Carp

2024 Author: Jasmine Walkman | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 08:29

The carp (Cyprinus carpio) is one of the most popular fish in our country, which has even managed to take deep roots in Bulgarian traditions and beliefs. Apart from the fact that on the feast of St. Nicholas we like to eat St. Nicholas carp, this fish is revered on Bulgarian tables all year round.

The carp is a laterally flattened fish, which is characterized by a high massive back and a relatively small head. In general, there are three species of carp - scaly carp, whose body is covered with scales, mirror carp, which has larger scales arranged in three rows, and naked carp, which has no scales.

The carp is a freshwater fish that is extremely adaptable and resistant to changes in habitat. This is the reason why today it is one of the most widely caught fish in the world. After about 500 years of selection, today there are many subspecies of carp.

On average, carp weigh up to 30 - 35 kg, but the best are those from 800 g to 3 kg. The world record for the largest carp caught is held by the Austrian fisherman Christian Baldeman, who caught a giant carp weighing 37.3 kg and 115 cm long in Robert Raduta in neighboring Romania.

Carp reach sexual maturity between the fourth and sixth year of their life in warmer regions, and in our conditions can reproduce at 3-4 years of age. In 3 years the carp can reach 35 cm and weigh about 1 - 1,250 kg.

Although this type of fish is characterized by high fertility - about 180 thousand caviar grains per 1 kg of live weight, but very few of them survive because they are eaten by many other aquatic inhabitants - both carp caviar and small carp.. The carp spawn in May-June on rocks and aquatic plants.

The carp is one of the most widespread fish for fishing in Bulgaria, and is distributed in the reservoirs of the whole country. Due to the problems with the destruction of caviar and the wrong fishing policy, as well as the bad faith of the fishermen, every year the carp population decreases more and more.

The conditions for its actual reproduction are proving increasingly difficult and even impossible. Since, in practice, the fishing of sexually immature carp is allowed in our country, the desulfurization of reservoirs is becoming more and more noticeable.

Carp bite best on corn bait. If you catch carp in the summer, know that fish, like most fish, are best caught in the evening or morning. In gloomy and cloudy weather during the day, the carp also bites well - during the rain or after rain. Probably the most successful catch is in the spring and autumn, when the fish bite all day.

History of carp

The first carp arrived in Europe from Asia in ancient Rome. At that time, carp was considered an eccentric culinary delicacy. Later in history, in the Middle Ages, the Catholic Church removed fish from the list of blissful foods. In this way, the monks began to breed carp in artificial ponds to save themselves from the many days of fasting on the calendar.

The best breeders of fatty carp breeds turned out to be the monks from the Bohemia region in the Czech Republic. Gradually, new breeds of carp were established there, which had an increasing culinary value, or in other words, were prepared easily and deliciously. To this day, the Czech Republic continues to be the world's largest exporter of live carp.

About the St. Nicholas carp

The bright and delicious tradition of eating roasted, stuffed or fried carp on St. Nicholas Day is associated with an interesting legend. Once, when St. Nicholas went out to sea in a boat, a terrible storm arose, which broke the boat. To save the boat, himself and his companions, the saint caught a carp and successfully closed the crack with it.

Since then, for St. Nicholas Day, fish is traditionally sacrificed, mostly carp, because the carp is considered a servant of St. Nicholas. Most often on a bright holiday a fishpond is prepared - carp wrapped in dough. After the festive table, the bones of the St. Nicholas carp are not thrown away.

They must be burned, buried in the ground or thrown into the river. The belief is that in this way the family's well-being and fertility in the family will increase.

Traditionally, older women sewed on the children's hats the bone from the top of the carp, which is in the shape of a cross. This is done to protect them from evil forces and lessons. In China and Japan, on the other hand, traditional beliefs require that when a boy is born, he be ordained to grow up healthy, smart, and strong, as is actually the carp itself.

Composition of carp

Carp is a very oily and nutritious fish, and the amount of fat in it depends on the conditions and the place in which it grew. Like most fish, carp are a source of valuable omega-3 unsaturated fatty acids, protein and various trace elements such as phosphorus.

100 g of carp contain:

Calories: 127 Kcal

Calories from fat: 50.4 Kcal; Fat: 5.6 g; Saturated fat: 1.1 g; Omega-3 fatty acids: 0.6 g; Cholesterol: 66 mg; Protein: 17.8 g; Calcium 41 mg; Potassium 332 mg; Phosphorus 415 mg.

Selection and storage of carp

Buy only freshly caught carpwhich is thicker, especially if you are going to use it for stuffing. The fish's eyes should not be cloudy - it means that the fish is not fresh. Store carp in the refrigerator before processing.

Culinary use of carp

The best carp for filling it is up to about 3 kg, and for breading smaller specimens are chosen. The tasty carp meat is tender, creamy with a dense structure and quite juicy and tasty. Carp are considered the most delicious in late summer and autumn, when the fish have accumulated enough fat for the winter months. It is best to cook completely fresh carp, sliced into chops.

Cutlets from carp up to 1.5 kg are probably best for frying and breading. They do not require additional splitting of the spine in length, as is done with larger fish. First of all, the carp must be thoroughly washed and peeled. They can be easily shaved if you soak the fish for 2-3 minutes in boiling water. Then you can cut the tail, remove the entrails and gills. Finally, the carp is washed again and drained before cooking.

If you bake carp on the grill, put it well greased first on the side of the scales or skin for about 5 - 6 minutes, and then - the inside for about 2-3 minutes. Very tasty fish soups are also obtained from carp. Apart from the carp itself, its caviar has a culinary value, as salted and ripe it is considered to be the best caviar-tarama. Other fish can often be used as a substitute for carp, such as grass carp, cockroach, silver carp. The taste of carp goes very well with Riesling wine.