Fish from the ancient time was not being a white meat source for health, but it was known as an important food source to human. Fish was first hunted wild, and through time was also farmed to meet the human needs which have been increased more and more.
Many types of fish are human food source in which included some types are considered the white meat for health. However, there are also the types that could be toxic if consumed. In this short article, the edible types are mentioned only.
Description
Before mentioning about fish as important source food or white meat, description related to fish in some words may help us to look back again this type in the food history.
Fish is vertebrate with no limbs and digits. They breathe by gills and include varieties of types which live in the marine (as shark, swordfish, mackerel, tuna, marlin, cod, flat-fish, grouper …), fresh water (as carp, tilapia, catfish, trout…) and brackish water (as salmon, shad, lamprey, eel…). The sizes of fish are also differently, could be from tons to grams. But the large size fishes are usually protected than consumed nowadays.
Fish are mostly cold-blood types. Their bodies could adapt to the water temperature. Some of the large types as white shark or tuna could even maintain their body temperature higher than the water.
In the wild environment, the smaller fishes are normally the food of the larger ones and it creates a chain of food. The small fishes will improve their size by gathering and moving as a big group.
Fish as food
Fish runs an important part as food to human before and there are some useful types for health when they are arranged in the white meat list. They provide source of nutrients as protein, minerals, vitamins, and many others.
The fat level in whitefish (as haddock, seer etc) is very low, and the level in oily fish (as salmon, sardine…) is higher, but this fatty acid is considered friendly to human health.
In culinary, fish is cooked in varieties of way from stewing, to grilling, baking, frying, pickling, smoking…even eating raw (in sushi). The way of cooking depends much on the areas and cultures and creates popularly cuisines around the world.
Although is used widely in many menus, fish also hides high risk in allergy and toxic. Many types of fish could cause toxication to the consumers. That’s why we should know clearly about the type of fish and our body to consume this food healthily.
Fish and hunting
To provide to the market, besides hunted, fish is also farmed popularly. Commonly, wild large fishes are hunted than farmed but nowadays, the hunting is usually overdoing illegal, and many types of fish are under red alarm of exhausting and are protected or limited by law in different countries. However, this status is still not controlled completely and there are still much works to do to use this invaluable food source rightly and reasonably.
