Cod is a fish of the cod family. There are several varieties of cod, but the largest economic importance have Atlantic cod (lat. Gadus morhua) and Pacific cod (lat. Gadus macrocephalus).

Body length - up to 1.8 m, the fishery is dominated by fish 40–80 cm long, aged 3–10 years, weighing up to 10 kg. But cod can be much larger, live up to 100 years and during this time reach a length of up to 2 m and a maximum known weight of 96 kg. The color of the back varies greatly: from greenish-olive to brown with small brown speckles, the belly is white. The most characteristic feature of cod, and this, in addition to various kinds cod, well-known to us pollock, haddock, pollack, blue whiting and polar cod - the presence of several soft dorsal fins. Cod also have 2 anal fins. The head is large with a large mouth. And of course, a small fleshy tendril on the chin of the fish attracts attention.

Cod - northern fish, practically does not occur in the tropics and mainly lives in cold and moderately cold waters of the northern hemisphere. The greatest diversity of species and genera of this family is characteristic of the North Atlantic.

The range of the Atlantic cod covers the temperate region Atlantic Ocean, forming several geographical subspecies: Arctic, White Sea, Baltic, etc. In the eastern part of the Atlantic, cod is distributed from the Bay of Biscay to the Barents Sea and Svalbard; in the west - from Cape Hatteras (North Carolina) to Greenland.

However, despite the fact that this species is found off the coast of Greenland and Spitsbergen, she does not like very cold water. The temperature range in which cod is active, feeds well, grows and matures is small: 2–10 °C. In those areas where waters of negative temperature spread near the bottom, cod leaves the near-bottom cold into the water column and "stands" for more warm layers water.

Due to the shape of its body, cod can live both at the bottom and in the water column, respectively, it can feed on both benthic (living at the bottom) and pelagic (living in the water column) organisms.

The perfection of the adaptation of cod to the waters in which it lives does not end there. It is found at depths up to 600 m and easily moves from one food item to another. Leads a flock of life, constantly moving in search of food. Adult cod is an active predator (ichthyophagus), eating gerbil, capelin, blue whiting, haddock and squid, caught in cannibalism. In the stomach of a cod weighing several kilograms, one can sometimes find a kilogram cod, and in that one - several underyearlings weighing 100–200 g.

Cod is a large and fast growing fish, and one of the most prolific fish on the planet. A five-kilogram female lays 2.5 million eggs, and the maximum fertility recorded in a fish weighing 34 kg was 9 million eggs. Cod grows throughout its life. The fish spawn once a year. It is this colossal fecundity that ensures the relatively high abundance of cod in its habitats, since, unlike many other fish (for example, salmon, greenlings), after spawning, parents do not care about their offspring at all and most of spawned eggs perish or are eaten by various marine life. Her life cycle attached to sea ​​currents north Atlantic. Spawned and fertilized pelagic eggs are picked up by the current. Already at the beginning of their life, the eggs and the larvae hatching from them swim along with the currents up to 200 km.

All these features allow the Atlantic cod to reach a very high abundance and occupy a key place in the ecosystems of the North Atlantic seas.

Pacific cod, somewhat smaller than Atlantic cod (maximum dimensions - 120 cm, and weight - 18 kg), unlike the Atlantic cod, has not pelagic (floating), but bottom caviar (sticking).

It lives in the space from the Bering Strait in the north to the coast of Japan, Korea and California in the south, does not make such long migrations as representatives of most groups of Atlantic cod, which, however, is understandable: bottom eggs and larvae, quickly moving to a bottom lifestyle, are not carried by currents over such long distances as in the Atlantic.

Off the coast of Kamchatka and in many other places, adult Pacific cod usually come to the shores in summer, where they stay on shallow depths, and as the near-surface waters cool, it moves away from the coast and winters at a depth of 150–300 m, where a positive temperature is maintained. In winter, cod spawning also occurs in the Kamchatka waters.

A bit of history

Since ancient times, cod has been of great importance for the population of the coastal regions of Northern Europe, including the Russian North. Caught in large quantities, it served both as an item of trade and was used for its own needs.

Cod contains a relatively small amount of fat, which, as we know, oxidizes, turns bitter, therefore, it can be stored much longer than other fish, especially if it is salted and dried. It seems incredible, but until relatively recently, by historical standards, people did not have refrigerators and had to do with only special processing of fish.

It was this property that predetermined the role of cod in trade and even in geographical discoveries: it made it possible to take on board food supplies for many months. Hence, another name for cod in German-speaking countries is Stockfisch, which can be simultaneously translated as “reserve fish” and “stick fish”, that is, something solid, dried.

But in the development of the shores of the Pacific Ocean by Russian people, cod did not particularly show itself. Much greater value to create food reserves on long trips and as a source of fresh food, Pacific salmon had.

The large stocks of cod and the profit from its fishery caused the dramatic history of the so-called Newfoundland Bank, when the richest cod stocks were driven out by the fishing fleets of the United States and Canada.

It was in the Labrador-Newfoundland cod fishery that another world technological revolution took place - the invention of the rapid freezing of fish by Clarence Birdsey at the beginning of the 20th century. This, in turn, led to the construction of powerful freezing trawlers and the creation of giant fishing companies that did not care where to fish, since frozen fish could be brought to market from anywhere in the world's oceans. For starters, they concentrated on cod. The fate of the Northwest Atlantic cod was sealed.

In a few years, its catch has fallen from more than 600 thousand tons to less than 50 thousand tons. The average size of cod has decreased, even half-meter fish have become a rarity ...

In Canada and on the northeast coast of the United States, fishermen have long quarreled with each other, with scientists who assessed stocks, with provincial and state governments, with federal authorities, and those between themselves, but this is not the case for cod and coastal fisheries in New England and Newfoundland. helped. The stocks have not recovered despite a fishing ban since early 1992. Still, control fisheries carried out by scientists show that the cod stock in the Newfoundland area consists mainly of young small fish.

This tragic story should serve as an example of the destruction of a seemingly inexhaustible resource, and even countries that consider themselves the basis modern civilization, and so love to "learn how to live" other countries.

An example of good management of fish stocks is Team work Norway and Russia to regulate fishing in the Barents Sea, during which our countries were able to develop some common mechanism for managing shared fish stocks - the Joint Russian-Norwegian Fisheries Commission.

The Commission meets every autumn to establish a total allowable catch (TAC) for three cod, saithe and capelin fish species that are jointly exploited, and northern shrimp and universe in the Barents Sea king crab. At these sessions, Russia and Norway agree on mutual access to resources, the division of the TAC into national quotas for both countries and a quota for third countries, take joint measures to protect stocks, in particular, make decisions to close those areas where a lot of juveniles are caught, agree on the definition the minimum size of fish at which they are allowed to be caught, the establishment of permissible fishing gear.

Of course, not everything is rosy in our cooperation: a territorial dispute, the presence of excess fishing capacity, IUU fishing, the struggle of fishing lobbies (and the Norwegian one is very strong), disputes between scientists and environmentalists about how to determine fish stocks, and many other problems complicate cooperation.

However, against this background, we can make an unambiguous conclusion - for more than a hundred years of active fishing in the Barents Sea, a stable population of cod and haddock, and other fish species, too, has been preserved. And this is the direct merit of our country.

Another factor in the conservation of fish stocks and the increase in the "civilization" of the marine industry may be the certification of the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC). The MSC has developed a fishery eco-certification program. For a responsible approach to the operation of marine biological resources Nautical board of trustees entitles the manufacturer to mark products with the MSC emblem, which indicates that the product meets environmental standards for extraction and processing.

The Marine Stewardship Council gives the manufacturer the right to mark products with the MSC emblem, which indicates that these products comply with environmental standards for extraction and processing. The label gives the buyer the opportunity to support sustainable fisheries without compromising the reproduction of fish stocks by choosing certified products in a store or restaurant. The value of the MSC is that it "holds the bar", and wholesale buyers and consumers receive a standard for evaluation.

Cod certification for MSC requirements has already been carried out in Norway, as well as by some Russian enterprises in the Murmansk region. Currently, there is a joint work of the Union of Fishermen of the North, PINRO and World Fund wildlife over a proposal to certify all Russian cod and haddock. There is a practical interest in this process on the part of the main fishing enterprises, a certifying company has been identified. The only point that raises doubts among the fishermen is the pressure from the "wild nature" to reduce the trawl fishery in the Barents Sea. More than 90 percent of Russian fishermen fish with trawl vessels and this approach is unacceptable for them.

Economic importance

Cod is one of the most important commercial fish. Her liver is rich in fat (up to 74%), is a source of fish oil (animal fat obtained from a large, weighing 1.3 - 2.2 kg, liver).

A variety of fishing gear is used to catch cod - bottom and pelagic trawls, snurrevads, fixed and purse seines, as well as longlines. Cod production in the world is about 800 thousand tons per year. Cod entering the Russian market is mainly caught by domestic vessels in the Barents, Far East, and Baltic seas. Norwegian fish arrives to a lesser extent. The catches of the Atlantic cod are of the greatest importance, while the Pacific cod is caught ten times less.

In Europe and Canada, artificial cod farming is developing, but so far aquaculture production is much smaller than catches at sea.

Industrial catch

The cod catch in the Russian zone is stable, and over the past few years, stock assessments have allowed for regular increases in catch quotas.

Industrial quota and cod catch in Russia for 5 recent years
Oceanic					coastal
	quota	catch				quota	catch

Cod at the fish market

Cod is presented on the market in many types: fresh, chilled, frozen, smoked, in the form of round timber, fillet, etc., depending on the demand in a particular market. Block-frozen products continue to have a relatively large share of the market, as well as IQF products, which continue to grow in importance.

Separate ways of cooking cod are due to the unique characteristics of this fish and rich history human consumption of this fish. It goes into business almost entirely, including liver (liver and caviar, cheeks and tongues), even cod heads were exported, mainly to Africa.

Fillet

One of the best fish products in terms of quality is cod fillet. Tasty, lean, elastic meat, with easily separated bones, is an excellent diet food. In addition, it is almost ready to eat, it is enough to defrost and cook in any way.

Probably, cod fillet dishes could be called an ideal fish product, if it were not for the many problems associated with the situation in the domestic fish market with any fish fillet. The lack of clear standards for the quality of the fillet, proper control and the desire of the fish business to squeeze as much as possible out of this product. All this turned the purchase of fish fillets into a lottery - "From bad to worse."

Whitefish fillet is a product of rather deep processing, in which a lot of labor and energy costs are invested, respectively, the price per weight is quite high. And here there is a temptation to make an artificial weight gain by stuffing the carcass with water-retaining preparations, the same polyphosphates. Further, glazing comes into play - the creation of a thin layer of ice on the surface of the frozen product, designed to protect the product from environmental influences, primarily temperature. And here you can earn money - it is enough to apply a “non-thin” layer of glazing, it turns out that we are buying the gross weight, along with the packaging.

In this situation, one cannot unequivocally blame the producers and the trade in fish products, in my opinion, the sellers offered a worse, cheaper option, and the consumer supported the initiative with the ruble. We have a natural result - there is simply no place for good products on the market. This is what we have achieved together!

Of course, you can “unleash all the dogs” on manufacturers, especially on foreigners. This is what the Federal Agency for Fishery is doing, thanks to the PR of which the phrase “Chinese fillet” has gone to the people. However, any merchant who buys fish fillets in the same China or Vietnam knows perfectly well that manufacturers are able to make any quality, and usually work to order. The quality of the fillet produced for Europe, the USA and Russia sometimes differs dramatically, it is clear in which direction.

Some hopes for improving the situation are inspired by the change in our legislation, which tightens the standards on the quality of fish products. In the next year or two, a new Technical Regulations for fish products will be adopted (currently being developed jointly with Kazakhstan), and the standards themselves will work as usual after some time.

So we will learn how to choose a fillet, which we will do now:

• Price. It is necessary to understand once and for all that this product cannot be cheap, simply because expensive equipment and the labor of experienced workers are used for its production.
• The presence of glazing. Yes, it is precisely its presence, and not its absence, since proper glazing protects the fillet from external influences.
• It is better to avoid block freezing, buy carcasses frozen by the piece (IQF).
• It is preferable to buy vacuum-packed fillets, which additionally guarantees better preservation.
• Meat elasticity. good fillet differs in the elastic, not collapsing structure of meat.
• Before cooking and use, you need to make sure that there are no extraneous "chemical" odors. Their presence may indicate unacceptable processing or an expired retention period.

Dried fish

Until now, salt-dried and dried cod has been important in the market, no matter how strange it may seem in our time of cheap cold. As we already know, dried fish has been consumed for many centuries in a row, and in some countries this tradition has been carefully preserved to this day. First of all, I mean Norway, where the ancient method of producing klipfisk and stockfisk is still being used with might and main.

By the way, seaside landscapes with numerous dryers with fish are a kind of calling card fishing villages in Norway good example save real history!

According to the traditional Norwegian technology, after the catch, the fish is immediately gutted and hung on the dryer as a whole, or cut along the ridge, with the tail connection left. Dryers are located outdoors, and protection from insects and bacteria is the cold climate of the Nordic countries. After the fish has sagged for three months on the dryer, it is transferred for another two or three months to a dry, well-ventilated room for ripening.

Ideal conditions - temperatures just above zero degrees with not large quantity rain. Too much cold spoils the fish, as the ice destroys the fibers. The traditional cod fishing season coincides with best time to dry it. During drying, the fish loses about 80 percent of the water. At the same time, all the nutrients are stored in it, only in a concentrated form.

There are also modern technologies for the production of dried fish that reduce the time of fish production to 30 days. A couple of years ago, Murmansk Fish Processing Plant built such a workshop for the production of klipfisk, so that we can taste dried cod of domestic production.

clipfisk

Klipfisk is salted and dried cod. When cooking, the fish is bled, cut along the ridge, washed and salted with dry salting. When salting, the fish is laid skin down. Salt consumption is 50-60%. After salting, the fish is washed and ripened in a dryer.

We have practically no offers of this product on the market, with the exception of the clipfish of the aforementioned Murmansk Fish Processing Plant. Most likely, manufacturers are scared away by the complicated cooking technology, and buyers are scared off by the high price and availability of fresh-frozen cod. On the other hand, if you look at the huge number of fish "snacks for beer" of incomprehensible quality, stuffed with chemistry, the prospects for clipfisk can be very bright. Moreover, this fish is ideal for drying, long-term storage in a ready-to-eat state and, moreover, is good for health, unlike ...

By the way, eating klipfisk is by no means reduced to chewing a fish brought to a “wooden” state. There are many recipes that start with soaking the dried fish in water, milk or wine, resulting in a fish that has retained its nutrients and regains its original shape and taste.

So, to restore cod, it is enough to remove the skin, take out the bones and keep it in a sufficient amount of water for 1-2 days. Some recipes prescribe soaking the fish in water with the addition of soda (6-7 days), and then a couple more days in plain water. Excess salt will come out of the fish, and the meat will acquire the desired consistency and weight. A serving for one person should be 150-160 g of the original, dry weight.

It is believed that such recipes came to us from countries southern Europe- Portugal, Italy and Spain, for several centuries and to this day, are the main importers of dried fish.

Stockfish

This product is similar to clipfisk but contains less salt. Initial Process the processing of these products is the same, but the butterfly fillet for stockfish is only slightly salted or not salted at all, tied in pairs in the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe caudal fins and hung on wooden structures resembling rafters so that it is constantly blown by the wind, and aged from several weeks to several months until the fish is completely dry.

Cod liver

One of the features of cod is that some of it internal organs serve as raw materials for various intrinsically valuable products. And we will start with the most famous - cod liver, which has long been valued as a delicacy. Until recently, it was in short supply, but today we can buy this product in most stores.

Cod belongs to the category of so-called "lean" fish, in which fat accumulation occurs in the liver. As we already know, cod liver contains up to 70% fat, as well as polyunsaturated fatty acids, vitamins A, B1, B2 and D. These elements are very useful, but being in natural product are prone to deterioration, oxidation and accumulation of harmful substances. That is why cod liver is selected and subjected to cleaning and heat treatment, which retains useful substances, and then rolled into jars. And now we have a valuable product with a 2-year shelf life on the store shelf.

When buying canned cod liver, you should take a closer look at it. The jar should be clean, without dents (“birds”) on the seam of the lid, there should be no traces of rust at the joints. Traditionally, we check the jar for the absence of swelling of the bottom and lid, symptoms of the main disease of canned food - “bombing”. It can be biological (with insufficient sterilization, the vital activity of dangerous microorganisms is activated) and, which is especially dangerous, chemical (during the interaction of product acids with metal in unvarnished cans).

Recently, the state has loosened control over the quality of products, so fakes for favorite brands have become common, and other cute pranks, such as interrupting the date of manufacture. Therefore, it is better to prefer a jar with a production date stamped from the inside and service information (production range “P” and plant number). The label or lithograph must indicate the name, information about the manufacturer, its administrative address, the composition and energy value of the product, and that it is certified.

The best product is made immediately after the fish is caught, right in the sea, such cans are labeled with the inscription: "Made in the sea" or "Made in the sea from fresh raw materials", which corresponds to the highest grade canned food.

Canned food made from chilled or frozen raw materials delivered to the shore (canned food of the first grade) is less valuable, you should not be afraid of this, it’s just that the taste of the liver will be a little bitter and, of course, these canned food should be much cheaper. In this case, the location of the manufacturer on the shore, next to the fishery, will be some guarantee of quality. For example, on the coast of the Murmansk or Arkhangelsk regions.

The liver should fill the jar by about 85%, the remaining 13-15% fall on the fill - a clear golden oil. Do not be afraid of a large amount of this oil, it is also useful, because it contains real fish oil, which secretes the liver.

The taste and smell of canned food should be pleasant, characteristic of this type of canned food, without foreign tastes (odors). Consistency - tender, juicy, sometimes dense. The color of the liver is allowed from beige to light brown. A dark color with a pronounced taste of bitterness and the smell of oxidized fat indicates a poor quality of canned food. If it says on the jar that spices have been added, you should be able to smell them.

Cod liver is recommended for general prevention cardiovascular diseases, at coronary disease heart disease, myocardial infarction, hepatitis, diabetes, and helps people maintain an active life. In small quantities, the liver is useful for pregnant women. Popular rumor ascribes rejuvenating properties to cod liver and calls it “food for the brain”, and this product can help with problems with nerves.

cod roe

There is also canned cod caviar on the market. Nutritious and delicious, ideal for fast food sandwiches.

Cod tongues and cheeks

Another interesting delicacy is cod tongues and cheeks, very popular in Norway. An interesting tradition is the cutting of them by the children of fishermen, who earn their first money on this and at the same time join the hard work of fishing.

In our country, cod languages ​​appeared relatively recently, yesterday fishermen harvested them in their free time for themselves and for sale in Norwegian restaurants, and today frozen languages ​​are available in "industrial" quality. The leading domestic producers are Arkhangelsk Trawl Fleet OJSC and Karelian Seafood OJSC. Do not be afraid of cooking a new product - manufacturers print cooking recipes directly on the packaging.

smoked cod

Smoked cod products exist, however, due to their low fat content and concentration in the liver, they are less suitable for smoking. Although freshly smoked cod tastes great.

The nutritional value

Per 100 g of product:

• Calories - 82 kcal,
• Water - 81.22 g,
• Fats - 0.67 g,
• Cholesterol - 43 mg,
• Protein - 17.81 g
• Iron - 0.38 mg,
• Sodium - 54 mg,
• Omega-3 - 0.185 g.

From the point of view of the use of cod by man, it is a real gift from God: in the cod caught, everything goes to work. AT fresh meat cod contains approximately 0.6% fat and 16-19% protein, so dried cod is a concentrated protein that can be stored and not spoiled, as more oily fish. The possibility of long-term storage made cod an invaluable resource in the past, but now white lean fish has a special relationship: having it on the table is rightfully considered a condition healthy lifestyle life.

The fish is tasty and tender meat, and, despite the low fat content, it is by no means dry in taste, due to the relatively small proportion of dry matter - an average of only 19%, for comparison, in salmon this figure is 31%. In terms of protein content, cod fillet is on the same level as other marine fish fillets.

Cod is suitable for any form of cooking - frying in a pan or on a grill (grill), steaming or low-boiling water, baking and processing in a microwave oven. An excellent fish soup is obtained from cod, which must be cooked with the head, since it is the head that gives the soup a special flavor.

On the following pages you can get acquainted with a couple of recipes for cooking this wonderful fish, which we have selected for you. In general, there are thousands of recipes for cooking cod, you can choose for every taste.

I hope you learned a little more about this amazing fish and became even stronger.

In preparing the article, materials were used
Wikipedia.org encyclopedia
the book "Just Cod" (V. Spiridonov and V. Mokievsky).

Photos provided by companies
NKVER,
"Arkhangelsk trawl fleet",
"Murmansk trawl fleet",
"Murmansk fish factory".

Jan Gerasimuk, Maria Dobromyslova

Cod is valuable commercial fish, represents the genus cod. This type of fish lives in open seas and oceans. Cod is a valuable food product, there are no small spiny bones in its skeleton, the meat is rich in iodine, calcium, phosphorus, and high-grade proteins.

Lifestyle. Food

Cod is a widespread fish in temperate and cold seas. This large view fish is different rapid growth and fertility. Females are capable of throwing up to 10 million eggs. Most of them are the prey of many marine life.

By the age of three, cod grows in length up to 40-50 cm. They are characterized by a migratory lifestyle. They make long transitions associated with currents in the seas and oceans: in winter, flocks of cod move in a south-westerly direction against the current; in summer the cod follows the northeast with the current.

The migration zone expands with the age of the fish: the older the cod, the wider the migration zone. Cod are ready to spawn when they are eight years old. However, in warmer southern regions, cod reaches sexual maturity at 2-3 years of age.

Track photo

Preparing for spawning, flocks of cod move northeast to sea areas rich in food. With the approach of spawning cod liver reaches its greatest weight. By this time, the fat content in the fish liver should be at least 50%. Only under this condition is a successful spawning process ensured.

Cod feeds on plankton, juvenile herring, capelin, crustaceans, and small fish. There is a bottom species of cod that lives at a depth of about 60 meters. For this species, various mollusks, including bivalves, are used as food.

Appearance

The size of cod depends on its habitat, but the signs of the cod family are the same:

• fins - three dorsal and two anal;
• strong elongated body;
• small scales;
• jaws of various sizes - the upper jaw is longer than the lower;
• on the chin there is a fleshy, well-developed barbel;
• the swim bladder has elongated outgrowths, with ends bent to the sides;
• the color of the fish is brown-green or brown;
• number of vertebrae 51-56.

The body length of cod varies depending on the range: on average, cod living in the waters of the Atlantic has a length of 80 cm, Pacific specimens are inferior in length, but differ in head size, wider and larger.

reproduction

Sexual maturation of cod is observed at the age of 4 to 8 years. However, fish that live in warmer areas start spawning at the age of two years. Cod males are somewhat behind in growth and age limit from females.

The sexual maturity of this species of fish is determined by its size. Females that have reached a length of 55-85 cm are capable of spawning, puberty of males occurs when they reach a length of 50-80 cm. They have such sizes by 4-9 years, depending on the habitat.

The number of eggs can reach 2.5 million. Spawning begins between January and May. AT northern regions this period shifts to a warmer season from March to April.

Spawning cod spends in several stages. The incubation period of cod larvae depends on the water temperature. As a rule, it lasts at least one week, but does not exceed three weeks. The fry grown up to 2-3 cm descend into the bottom area of ​​the sea.

Belongs to the Cod family, in ancient times this variety was called "labardan". Cod got its current name because of the unusual property of the meat to crack when it is dried. There is another version of the name change: the cod began to be called that way, because it makes a crackling sound that appears with the contraction of the muscles of the swim bladder. In the photo, the cod looks very impressive.

What does cod look like?

Sea cod or river fish? A distinctive feature is that it grows throughout its life and lives in the seas. By the age of three, the length of an individual reaches half a meter, the largest individuals can grow up to 2 meters in length, and such a fish weighs about 96 kilograms. The body of the cod is characterized by an elongated spindle-shaped shape, the scales are small, serrated. Top part cod can be painted olive, yellowish or brown with brown patches. The sides of the cod are light, the belly is white. The cod that lives in Atlantic waters lives the longest of all fish, its age can reach 25 years, in the Pacific - 18 years, in Greenland - 12.

Atlantic cod

Cod - what kind of fish? Atlantic, for example, is the largest fish and can reach a length of 1-2 meters. This type cod lives in the waters of the Atlantic Ocean and has several subspecies. They depend on the specific location. To date, there is the following classification of subspecies:

• Classic Atlantic cod lives from 5 to 10 years, the average length is 80 centimeters. The color is greenish, the belly is white.
• Kilda cod is found in the waters of Mogilnoye Lake, which is located in the Murmansk region. This is a real monument of nature, the exclusivity of which lies in the fact that the water in the reservoir has varying degrees of salinity. Cod started in this lake as early as the 10th century, even then it was not a lake, but a sea lagoon. The size of the cod that lives in the Mogilny Lake is small, about 50 centimeters in length, and the weight reaches only 2-3 kilograms. The color of individuals is brighter than that of the previous subspecies. Today, the Kilda cod is one step away from extinction and is protected. Too frequent fishing and pollution of the lake led to this. They tried to relocate this subspecies to other water bodies, but representatives of this species are simply not able to live in other places.
• The Baltic cod lives, respectively, in the Baltic Sea. By size and appearance similar to the Atlantic, it can reach 100 centimeters in length, and the weight of such a fish is 10-12 kilograms.

These subspecies are considered the largest in terms of the number of individuals.

Pacific cod

Its main difference from the Atlantic in the size of the front, namely the head. It is more massive and wide, while the dimensions of the body themselves are small. In length, individuals can reach from 45 to 90 centimeters in length. Maximum weight- 22 kilograms. Cod lives in the northern part of the Pacific Ocean, these are Berengovo, Okhotsk and Sea of ​​Japan. The fish feeds mainly on pollock, shrimps, crabs and worms, as well as other small fish. The Pacific cod has one subspecies, the Greenland cod. Differs in small sizes, approximately 70 centimeters in length. It also feeds on small fish and invertebrates.

arctic cod

This species is divided into two subspecies: ice and East Siberian cod. The first species inhabited the waters of the Northern Arctic Ocean, individuals differ in gray coloring and small sizes. Only 30 centimeters long. East Siberian cod lives off the coast of Greenland, North America and Siberia. The size of individuals is larger than that of the ice. In length, they reach 50-55 centimeters, and the average weight is a little more than a kilogram.

cod spawning

Cod is a marine fish, its sexual maturity and ability to reproduce also depend on the habitat of the individuals. For example, Atlantic cod first go to spawning grounds at the age of eight or nine years. The cod that lives in the waters of the Pacific Ocean begins to breed a little earlier, at the age of five or six years, the Arctic species are the youngest, they are ready to go to spawning grounds already at the age of 3-4 years.

The breeding season usually begins in the first weeks of March. Cod is on the list of the most prolific fish, and this is not surprising, because one adult can spawn up to 6 million eggs. This process does not happen immediately, but gradually, in portions, over several weeks. Spawning occurs at a depth of up to 100 meters, all this time the males are next to the female in order to immediately fertilize the spawned eggs.

Further, the caviar sinks to the bottom, as if sticking to the vegetation. This is how Pacific cod reproduce. As for the Atlantic species, the eggs do not fall to the bottom, they are carried away by the current to the north, where the larvae later appear. Already around the end of summer - early autumn, young individuals enter the Barents Sea and live on the bottom for the first few years.

Cod differs from other fish in that it is of great economic importance. This is because tasty tender fish and especially cod liver have very useful properties. Cod liver is considered a fatty product, but fish meat is very useful for losing weight. Unlike other types of fish, dried cod for a long time retains all its nutrients and beneficial features. It was cod that helped the great travelers who discovered new countries to stay alive.

The benefits of cod

Cod liver is a very healthy product that is not only rich in vitamins A and D, but also contains a sufficient amount of Omega-3 fatty acids. All of us at least once in our lives heard and used fish oil as a dietary supplement. It comes from cod liver. But cod meat, especially steamed, is a real find for losing weight. Its advantage is that with a minimum number of calories, the body receives a sufficient amount of protein, vitamins and useful trace elements. The highest quality cod is the one that is caught off the coast of Alaska and Iceland. As for nutritional value, there are only 82 calories per 100 grams of fish, 0.7 grams of fat and 19 grams of protein, carbohydrates are completely absent. Isn't this happiness for those who want to say goodbye to being overweight? In addition to protein and essential amino acids, cod boasts a large amount of vitamin B12. His task is healthy nervous system and full development. That is why fish must be in the diet of children. It should also be mentioned that cod is a source of selenium and phosphorus. These nutrients contribute to the maintenance of healthy hair, skin, bones, and teeth.

Dietary properties of cod

Cod in its low calorie content. stick to principles proper nutrition? Then cod is what you need. It can replace heavy meats such as pork or beef, and not feel any weakness, loss of strength or energy. All because of the high protein content in As we know, with age, metabolic processes in the body slow down and people slowly but surely gain extra pounds. To prevent this from happening, in order to always remain healthy and vigorous, you need to make a choice in favor of low-calorie foods rich in vitamins and trace elements. These include cod. Various research teams have studied the effects of cod on the human body and concluded that regular consumption of cod slows down the decline processes. cognitive activity brain that inevitably comes with age.

How to cook cod tasty?

Often, from novice cooks, you can hear that cod meat is dry and insipid, and while cooking, there is nowhere to go from the pungent smell of fish. And if the meat is dryish, then you can often hear that the liver is too fatty. So where is the truth?

Of course, all this takes place, and these are not shortcomings, but specific features cod. It is only important to learn how to cook it correctly. The most popular dishes with the addition of cod are liver salad, fish soup, fillet cutlets, oven-baked cod with vegetables and steamed. You can also simply fry the fish, but it would be best to choose a different heat treatment method.

What does cod taste like?

Cod is a sea fish, the meat of a fresh specimen of a pleasant white color, a little exfoliating, nevertheless it tastes soft and non-greasy. The peculiarity of cod is that it has a pronounced taste and smell of fish, so many housewives have learned to weaken these aromas and taste qualities. To do this, you just need to boil the fish in in large numbers plain water, adding as many different spices as possible to the pan. And another important element is celery roots, parsley and onions. It is important for novice cooks to remember that cod cannot be re-frozen, as it will completely lose its taste and become watery.

Application in cooking

It so happened that cod is the product that is used in almost any national cuisine. This type of fish is widely known around the world and is present on the tables in every country. You can cook anything from cod and its liver, from soups to snacks. Cod carcass can become an independent dish, which is easily and quickly cooked in the oven. But the most popular way is drying, drying, salting and smoking fish. This is because cod is one of the few varieties of fish that, when dried and salted, retains all the beneficial properties.

Since the fish was popular with people in ancient times, a considerable amount of interesting information about this fish has been collected in history. Here are the most interesting of them:

• In 1992, a cod crisis hit Canada and many other countries. Difficult times for fish factories began when there was a sharp decline in the cod population, which forced the Canadian government to impose a moratorium on fishing. Only in Canada, more than 400 factories that were engaged in fish products were closed.
• Some peoples consider cod a gift from God, because nothing is lost from the catch, everything is used.
• The Portuguese have one interesting national dish called cod bacalhau. It is interesting because it got into the Guinness Book of Records, since only 3134 people managed to taste this delicacy.

Cod is a real storehouse of vitamins that is available to us all year round. The inclusion of fish in the diet will help improve well-being, raise the overall tone of the body and get rid of a couple of extra pounds.

Cod fish is a welcome guest on any table. Cod is a valuable commercial fish that includes a whole family of different species. Also catching this fish is very popular among amateur anglers. All fish united by the cod family are similar in outward signs, but differ in size, weight, have their own behavior, nutrition and reproduction.

• Class - Ray-finned fish;
• Squad - Cod-like;
• Family - Cod;
• Genus - Cod.

cod varieties

As a rule, there are 4 types:

• Pacific;
• Greenlandic;
• Atlantic;
• Pollock.

Sometimes, when they talk about varieties of cod, they mean another one that looks very similar to other species, but genetically does not have a close common ancestor with it. This is a red cod. What kind of fish got this name and why? The fact is that her body begins to blush in the air. In adulthood, this fish has a body length of 1 meter and a small mass - 2.5-3 kilograms. The dorsal part of the body is painted in grey colour, and the abdominal - in pink. A characteristic feature is the presence of a dark spot behind the head.

Important! Along with red cod, there is also pink cod. What kind of fish is this, Norwegian cuisine will help you find out. After all, it is there that they love and know how to cook dishes from pink cod, otherwise called Lofoten, which is a subspecies of the Atlantic.

The appearance of representatives of the cod family

The fish grows throughout its life and is considered mature by the age of 3. Sizes vary greatly depending on the habitat. The body is elongated, has the shape of a spindle. The head is large and powerful. There is asymmetry of the upper and lower jaws, the lower is noticeably larger than the upper.

All species have a fleshy antennae under the lower jaw, three dorsal fins and two in the anus. Individuals aged 5-10 years are considered the most valuable for fishing. By this time, the body length of the fish is 50-85 centimeters. For fish production Cod is harvested using fishing nets.

The fish has small toothed scales. The color of the back varies depending on the species: from yellowish with green tints and olive to brown with brown speckles. The sides, as a rule, are much lighter, and the abdominal part most often has a characteristic yellow tint or is completely white.

Habitat and distribution

The question of where cod lives does not have a definite answer. As is clear from the names of the species, it is found in the Atlantic, and in the Pacific, and even in the Arctic Ocean. Accordingly, depending on which sea this or that species lives in, they distinguish geographical subspecies, for example, the Baltic and White Sea, which are found in the seas of the same name.

As for the Atlantic cod, it lives in the temperate region of the Atlantic. In its western part, cod is found from Cape Hatteras to Greenland. In the Arctic Ocean, it is distributed in the eastern part of the Barents Sea and in the waters near Svalbard. Especially cold water The Arctic Ocean loves pollock. Pacific cod chooses its habitat mainly in the northern Pacific waters, meeting in the Japan, Bering and Okhotsk seas.

Many people ask a fair question about cod: is it a sea or river fish? For the most part, this fish prefers the salt water of the seas of the oceans, however, some subspecies, for example, burbots, which are also classified as codfish, live in rivers. They mature faster than their marine counterparts and do not travel long distances to spawn.

Lifestyle, nutrition and reproduction of cod

The way of life of a fish is strongly influenced by its habitat. The Pacific species, as a rule, leads a sedentary lifestyle, making seasonal migrations over short distances. In winter, the fish goes into the depths of the sea or ocean, dropping to 40-70 meters, and in summer it returns to coastal waters.

The life of the Atlantic species is closely connected with strong ocean currents, which cause seasonal migration over vast distances (up to 1500 km) to the place of food from the spawning place.

Cod spawns in coastal sea ​​waters where he spends most of his life. This is typical for Pacific cod. The Atlantic, on the other hand, goes to spawn in another sea (also in coastal areas). Cod breeds in early spring, in March or April. For spawning, the fish descends to a depth of 100-120 meters.

Fertilized eggs are picked up by the current and carried away north of the spawning grounds. The surviving fry that emerged from the eggs, after being released from the yolk sac, begin to feed on plankton. By autumn, the young begin to lead a bottom lifestyle, eating small crustaceans. Upon reaching the age of three, cod becomes a true predator and eats fish of other species: smaller saury, herring and capelin. Cannibalism is also found among cod: they can eat fry, caviar, or smaller relatives.

Cod rich in vitamins and minerals such as: choline - 13%, vitamin B12 - 53.3%, vitamin H - 20%, vitamin PP - 29%, potassium - 13.6%, phosphorus - 26.3%, iodine - 90 %, cobalt - 300%, copper - 15%, selenium - 41.6%, fluorine - 17.5%, chromium - 110%

What is useful Cod

• Choline is part of lecithin, plays a role in the synthesis and metabolism of phospholipids in the liver, is a source of free methyl groups, acts as a lipotropic factor.
• Vitamin B12 plays an important role in the metabolism and transformations of amino acids. Folate and vitamin B12 are interrelated vitamins involved in hematopoiesis. A lack of vitamin B12 leads to the development of partial or secondary folate deficiency, as well as anemia, leukopenia, and thrombocytopenia.
• Vitamin H participates in the synthesis of fats, glycogen, amino acid metabolism. Insufficient intake of this vitamin can lead to disruption of the normal condition of the skin.
• Vitamin PP participates in redox reactions of energy metabolism. Inadequate vitamin intake is accompanied by a violation of the normal state of the skin, gastrointestinal intestinal tract and nervous system.
• Potassium is the main intracellular ion involved in the regulation of water, acid and electrolyte balance, is involved in the processes of nerve impulses, pressure regulation.
• Phosphorus takes part in many physiological processes, including energy metabolism, regulates acid-base balance, is part of phospholipids, nucleotides and nucleic acids, is necessary for the mineralization of bones and teeth. Deficiency leads to anorexia, anemia, rickets.
• Iodine participates in the operation thyroid gland, providing the formation of hormones (thyroxine and triiodothyronine). It is necessary for the growth and differentiation of cells of all tissues of the human body, mitochondrial respiration, regulation of transmembrane transport of sodium and hormones. Insufficient intake leads to endemic goiter with hypothyroidism and a slowdown in metabolism, arterial hypotension, stunted growth and mental development in children.
• Cobalt is part of vitamin B12. Activates the enzymes of fatty acid metabolism and folic acid metabolism.
• Copper is part of the enzymes that have redox activity and are involved in the metabolism of iron, stimulates the absorption of proteins and carbohydrates. Participates in the processes of providing tissues of the human body with oxygen. Deficiency is manifested by violations of the formation of the cardiovascular system and skeleton, the development of connective tissue dysplasia.
• Selenium- an essential element of the antioxidant defense system of the human body, has an immunomodulatory effect, is involved in the regulation of the action of thyroid hormones. Deficiency leads to Kashin-Bek's disease (osteoarthritis with multiple deformities of the joints, spine and limbs), Keshan's disease (endemic myocardiopathy), and hereditary thrombasthenia.
• Fluorine initiates bone mineralization. Insufficient consumption leads to caries, premature abrasion of tooth enamel.
• Chromium participates in the regulation of blood glucose levels, enhancing the action of insulin. Deficiency leads to decreased glucose tolerance.

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