Seafood Glossary

Summary: Enjoying seafood is an excellent way to eat healthy and enjoy delicious meals. The following is a primer to help consumers select and enjoy seafood items. General Seafood Terms Blacken - to sear fish or seafood in a cast iron frying pan or grill with high heat. The item is usually heavily coated with a blackening seasoning and typically cooked rare in the center. Broil - to cook an item in the lower section of the oven where heat contacts the item from above. This me...

Enjoying seafood is an excellent way to eat healthy and enjoy delicious meals. The following is a primer to help consumers select and enjoy seafood items. General Seafood Terms Blacken - to sear fish or seafood in a cast iron frying pan or grill with high heat. The item is usually heavily coated with a blackening seasoning and typically cooked rare in the center. Broil - to cook an item in the lower section of the oven where heat contacts the item from above. This method is good for browning the topside of a fillet or other seafood. Ceviche - also spelled cebiche or seviche. A form of citrus marinated seafood salad. Ceviche originated in Peru. Chowder - a rich soup using seafood, vegetables and either a tomato based or dairy based broth. Bisque - a rich spicy soup containing lobster, shrimp or other seafood. Fillet - a cut of fish which consists of one boneless side of the fish, either skin on or skin off. Farm raised - seafood which has been grown in containment and fed a controlled diet. Omega 3 - fish oil is an important source of Omega 3 fatty acids; eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). Omega 3 fatty acids found in fish oil have numerous clinically proven health benefits. Sustainable - the ability of a population to be harvested and still reproduce enough for population levels to remain constant. Wild caught - seafood that have existed naturally and harvested from the environment. Seafood Items Catfish - this fish has white meat and a delicate flavor. Catfish are easily farm raised. Calamari - squid, prepared a variety of ways. Calamari is popular in several cuisines. Clams - a large group of shellfish. The most popular are hard clams which are eaten raw, steamed or in dishes such as chowders. Conch - this term is often applied to species of whelk, caught along the USA eastern seaboard. Whelk are large mollusks, similar to snails. The meat is tough but has a distinctive flavor. Whelk or "Conch" meat is popular in Oriental cuisine for dishes such as sushi. It is also popular in Caribbean cuisine and is used in chowders and other recipes. Lobsters - large crustaceans, highly prized as a seafood delicacy. Northern or American lobsters come from Canada or the Eastern USA. A second lobster is the spiny or rock lobster, found in the Caribbean and Mediterranean. Mahi-mahi - dolphinfish; a brightly colored pelagic fish. Mahi mahi is a white fish with a distinctive flavor. The meat is high in Omega 3 oil. Mahi mahi is often grilled or broiled. Mussels - small shellfish, popular in Mediterranean and other cuisine. Oysters - shellfish, often served raw or steamed in the shell. Shrimp - a term for several species of small crustaceans. Wild American shrimp include white shrimp (Litopenaeus setiferus), brown shrimp (Farfantepenaeus aztecus), pink shrimp (Penaeus duorarum), royal red shrimp (Pleoticus robustus or Hymenopenaeus robustus) and rock shrimp (Sicyonia brevirostris) Salmon - a group of fish, most sought after are Pacific salmon, of which there are several species. Salmon are available wild caught or farm raised. Salmon is known for it's visually appealing orange or pink flesh and high Omega 3 oil content. Tilapia - a small, farm raised fish, with a mild white flesh. Online resources including www.fresh-seafood.net offer consumers with a wide range of information articles, news, recipes and suppliers of top quality fresh seafood that is available locally or shipped to your door.