Herring: what kind of fish, where it is found, description, photo, how to cook, benefits and harms

What kind of fish, where is it found, description

Salaka is often called Baltic herring. This fish is a subspecies of Atlantic herring. It is found in the Baltic regions. It is distinguished by its small size.

Typically, the length of an adult does not exceed 20 centimeters. Weight is about 50 grams. This fish is found in freshwater bodies of Sweden, but it can also be found in Russia.

This small fish is especially valued by residents of Finland and Sweden, and in Holland an annual festival is held in its honor. At which the main treat, of course, is Baltic herring.

The fish looks similar to the Atlantic herring. The only differences are in size. Herring has an elongated shape.

The herring diet consists of small representatives of crustaceans, fry and larvae. The lifespan of fish is 7-8 years. Salak leads a gregarious lifestyle. The fish reaches sexual maturity at 2-3 years. Reproduction occurs during three seasons, except winter.

Herring is caught all year round. A huge part of the catch is used to make canned food. A small part is sold frozen.

Appearance

Herring is a small fish that can reach a maximum length of only 20 centimeters. Several cases of catching giant specimens have been recorded, the body length of which was 35 centimeters or more. The closest relative of herring is considered to be the Atlantic herring, shown in the photo below. Therefore, these two types of fish are very similar to each other in appearance, with the exception of the size and number of vertebrae, which is very clearly visible in the photo. The fish can gain a maximum weight of 50–60 grams.

Atlantic herring

Salaka

Herring is a pelagic fish, so its color is appropriate. Its sides are painted silver. The back is darker and may have a bluish or greenish tint. Salak has a laterally compressed and elongated body.

How is it different from sprat and capelin?

Herring and sprat are very easy to distinguish. Sprat is much smaller in size. For this reason, sprat is much more difficult to process. This small fish is also very fragile and requires careful handling. The body of the sprat rarely exceeds 16 centimeters in length. This fish is a representative of herrings.

Capelin is classified as smelt. Capelin can reach a length of 22 centimeters. It weighs a little more than 60 grams. The fish has teeth and small scales. Males have stripes of scales on their sides; they have something like lint on them. The fish is quite oily.

Picture for comparison

How to choose the right herring

Herring, the benefits and harms of which are described in the article, should be of a uniform color, if smoked, then on all sides. It should also have its own fishy smell; if there is almost no smell, it means it has been lying on the counter. The vacuum packaging must be airtight to preserve the delicious fish inside.

Herring, although small and inconspicuous in appearance, is very useful. The main thing is to buy it fresh and prepare it correctly.

The safety and harmlessness of food is one of the main conditions for maintaining and strengthening public health. Most harmful chemicals enter the human body through food. Organizing proper nutrition requires a critical attitude to the selection of diet, the choice of “healthy” foods that are easily digestible and do not have a harmful effect on human health. One of these products is herring.

Chemical composition

This fish contains polyunsaturated acids and essential amino acids. They are necessary to thin the blood. These substances also reduce the level of “bad” cholesterol, reduce the likelihood of strokes and heart attacks, and normalize blood pressure.

Thanks to essential acids, the body is cleansed of dangerous compounds. They, in turn, lead to the formation of malignant tumors.

The product contains minerals. They restore metabolic processes and help strengthen the skeletal system.

Contains:

Vitamins – Vitamin D, B2, Vitamin E, retinol, ascorbic and nicotinic acids, cobalamin.

Minerals – sodium, sulfur, phosphorus, calcium, potassium, chlorine, magnesium, chromium, fluorine, copper, iron, nickel, zinc, iodine.

Useful properties of herring

Reasons for using this product by different groups of the population:

• An important advantage of fish is the absence of small bones , which is important for feeding children. Herring increases immunity in children and ensures the functioning of the digestive organs, and has a beneficial effect on the functioning of the heart.
• This fish will help the younger generation in solving problems with hormone imbalance.
• It will support adults and children in the fight against vitamin deficiency, loss of strength, and drowsiness.
• People who often suffer from viral diseases will increase their immunity .
• In women during pregnancy, herring will prevent the occurrence of anemia .
• With the breast milk of nursing mothers, substances useful for the growth and development of the baby enter the child's body.
• Older people can lower cholesterol and normalize blood pressure .
• The use of herring by athletes and people of heavy physical labor increases their endurance to physical activity.
• Due to the absence of carbohydrates in fish, herring baked with vegetables will help losing weight lose weight .

Useful substances contained in herring:

• Polyunsaturated acids and amino acids thin the blood, lower cholesterol, prevent the development of stroke and heart attack, normalize blood pressure, remove toxins from the body, and strengthen the immune system. reduce inflammation in joints.
• Essential amino acids cleanse the body of radicals and other harmful substances and prevent the formation of malignant tumors.
• Micro- and macroelements normalize metabolic processes in the body, strengthen bones, tooth enamel, and hair.
• Retinol enhances bone growth, heals skin and hair.
• Vitamin PP has a positive effect on the condition of teeth and skin.
• Vitamin C strengthens the immune system.
• Vitamins A and E improve the condition of hair, skin and nails.
• Zinc normalizes the balance of human hormones. useful for increasing testosterone production in the male body.
• Copper is contained in a large number of enzymes that regulate metabolism.
• Iron improves hematopoiesis, which is useful for anemia, after injuries and surgeries associated with large blood loss.
• Iodine is involved in the functioning of the endocrine gland.
• Calcium and phosphorus strengthen hair and nails.
• Chromium helps stabilize blood sugar.
• Cobalt affects the production of insulin and thyroid hormones.

Benefit

1. By consuming the product, you can strengthen your immune system and stabilize hormone levels.

2. Baltic herring is useful for the treatment of iron deficiency anemia.

3. It is recommended to eat it for faster recovery after operations and serious illnesses.

4. The main advantage of fish is that it does not have small bones. And this is important in baby food.

5. The product improves immunity and has a positive effect on heart function.

6. Teenagers need to eat herring to avoid hormonal imbalances.

7. Due to the absence of carbohydrates, the product is suitable for dietary nutrition. It is advisable to cook it in the oven with the addition of vegetables.

For men

By eating herring, men can get rid of loss of strength and vitamin deficiency. Doctors advise those who work in hazardous industries or live in environmentally polluted regions to eat the product.

Fish removes harmful substances from the body. Separately, it is worth mentioning the presence of minerals in the product. They increase testosterone production.

For women

Women should definitely eat herring to maintain their health. The vitamins and elements included in the product have a positive effect on hair and nails.

This means they help preserve youth. The product has a positive effect on the functioning of the endocrine system.

During pregnancy

You can eat herring during pregnancy. Due to the presence of iron, women do not have to worry about the occurrence of anemia. The product contains folic acid.

It is needed for the normal development of the fetal nervous system. But you shouldn’t overuse salted herring. This is fraught with the appearance of edema.

For children

Pediatricians advise introducing herring into children's diets no earlier than 3 years. It is better to start getting acquainted with the boiled product. Fish improves the functioning of the digestive and cardiovascular systems.

Adolescents will benefit from eating herring. Fish contains Omega-3 acids, which will help get rid of acne, blackheads and blackheads.

When losing weight

Those who decide to lose excess weight can also eat fish. To make the process go faster, the product is consumed stewed and boiled. Nutritionists recommend eating only herring for 1-3 days.

In addition to fish, you can use vegetables as a side dish. The daily intake of the main product should not exceed 300 grams. They eat herring 2-3 times a day.

To prevent obesity, herring should be on the menu at least once a week.

Cold smoked herring

Benefits and harms for various diseases

The saturation of vitamins, minerals and fatty acids gives herring healing properties. But in case of pathologies, fish is beneficial only if the rules of consumption and preparation are followed.

Features of the product's influence:

1. Diabetes. Herring can prevent the disease and alleviate its course. To reduce the level of sugar and cholesterol in the blood, boiled and baked fish 2 times a week, 200 g each, is useful. If the pathology is not complicated by disturbances in the functioning of the heart, blood vessels, or kidneys, it is also allowed to consume 100 g of a lightly salted product once every 7 days.
2. Gastritis. Fish can speed up the restoration of the mucous membrane and reduce the likelihood of activation of inflammatory processes. Salak can be eaten boiled, baked, or stewed during the period of stable remission, 150 g 2 times a week. With low acidity, a lightly salted product is also allowed once every 7–10 days. During the period of exacerbation, herring is prohibited: it can provoke increased pain and deterioration of the gastrointestinal tract.
3. Gout. If you are sick, fish with high and medium fat content is harmful. Failure to comply with the restrictions provokes a worsening of the pathology due to an excess of purines in the body. To saturate yourself with omega-3 fatty acids and other substances contained in seafood, it is better to use vitamins and dietary supplements from the pharmacy.
4. Hypertension. The product helps improve the condition of blood vessels, thins the blood, and helps normalize blood pressure. Only boiled, stewed, baked herring, prepared without preservatives, oil and salt, brings benefits. It can be consumed 3 times a week, 200 g.
5. Impotence. A daily portion of fish can provide 25% of the daily requirement of zinc, which is necessary for the production of testosterone and normalization of the functions of the reproductive system. Men benefit from lightly salted, boiled, stewed, baked, steamed and grilled herring 2-3 times a week.
6. Iodine deficiency. Fish helps replenish the supply of the missing element. To prevent pathology, eat lightly salted, boiled, baked foods up to 3 times a week.

Regardless of the disease, you must avoid canned food and smoked fish. Such products can provoke exacerbation of diseases, the formation of complications in the form of edema, high blood pressure, and digestive disorders.

What are the benefits of smoked herring?

Smoked herring has a rich taste. Surprisingly, it perfectly saturates the body and at the same time contains a minimum of calories.

Fish contains beneficial minerals and other important compounds. Smoked herring is rich in protein.

It is characterized by high nutritional qualities and quickly restores tissue. Smoked herring contains saturated acids.

Thanks to them, cholesterol levels in the body are regulated. Since smoked herring is low-calorie, it can be used in the preparation of a diet. You can eat fish without worrying about your figure.

But we must not forget that smoked herring contains a lot of salt. This means that it is undesirable to eat it if you have heart disease, hypertension, or kidney disease.

Salak can be fried, stewed and baked

How to cook herring?

Herring fish is a very nutritious product.

It can be fried, baked in sour cream sauce, smoked and pickled.

This seemingly inconspicuous fish is a favorite delicacy of the Swedes and Finns.

For the Swedes, in the last days of summer, the season of surströmming starts - cooking sour herring, which is prepared in a special way, it ferments. This delicacy is preserved in containers, which swell after a while, then they are opened outside and eaten with baked goods, butter, potatoes and onions.

The Dutch value the taste of fish so much that they hold a holiday every year and offer to try this recipe.

In our country there are also many lovers of this type of fish product, but they mostly eat it smoked; khoyat herring is very tasty if fried.

In order to preserve as many valuable substances as possible in fish meat, you need to cook it in a double boiler or cook it in the oven.

Nutritionists advise consuming high-quality herring, like other fish products, but it is important to know how to prepare it correctly.

For people on a diet, you can try baked fish dishes with vegetable additives and eat with boiled rice.

Or it’s good to stew the carcasses with carrots, tomatoes, and onions, which will also preserve its healing qualities.

For those who like to eat nutritiously, it is good to consume fish meat that is spicy salted, marinated or simply fried in oil, fresh carcasses.

And connoisseurs of beer drinks can be pampered with a delicacy prepared using various smoking methods.

How best to prepare and taste characteristics

Salak can be fried, stewed and baked. For many housewives, dishes made from this fish appear on the table very often.

It is a mistake to believe that nothing tasty can be made from herring. Herring baked in the oven with potatoes turns out to be very tasty.

Fish can be stewed in a frying pan with sour cream or tomato paste. Even the menu of some restaurants includes herring fried in batter with the addition of herbs.

It is not at all necessary to use only fresh herring. A frozen product is fine. Salaka can be salted. This fish is called Baltic herring, since it is salted in almost the same way as herring.

If you have a multicooker at home, you should try cooking herring in this device. The result is a tasty and healthy dish with minimal time investment.

And if you work a little, you can make cutlets from herring. True, you will have to choose selected fish in order to use more fillets.

Homemade sprats turn out much tastier than store-bought ones. This delicacy can be put on sandwiches. Anyone can cook sprats from herring.

Note to housewives:

Herring fish - 13 simplest and most delicious recipes

Cooking methods

"Sprats from herring"

Ingredients:

• sunflower oil – 100 ml;
• black tea – 4 bags;
• fresh herring – 1 kg;
• bay leaf, salt, peppercorns.

To prepare sprats, use strong, medium-sized fish. Large ones take longer to cook, and there is a risk that they will cook unevenly. The herring is first cleaned, the intestines are removed, and the head is removed. Spices are used to taste. Connoisseurs of spicy flavors can diversify the taste of sprats with fennel, cloves and sauce. Liquid smoke or onion skins are used to dye fish golden.

Cooking principle:

1. Cover a thick-bottomed dish (deep frying pan, roasting pan) with foil. Place the first layer of fish on top, belly down. The carcasses should fit tightly to each other, only in this case they will not fall apart during cooking.
2. Add spices.
3. Place the second layer on top. Ultimately, the fish should take up no more than 2/3 of the dish, otherwise the oil will boil away during cooking.
4. Make a strong brew based on 2 tea bags per 400 ml of water. Dissolve salt (10 g) in liquid. Pour the tea leaves into the pan with the fish. Add sunflower oil to coat the herring. Place the duck roast on the fire for 20 minutes. Do not cover with lid.
5. Preheat the oven to 160 degrees. Place the dish with fish in the oven, cover with a lid, and simmer for 6 hours. Sprats are considered ready when the flesh of the fish acquires a characteristic golden color and the bones become soft and invisible. Serve with cucumbers, herbs, tomatoes, boiled potatoes.

"Marinated herring"

Ingredients:

• herring – 1 kg;
• sugar – 15 g;
• water – 1.5 l;
• bay leaf – 2 pcs;
• salt – 45 g;
• vinegar – 15 ml;
• a set of spices for marinades, turmeric, black peppercorns.

Cooking principle:

1. Preparing the fish: cut off the head, remove the entrails.
2. Prepare the marinade. Boil water, pour in vinegar, add salt, sugar and spices. To enhance the taste, you can additionally add cumin, mustard, coriander seeds, cloves and cardamom. Boil the marinade for 5 minutes. Spices should soften in boiling water, reveal their aroma, and sugar and salt crystals should completely dissolve. Remove the spicy broth from heat and cool to 20 degrees. You can also add onions to the marinade. The vegetable is cut into large half rings.
3. Place the herring in a ceramic dish or plastic tray. Pour in the marinade, cover with a lid, leave in a warm place for 1 day, then put in the refrigerator. On the second day, the fish is ready to eat. Before serving, seasoned herring is poured with oil and sprinkled with onions.

The longer the fish is marinated, the more salt and spices it absorbs.

"Fried herring"

Ingredients:

• herring – 1 kg;
• flour – 100 g;
• vegetable oil – 150 ml.

Cooking technology:

1. Rinse the fish and wipe with a dry cloth. If desired, it can be cleaned of the insides.
2. Heat a frying pan with oil. To prevent the herring from falling apart and sticking to the surface during turning, the bottom is sprinkled with salt.
3. Dredge the fish on all sides in flour and place in a heated frying pan. Fry over high heat for 3 minutes on each side, then reduce it to low and cook until done. Serve with fresh or stewed vegetables and herbs.

The duration of cooking herring depends on the size of the carcasses and does not exceed 10-15 minutes.

Baltic herring is a universal product that can be salted, pickled, fried, dried, baked, smoked and stewed. Fish is used to prepare minced meat and cold appetizers. It goes well with sour cream and tomato sauce. The best side dish for stewed herring is boiled rice.

Harm and contraindications

1. Despite the fact that fish is very healthy, its consumption in salted or smoked form should be limited to people with hypertension.

2. Herring contains a large amount of cobalt. If you eat the product uncontrollably, you can get poisoned. Frequent use of the product sometimes leads to skin diseases.

3. Salak cannot be classified as an environmentally friendly product. It may contain dioxidin and other harmful substances in unacceptable amounts.

4. It is strictly forbidden for those who are allergic to seafood to eat herring. They are given to children only after they turn 3 years old. The product is introduced gradually, be sure to monitor the reaction of the child’s body.

Reproduction

Herring lives in local herds, which are confined to certain bays in the sea. Herring reaches sexual maturity at 2 or 3 years of age. There are two races of fish, which differ in the timing of the spawning period. The first race spawns in the spring, starting from May and ending in June. Spawning occurs at a depth of 5 to 7 meters; herring caviar is bottom-dwelling. The second race - autumn - is small in number. Representatives of this particular race can reach gigantic sizes and grow very quickly. Individuals begin spawning at the end of summer and finish at the beginning of autumn. Eggs are also deposited on the bottom. Fertility is about 10 thousand eggs.

Smoked herring

Herring is a fish of great commercial importance. Its catches in the Baltic Sea are exactly half of those of any other fish species. They catch fish with nets and traps. Herring is smoked, salted, and such well-known canned foods as “sprats in oil” are prepared from it, as well as preserves such as “anchovy” or “sprat”.

Benefits for humans

Thanks to the substances it contains, it helps normal growth and development, has a positive effect on the skin, kidney function, has a healing effect, antiviral prevention, immunity development, calming effect, normalization of the nervous system, proper metabolism (metabolism), mental activity, thyroid function glands.

Since it contains both calcium and phosphorus, they help strengthen the bone skeleton, tooth enamel and teeth in general. Their ratio in this type of fish is ideal for this.

Selecting herring in the store

When choosing this fish, you should not trust sellers. It is best to inspect and collect them yourself.

The carcass itself must be clean, without damage, and dense. Color with a transition from light to dark silver (gray). And most importantly, you need to pay attention to her head. It should not be deformed, the mouth should be tightly closed, the eyes should be clean, shiny, without dark or bloody streaks. If the heads are removed (which happens rarely and raises a big question about freshness), then you need to carefully inspect the cut. The meat should be light in color (white, milky or slightly pinkish). If the cut is dark or brown, this indicates that the fish is stale or improperly stored. It is also worth noting the smell of herring. If you have any doubts, you should refuse the purchase.

Where and how does it live

Salak does not really like sea salt, so it prefers bays with the most desalinated water, such as the Curonian or Kaliningrad Lagoon. Schools of fish can be found even in fresh water. In search of food, it prefers the upper layers of water, where its food supply, zooplankton, is located. It mainly lives at medium depths, which classifies it as a pelagic species. Herring is a collective fish that does not change its territorial preferences. Many individuals gather in herds that live and breed in permanent marine waters. There is a seasonal movement of fish stocks from the shore, to the open sea, and back.

In the spring, until the sea warms up, herds of herring live near the coastline in anticipation of summer fishing in the open sea. When the water warms up to 16 degrees Celsius, the herring rushes away from the shore, to medium depths. In autumn, a reverse migration occurs to warm coastal shallow waters. For wintering, the fish returns to the sea and lives in the depths, near the bottom.

Yandex pictures

Selection and storage of fish

When choosing Baltic herring, the following important factors must be taken into account:

• Fish carcasses must be intact; fish without a head should not be purchased, as it is usually stale.
• The color of fresh fish is uniform, the meat has a light, slightly pinkish tint.
• A pleasant fishy smell indicates the freshness of the fish; its absence indicates a violation of storage conditions.
• Fresh fish have bright red gills and clear, unclouded eyes.

Fresh fish must be stored at a temperature of 0 o C, frozen - at a temperature of - 18 o C.

Description

Herring is an exact smaller copy of the Atlantic herring. The head with large eyes occupies more than a quarter of the body. The mouth is medium, the upper jaw reaches the middle of the eye. Well developed vomer teeth. On the dark blue, flat back there is a dorsal fin, which has from 17 to 21 rays. The silvery-white belly is rounded, closer to the tail there is an anal fin consisting of 15-19 rays. About 66 rakers are located on the 1st gill arch.

Since herring has fewer vertebrae than Atlantic herring, from 54 to 57, its spine length is shorter than that of its older sister. The average length is about 200 mm, adults can reach 370 mm, then they are considered giants and record holders. The majority of the industrial catch is represented by 2-4 year old individuals, 140-160 mm each. The length of the fish varies depending on its habitat; Thus, the herring living in the cold northern regions of the Baltic Sea is, on average, 30 mm shorter than those living off the central part of the east coast. And the largest fish is found along the southern coast of the sea and reaches, on average, 220mm.

The average weight of fish is 25-50 grams, less often up to 75 grams. In 1959, a giant herring weighing 1500 grams was caught in the Gulf of Finland. The age of such rare specimens can reach 19 years, with an average life expectancy of 7-8 years. The further north a fish lives, the longer it lives.

Yandex pictures

How they catch

The herring catch in the Baltic Sea is very large; it represents a good half of the catch of all commercial fish in this region of the world fishery. They use fixed or floating nets, fixed or cast nets; Fishing lovers in large numbers, armed with special gear, also don’t mind catching “the fish of their dreams.” Its popularity among the local population is explained by the fact that herring is caught in all seasons, regardless of the time of year.

Interesting fact: every year the inhabitants of Holland hold a traditional holiday dedicated to herring, at which it is prepared as the main treat. And in Sweden and Finland, Baltic herring is a favorite national dish. The Swedes, in general, are great originals: they specially ferment herring, subjecting the fish to long-term fermentation, then preserve it in tin cans and, after the cans swell, they open them in the fresh air and enjoy this exotic product with onions and bread. They even came up with a separate term for this process: “surströmming.”