Pollock

Pollock (or pollack, pronounced the same and listed first in most UK and US dictionaries) is the common name used for either of the two species of marine fish in the Pollachius genus. Both P. pollachius and P. virens are commonly referred to as pollock. Other names for P. pollachius include the Atlantic pollock, European pollock, lieu jaune, and pollock, while P. virens is sometimes known as Boston blues (separate from bluefish), coalfish (or coley) or saithe.

Both species can grow to 3 ft 6 in (1.07 m) and can weigh up to 46 lb (21 kg). The fish has a strongly-defined silvery lateral line running down the sides. Above the lateral line the color is a greenish black. The belly is white. It can be found in water up to 100 fathoms (180 m) deep over rocks, and anywhere in the water column. They have a range from North Carolina up to the Gulf of St. Lawrence. Pollock are a "white fish". They are an important part of the New England and North Atlantic fisheries, though less so than cod and haddock. They spawn in late winter and early spring on Georges Bank, off the New England coast.

There are also members of the Theragra genus that are commonly referred to as pollock. This includes the Alaska pollock or walleye pollock (Theragra chalcogramma) and the rarer Norwegian pollock (Theragra finnmarchica). While related (they are also members of the family Gadidae) to the above pollock species, they are not members of the Pollachius genus. Alaska pollock generally spawn in late winter and early spring on Southeast Bering Sea. The Alaskan pollock fishery in the Bering Sea fishery is the largest single-species food fish fishery in the world.

Fisheries

Alaskan pollock (Theragra chalcogramma) is the largest food fish resource in the world. More than 3 million tons of Alaska pollock are caught each year in the North Pacific from Alaska to northern Japan. Alaska pollock catches from U.S. fisheries have been quite consistent at about 1.5 million tons a year, almost all of it from the Bering Sea.

The Alaskan pollock is said to be "the largest remaining source of palatable fish in the world."^[1]. However, the biomass of pollock has declined in recent years, perhaps spelling trouble for both the Bering Sea ecosystem and the commercial fishery it supports.

Cuisine

Atlantic pollock is largely considered to be a white fish, although it is a fairly strongly flavored one. In the United Kingdom it is largely consumed as an economic and versatile alternative to cod and haddock in the West Country, elsewhere being known mostly by its traditional use as "Pollack for puss / coley for the cat." Because of its slightly gray color it is prepared, as in Norway, as fried fish balls or if juvenile sized maybe breaded with oatmeal and fried as in the Shetlands. Year old fish are traditionally split, salted and dried over a peat hearth in the Orkneys where their texture becomes wooden and somewhat phosphorescent. The fish can also be salted and smoked and achieve a salmon like orange color as is the case in Germany where the fish is also known as seelachs or sea salmon.

Alaskan pollock has a much milder taste, whiter color and lower oil content. High quality, single frozen whole Alaskan pollock fillets may be layered into a block mold and deep frozen to produce fish blocks that are used throughout Europe and North America as the raw material for high quality breaded and battered fish products. Lower quality, double-frozen fillets or minced trim pieces may also be frozen in block forms and used as raw material for lower quality, low-cost breaded and battered fish sticks, portions, etc.

Single frozen Alaskan Pollock is considered to be the premier raw material for surimi; the most common use of surimi in the United States is "imitation crabmeat" (also known as crab stick).

Alaskan pollock is commonly used in the fast food industry, for example the fish filet of Dairy Queen, Arby's, and Burger King are also made from Alaskan pollock. As stated on the packaging of the product, McDonald's uses Hoki and/or pollock in their Filet-O-Fish sandwich.^{[citation needed]}

Pollock Stew (hangul:속초생태) - prepared with gochujang, garlic, bean sprouts is a popular winter dish in South Korea.

Notes

1. ^ Clover, Charles. 2004. The End of the Line: How Overfishing is Changing the World and What We Eat. Ebury Press, London. ISBN 0-09-189780-7

• "Pollachius". FishBase. Ed. Ranier Froese and Daniel Pauly. June 2006 version. N.p.: FishBase, 2006.
• "Pollachius pollachius". FishBase. Ed. Ranier Froese and Daniel Pauly. June 2006 version. N.p.: FishBase, 2006.
• "Pollachius virens". FishBase. Ed. Ranier Froese and Daniel Pauly. June 2006 version. N.p.: FishBase, 2006.

References

• Davidson, Alan. Oxford Companion to Food (1999), “Saithe”, p. 682. ISBN 0-19-211579-0fr:Pollachius

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