2024 Author: Jasmine Walkman | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 08:29
The African catfish, which is bred in the Pazardzhik region or is imported from Turkey, has gradually begun to replace the traditional carp for the St. Nicholas table.
Observations of the fish market in recent years show that consumers in our country are becoming more and more inclined to break the tradition of St. Nicholas Day by preparing another type of fish for the holiday instead of carp.
African catfish flood the home markets, and customers prefer them because their price per kilogram is only about 2 levs higher than that of carp, which is constantly growing, and in the days around St. Nicholas traditional fish becomes almost unattainable for Bulgarians.
This year, the carp will compete with trout, whose demand continues to grow. They are also becoming more and more popular for the St. Nicholas table, as they are cheaper.
Aqua farms in our country traditionally breed mainly fish from the Carp and Trout families, but in recent years they have enriched their production with African catfish because of the EU funding that most producers receive.
The largest Bulgarian farm for African catfish is located in Pazardzhik, and a large part of this type of fish on the market is imported from Turkey. Producers from Pazardzhik region say that in just 4 months the catfish weighs 2 kilograms and is completely ready for sale.
However, chefs add that it throws away bones, skin and fins, more than carp and trout. The unpleasant cleaning procedure can be missed if you buy a ready-made fillet, the price of which is quite high - about 15 levs per kilogram.
African catfish can be made with walnuts and rice, but is not suitable for stuffing like carp. Boneless catfish can be arranged in fillets in a pan, then filled with stuffing and roasted, cooks advise.
Only a month before one of the biggest Bulgarian holidays - St. Nicholas Day, inspections show that we can rarely buy fresh fish in our country, although our sellers offer it as such.
Experts reveal that the fish sold as freshly caught has been frozen and thawed several times by traders so that it is not discarded.
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St. Nicholas Day is a holiday of sailors, bankers, merchants, in addition it is a holiday of the city of Burgas and the Orthodox Church on December 6, St. Nicholas is honored . In other words, even if you are not a name day, you must celebrate this date with a suitable table for St.
We Pay Last Year's Carp Price For St. Nicholas Day
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The Carp Around St. Nicholas Day Rises By BGN 2
For this year's St. Nicholas Day, the traditional carp will increase its price by BGN 2 and the fish will be offered in the shops between BGN 6 and 8 on the day of the holiday, Standart writes. In the fishponds around Blagoevgrad so far no changes in the price values of the fish are envisaged.
Cheap Carp For St. Nicholas Day
Bulgarian fish producers predict that this year the table for St. Nicholas Day will be significantly cheaper. Domestic traders expect the pre-holiday market to be flooded with cheap carp, which this year marks record production. Overproduction of fish will lead to a reduction in its commercial price.
The Carp For St. Nicholas Day Will Cost Us About 5 Leva Per Kilogram
The carp, which is traditionally placed on the table for St. Nicholas Day, will cost us an average of BGN 5 per kilogram. On the eve of the holiday, the fish market has moved, analyzes show. Every year around St. Nicholas Day, fish sales jump by about 70%, with carp buying between 1.
