Torsk
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Image courtesy Wikimedia Commons
Torsk is the Scandinavian name for cod, but specifically Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) which is also known commercially as codling.
All true torsk are cod but not all cod are torsk. Some in the cod (Gadidae) family are sometimes marketed as cod, but are more properly known as haddock, pollock, coley, whiting, hake, among others.
In Ireland and the UK, cusk (Brosme brosme) is called torsk, even though it is not.
Atlantic cod can live for twenty-five years, and are sexually mature at ages varying from two to eight years. It has been heavily overfished, to the point of being labelled vulnerable on the IUCN Red List. Some stocks are more endangered than others, for example, in the western Atlantic around Canada and New England.
Eastern Atlantic cod stocks, around Iceland, Norway, and the Barents Sea (north of Norway and Russia and strictly part of the Arctic Ocean) are at healthy, sustainable levels.
North Sea and Celtic Sea cod stocks are still endangered. The situation in the North Sea is so dire that scientists have advised that there should be no cod fishing in these waters. In addition, other stocks of the Gadidae family are also causing concern. Similar restricted fishing measures are expected to be suggested in the Celtic Sea.
Fish, once a cheap and easily sourced food, has become increasingly expensive. Suggested alternatives for cheaper meals are chicken, beans, pulses, eggs, mushrooms, and tofu.
Chicken and eggs are produced at speed on an industrial scale, but that’s a topic for another time.
Interesting. We are not big fish eaters.
ReplyDeleteWe eat a lot of fish, which is somewhat unfortunate at present. 🐟🦈
DeleteThe theory of banning fishing is good but it needs strong enforcement, something our department here is not very good at.
ReplyDeletePart of the high cost of fish is no one wants fish with bones in it now, myself included.
Perhaps you should start eating jellyfish . . . 🪼
DeleteOr squid...😉
DeleteMost of our cod comes from the north Sea . Salt cod is very popular in Greece. It's a popular dish, fried with garlic sauce. The most expensive is Norwegian I think. Often now we buy a cheaper alternative, probably one of those you've listed.
ReplyDeleteMost food in Norway is expensive, I think. 🦈🐟
DeleteMy favourite fish is trout, locally sourced from the Black Forest where it is often raised the traditional way in small-ish ponds near woodland farms, some with their own restaurant where they serve the fish straight from the pond.
ReplyDeleteI don't eat it often, but when I do, it's a luxury meal for me, complete with horseradish cream and a glass of sparkling wine.
It's hard to find whole trout for sale these days. We used to eat it quite a lot, but now have to opt for trout fillets. Yours sound wonderful.
DeleteI have often wondered what our seas would have been like before fishing boats and nets. Cod would probably have been so plentiful that at times coastal waters would have had a silvery appearance. And no plastic debris either.
ReplyDeleteMy mother used to tell me about the fish sellers who would come to the door when she was a girl, with a wonderful variety of fresh fish. When was the last time you had garfish?
DeleteCod has become very expensive here in our local fishmongers so it is a rare treat. I expect the fish we can buy from the supermarket is a cheaper alternative but even that costs more than local beef cuts.
ReplyDeleteToo much demand and not enough supply, sadly. Whoever would have thought that beef would give way to fish as a 'luxury?'
DeleteWe rarely eat cod, other fish taste as nice, we did have a fish stall at our local market for a while, sadly they stopped coming, supermarket fish is expensive and tasteless.
ReplyDeleteOther white fish is quite as good as cod.
DeleteIt is those large scale fishing nets that scoop up so much of the fish in the sea, some of which is thrown away. A staple meal in our country of course used to be fish and chips. Expensive now but always welcome when preparing a meal feels too much. And we traditionally always have it on Friday.
ReplyDeleteNow the net mesh sizes are meant to stop the capture of immature fish. Even so, with a slow reproduction rate, the cod are not gaining in numbers.
DeleteA sobering reminder that even the once-plentiful Atlantic cod, a fish that sustained entire coastal cultures for centuries, has become a symbol of how industrial overfishing can unravel marine ecosystems faster than they can recover.
ReplyDeleteIndeed. Some fishing methods are harsher than others, but commerce is king.
DeleteA good piece of cod is a fine delicacy. Of course, in our usual human way we overfished them. As a species we provide ongoing lessons on how to ruin a good thing.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you there 100 %, David. Sad but true (not sad that I agree with you, but that it is so true what you wrote.)
DeleteI agree. Another example of how we foolish humans are ruining our world.
DeleteI must tell you, there is the most marvelous book, "Cod" by Mark Kurlansky. Everyone should read it!
ReplyDeleteI shall look for it. Thank you.
DeleteI like fish and have always purchased haddock in the past.
ReplyDeleteWe eat a lot of fish, but the choice has become limited, and expensive.
DeleteAwful that cod has become endangered-Christine cmlk79.blogspot.com
ReplyDeleteIt is a tragedy.
DeleteCod has become very expensive here and also restricted at times. There was one seafood restaurant I went to last year where they substituted it with monkfish.
ReplyDeleteMonkfish is quite a meaty fish, rather unlike cod.Tasty, though.
DeleteOh yes, our cod was definitely over-fished.
ReplyDeleteSad. 🦈🦈🦈
DeleteCod used to be a cheap nutritious food. From there to luxury item. For me it's an occasional treat now.
ReplyDelete. . . and for many others, too.
DeleteWe hardly ever eat fish now because of the price. Interesting Cod facts.
ReplyDeleteAlison in Devon x
Thank you, Alison.
DeleteThe Atlantic cod is the official, historic symbol for Massachusetts. There's a wooden "Sacred Cod" carving that hangs in the Massachusetts state house. Lots of fishermen bring in scrod or schrod. Both pronounce scrod. It's the first catch of the day. On a menu is you see Scrod=cod and Schrod=haddock.
ReplyDeleteThat's interesting.
DeleteWe are mostly vegetarian in our eating habits but do occasionally eat fish, mostly catfish or trout. I can't remember the last time I ate cod. Interesting fish.
ReplyDeleteI hardly ever see whole trout for sale, just fillets, which are nice, but a whole fish is so tasty.
DeleteWow that was a very interesting post. Thanks for the info.
ReplyDeleteMy pleasure. 🦈
DeleteYes, fish has become expensive. I buy a lot of Alaskan cod here...frozen. In the past few years the price has increased a lot, but I still like it. We eat salmon too. NOT farm raised. We are very picky where our fish comes from and, hopefully, how it was caught. We also eat a lot of tofu, eggs, and beans. Not much chicken because I don't trust the way the chickens are treated.
ReplyDeleteI don't like fish farms - too much infection.
ReplyDeleteI would eat more fish if it was more affordable. In my childhood, cod was cheap. No wonder we rarely see it for sale any more.
ReplyDeleteScarcity raises the price and it becomes a luxury.
DeleteI do enjoy fish and eat it at least once a week.
ReplyDeleteYes, it can be expensive, but you can very often find bulk buys/larger packs in the supermarket freezer ... always worth a look!
All the best Jan
We eat a lot of fish, but not much meat. Bargains are there to be discovered!
DeleteI don't like eating fish, and I hate to see that species like Torsk overfished.
ReplyDeleteIt's fascinating about the name. Regional variations won't help, and it's easier to protect if it's clear what name is being used.
I love the information on your blog.
I like fish, but dislike the sticky feeling it sometimes leaves. Fish glue, anyone?
DeleteInteresting. It's funny they say Chicken is cheaper, not sure it's that much cheaper anymore.
ReplyDeleteThe cheapest chicken is that which is produced with least regard for animal welfare, sadly.
DeleteI live in a far different world than yours. We have fresh fish in (somewhat) local places...but lake variety such as trout and walleye. Cod, haddock, pollock and the like are only available as frozen fillets here....
ReplyDeleteIn the UK, no-one is more than seventy miles from the sea, so buying seafood is easy, just increasingly expensive.
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