General Seafood Terms

blacken - to sear fish or seafood in a cast iron frying pan or grill with high heat. The item is usually heavily coated with a blackening seasoning and typically cooked rare in the center.

broil - to cook an item in the lower section of the oven where heat contacts the item from above. This method is good for browning the topside of a fillet or other seafood.

ceviche - also spelled cebiche or seviche is a form of citrus marinated seafood salad. Ceviche originated in Peru.

chowder - a rich soup using seafood, vegetables and either a tomato based or dairy based broth.

bisque - a rich spicy soup containing lobster, shrimp or other seafood.

fillet - a cut of fish which consists of one boneless side of the fish, either skin on or skin off.

farm raised - seafood which has been grown in containment and fed a controlled diet.

omega 3 - fish oil is an important source of Omega 3 fatty acids; eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). Omega 3 fatty acids found in fish oil have numerous clinically proven health benefits.

sustainable - the ability of a population to be harvested and still reproduce enough for population levels to remain constant.

wild caught - seafood that have existed naturally and harvested from the environment.

fluid ice- Fluid ice is also known as slush ice, binary ice, pumpable ice. Fluid ice is made by cooling seawater, or a brine, until ice crystals form. The product is then a mixture of ice and brine with the proportion of ice depending on the temperature reached. The proportion of ice in the mix used for chilling fish aboard boats is typically around 50%. The potential cooling capacity of a 50% mix is approximately half that of ice. Fluid ice can be easliy pumped into bulk storage which makes it more convenient for filling boxes than flake ice. The product is also effective for rapid cooling which benefits applications that include high catch rates.

 

Seafood Items

catfish - this fish has white meat and a delicate flavor. Catfish are easily farm raised.

calamari - squid, prepared a variety of ways. Calamari is popular in several cuisines.

clams - a large group of shellfish. The most popular are hard clams which are eaten raw, steamed or in dishes such as chowders.

conch - this term is often applied to species of whelk, caught along the USA eastern seaboard. Whelk are large mollusks, similar to snails. The meat is tough but has a distinctive flavor. Whelk or "Conch" meat is popular in Oriental cuisine for dishes such as sushi. It is also popular in Caribbean cuisine and is used in chowders and other recipes.

lobsters - large crustaceans, highly prized as a seafood delicacy. Northern or American lobsters come from Canada or the Eastern USA. A second lobster is the spiny or rock lobster, found in the Caribbean and Mediterranean.

mahi-mahi - dolphinfish; a brightly colored pelagic fish. Mahi mahi is a white fish with a distinctive flavor. The meat is high in Omega 3 oil. Mahi mahi is often grilled or broiled.

mussels - small shellfish, popular in Mediterranean and other cuisine.

oysters - shellfish, often served raw or steamed in the shell.

shrimp - a term for several species of small crustaceans. Wild American shrimp include white shrimp (Litopenaeus setiferus), brown shrimp (Farfantepenaeus aztecus), pink shrimp (Penaeus duorarum), royal red shrimp (Pleoticus robustus or Hymenopenaeus robustus) and rock shrimp (Sicyonia brevirostris)

salmon - a group of fish, most sought after are Pacific salmon, of which there are several species. Salmon are available wild caught or farm raised. Salmon is known for it's visually appealing orange or pink flesh and high Omega 3 oil content.

scrod - Scrod refers to a size, not a species of fish. The term originated in New England to describe the catch of the day. It is a fish under 2 1/2 pounds that is either cod, haddock, or pollock. Fish may be listed as "scrod cod," "scrod haddock," or "scrod pollock."

tilapia - a small, farm raised fish, with a mild white flesh.

tomalley -  the soft, green substance found in the body cavity of American lobsters. It functions as the liver and pancreas, and much like the liver of other animals, the lobster's tomalley is the natural filter for contaminants. Test results have shown that the tomalley can accumulate contaminants found in the environment, including PSP toxins. Although not widely consumed, tomalley is considered by some to be a delicacy.