Cured Fish. Fish may be cured by drying, salting, or smoking. Curing is one of the oldest ways of preserving fish. Although distinctive tastes and prolonged keeping times are achieved with any of these curing techniques, they can also harden the outer surfaces.

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About half of all fish consumed in the United States is canned. Tuna accounts for 76 percent of canned fish consumption; salmon comes in second at 9 percent, followed by sardines, shrimp, and crabs. Canning alleviates the problem of the rapid perishability of fish.

Tuna. Six species of tuna are canned and sold in the United States: yellowfish, skipjack, bluefin, Oriental tuna, little tuna, and albacore. “White” canned tuna comes from albacore and is the most expensive. All other tuna is labeled “light meat tuna,” although some of it can be quite dark. Canned tuna comes in three different styles: fancy or solid pack (a filet or whole piece), chunk (large pieces), and flake (fine pieces or grated). Solid pack has the best appearance and is also the most expensive. Read more »

Fish roe consists of the eggs of vertebrate fish held together by a thin membranous sac. It is available only from female fish during the spawing season and is highly perishable. Freshwater roe is often breaded and fried, but the surrounding sac must be pierced first or it may explode during frying causing severe burns. A major drawback to fresh fish roe is that it stays fresh for only a day or two at the most; it is usually preserved in brine solution, which imparts a salty flavor, firms the roe, and extends its usable time. The roe sold in the unrefrigerated section of the supermarket has been pasteurized to extend its shelf life. Fish such as shad and herring from North Atlantic waters are popular roe sources, as are Pacific salmon and whitefish from the Great Lakes. Other roe sources include cod, carp, pike-perch, and gray mullet. Read more »

Selection of Finfish
The criteria for selection of vertebrate and invertebrate fish are very different. Retailers providing consumers with nutrition information must abide by the nutrition labeling values provided by the FDA for fish and shellfish.

Vertebrate Fish

Fish can be purchased fresh or frozen as whole, drawn, dressed, steaks, fillets, and sticks.

• Whole fish. The body is entirely intact.
• Drawn fish. Whole fish that have had their entrails (inner organs) removed.
• Dressed fish. The head, tail, fins, and scales have been removed in addition to the entrails.
• Steaks. Cut from dressed fish by slicing from the top fin to the bottom fin at a 90 degree angle at varying thicknesses. Steaks contain a portion of the backbone and other bones.
• Fillets. Made by slicing the fish lengthwise from front to back to avoid the bones.
• Fish sticks. Uniform portions cut from fillets or steaks. They can also be made from fish that has been minced, which is then shaped, breaded, and frozen.

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Inspection and Grading of Fish and Shellfish

Unlike meat and poultry, the inspection of finfish is voluntary. Such inspection, when it occurs, is based on the wholesomeness of the fish and the sanitary conditions of the processing plant. The National Marine Fisheries Service of the U.S. Department of Commerce is responsible for fish inspections, which are paid for by the processor. Read more »

Structure of Finfish

Regardless of their classification, fish are usually tender when they come to the table, and three structural factors contribute to this tenderness. When compared with meat or poultry, fish muscle has lower amounts of collagen. The bodies of land animals average 15 percent connective tissue by weight, while fish are only 3 percent collagen. Read more »

Salt or Fresh Water

The majority of the fish eaten in the United States are taken from salty waters, but many also come from fresh-water lakes, ponds, and streams. Saltwater fish often have a more distinct flavor than freshwater fish. Sole, however, is a very mild-flavored saltwater fish, and is one of several exceptions to the taste generalization. Read more »

Vertebrate or Invertebrate

The vertebrate category includes sea mammals, all of which must get their oxygen from above the water’s surface, and finfish, which obtain their oxygen from the water itself through their gills. Sea mammals include dolphin, whale, and seal, which are consumed in some cultures. Read more »

Fish and Shellfish

Humans were eating fish, shellfish, and sea mammals long before they started cultivating plants or domesticating animals for food. Excavations of Stone Age sites have uncovered fish nets, spears, and fishing hooks made from the upper beaks of birds. Read more »