock's natural trademark. Haddock is commonly found at depths of 40 to 200 m, and juveniles prefer shallow waters while adults prefer deep-sea waters. Haddock generally lives in cold-water sea areas near the continental shelf or far from the coast, and its suitable water temperature is 2-10 degrees.
3. Whiting
Whiting is a common edible sea fish of the genus Merlangius in the cod family, with three dorsal fins and two anal fins, a small or absent chin barbel, and a maximum body length of about 70 cm. It is silvery white, with an obvious black spot near the base of the pectoral fin. It is found in European waters, especially in the North Sea. It is carnivorous and feeds on invertebrates and small fish.
4. Walleye pollock
Walleye pollock is a cold-water mid-lower layer fish of the cod family, also known as Mingtai fish, Korean Mingtai fish, etc. It is distributed from the southern part of the Sea of Japan northward along the eastern coast of Russia through the Bering Sea and the Aleutian Islands, the southern coast of Alaska, the west coast of Canada to central California in the United States, and the Faroe Islands.
5. Saithe
Saithe, also known as Alaska cod and Norwegian cod, has an elongated body and is dark green, with a pale lateral line and belly. It has a short small chin barbel, 3 dorsal fins and 2 anal fins. It is carnivorous, lively, and often forms schools. It can reach 1.1 m in length and weigh 16 kg. It generally spawns in late winter and early spring in the southeastern Bering Sea.
The above is the editor's introduction to the difference between water cod and silver cod. We hope it can help you!