There is a popular joke that a small smelt is both a vegetable and a fish at the same time. From the owner of tasty, juicy and fatty meat, a fresh cucumber aroma really comes. It is appreciated by many gourmets of the world and their love for such a delicacy is easy to understand and easy to explain.

History and geography of the product

Smelt lives in marine and freshwater reservoirs. It is found in the coastal zones of Europe, is found in the territory Baltic Sea and the Bay of Biscay, in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. freshwater species found in lakes in Germany and Northern Europe. The fish is widespread in the coastal waters of the Baltic Sea. In large numbers, individuals live in the Neva River, in the Onega and Ladoga lakes.

When people first began to get smelt for food, it is not known, however, there is evidence that in former times there were a lot of this fish in reservoirs, it was even caught with laundry baskets that were used instead of a net. For modern Europeans, it is of no value as an object of fishing. The reason for the decline in interest in delicacy is a decrease in the population of the species and pollution of water bodies where smelt lives. Today in the West, it is more often caught by amateur fishermen who are not averse to diversifying the home menu or replenishing their wallet a little from selling their catch in the market. They use nets, nets or nets when catching smelt.

However, there are places where smelt is harvested on an industrial scale. One of the major suppliers of fish is Russia. In the country, it is caught freely in natural lakes, such as Ladoga or Onega, as well as on the Neva River, in the Gulf of Finland and other places of large concentrations of individuals. Due to the unpretentiousness of the fish, it is easily bred in ponds of sufficient depth and purity. For example, her artificial cultivation run by UK farms.

Species and varieties

Smelt belongs to the salmon family. It is also called differently smelt, root, smelt. It is a small fish up to 15-18 cm long, less often there are large specimens reaching 30 cm. The back and thin sides of the smelt are bright silver, gray-green or Pink colour. A characteristic feature of the species is an intense aroma reminiscent of fresh cucumbers. The body of the smelt is elongated, covered with small scales, with two dorsal fins, the lower jaw is much larger than the upper one.

There are several types of smelt. Among them there is a smelt with a short life expectancy - these are fish up to 2-3 years old, no larger than 10 cm in size, weighing about 6-8 g. The White Sea and Baltic species live a little longer and grow larger in size. The largest smelt, Siberian, is considered a real long-liver. It reaches a length of 30-35 cm, gains weight up to 350 g, lives 9-12 years.

Smelt gets on the shelves in stores in chilled, frozen, salted, dried, smoked, canned form. Suppliers distinguish goods according to the following indicators:

By the presence of caviar or its absence.
According to the size range according to the average weight of each fish in the batch or its length in cm.
At the place of production of the product.
By type of packaging.
By the quality and composition of the salt.
By production date and shelf life.
According to the method of smoking.
By the presence of preservatives, dyes or their absence.

Beneficial features

Fish meat contains many useful substances. These are vitamins A, D, PP, magnesium, potassium, chlorine, calcium, sodium, phosphorus, iron, fluorine, nickel. The calorie content of the product depends on the habitat of the individual and the time of commercial production. On average, the energy value of a treat is 100 kcal / 100 g.

Few people know that a medicinal preparation is made from smelt. "Carotenols M" to strengthen teeth and gums. In fact, fish not only contains substances that make it possible to maintain a healthy human oral cavity, but also has a general strengthening effect on the body. Due to the presence of omega 3 and 6 acids, as well as vitamins D and A, it is useful for older people when it is necessary to restore phosphorus and calcium balance. It is also advised to use it during periods of spring beriberi, with violations of cardiovascular activity. Doctors recommend eating a treat with bones for those who suffer from osteoporosis.

Taste qualities of fish and its use in cooking

It is difficult to find a person who would not love fried, crispy smelt meat with tender bones. It is juicy, fatty, has a pleasant specific taste.

When preparing dishes, cooks remove the head of the fish, but not the tail and bones, because they are very soft. Smelt is usually fried. It is also dried, smoked (mostly hot), salt. There are chefs who like to marinate fish like herring, rolling smelt into thin tubes.

What ingredients does the product combine with?

Oil: vegetable, cow.
Vegetables: potatoes, bell pepper, bulb onions.
Alcohol: beer, white wine.
Flour, flour products: flour, breadcrumbs.
Chicken egg.
Spices / Seasonings: pepper, bay leaf, cloves.
Sauces: Lemon.
Dairy products: hard cheese, cream.
Greens: parsley, onion.
Champignon mushrooms.

How to cook smelt?

Marinate in lemon juice with red pepper.
Grill with spices.
Cook with onions and peppers.
Stew in white wine sauce with herbs.
Roll in flour with egg and fry in a pan.

How the product is prepared different countries peace?

In northern Germany, fish is traditionally rolled in rye flour and fried on butter with bacon. As a side dish, potatoes, lettuce and apple sauce are used.

Smelt is cooked in a similar way in Russia and North America. There it is rolled in wheat flour and fried in oil.

This product is also popular in Japan. There fish is cooked on the grill, the dish is called shishamo.

Smelt roe "Masago" in Japan is used for sushi.

Latvians stew fish with creamy wine sauce.

There are restaurants in the East offering deep-fried fish with head and tail.

Italians from the region of Calabria consider fried smelt traditional dish for Christmas dinner.

If you decide to taste smelt, we advise you to visit the village leiston. It is located near the Niagara River. A two-day smelt festival is celebrated there every year. It takes place on the first weekend in May. Lithuania also celebrates the annual fish festival. Celebrations take place in Palanga at the beginning of January. A similar festival is organized in the spring on the Neva in St. Petersburg.

Smelt is a small fish from the salmon family. The habitat is the Baltic, German and White Seas. The smelt has small scales on the back without color, and on the belly it is silvery. In males, the lower jaw is wider. They live in the waters in large flocks and are considered very prolific.

It can be found fresh, frozen, chilled, dried and smoked. This fish is also baked, fried, marinated, dried, soups and okroshka are prepared. After cooking, the fish is very juicy and tasty, goes well with side dishes and sauces.

Fresh smelt meat smells like cucumber.

Inside the fish has no a large number of giblets, which are easily separated. The meat is tender and the fibers in it diverge when pressed, it has a white or grayish color, and the skin is easily separated when peeled. The bones are thin and small, after heat treatment, you can safely eat whole fish.

Smelt is a valuable food product, as it contains many minerals. It contains even such rare elements as selenium, zinc, copper and manganese. It also contains 115% vitamin B, which affects the quality of the body's health, strengthens and rejuvenates it.

Nutritional value of smelt (100 g)

This fish is considered a low-calorie and dietary product for the body. Tilapia will be similar in calories, but crucian carp, flounder and hake have an even lower calorie content.

During heat treatment the nutritional value may change. If you cook smelt on the grill, then it will not be very high-calorie, but if you fry it breaded on vegetable oil or indulge in dried or dried fish, she can waste her diet.

Smelt calories (100 g)

Beneficial features

  • due to the high content of potassium, calcium and magnesium strengthens the cardiovascular system, blood pressure normalizes;
  • phosphorus improves brain activity, strengthens memory. The use of seafood with a high content of this mineral is recommended for frequent mental stress. Mussels and oysters have the same properties, they will also help restore and strengthen mental activity;
  • unsaturated fats and vitamin D will help strengthen bones. This fish will be useful for young children, pregnant women and the elderly, it will help enrich the bones with the necessary elements and make them even stronger;
  • one of useful properties smelt is iron content, which will help fight the development of anemia. Artichoke has the same properties, only from vegetables. It will help not only to increase the level of hemoglobin in the blood, but also to clear it of cholesterol;
  • smelt meat improves digestion, accelerates metabolic processes;
  • Frequent eating can boost your immune system. You can replace fish, for example, with dogwood, which, as a compote, will help in the fight against colds, is also characterized by restorative properties;
  • fish meat has a beneficial property on the teeth, strengthening the enamel and preventing gum bleeding;
  • smelt improves the process of digestion, intestinal peristalsis. As a refreshing side dish, you can use daikon or radish - they have a lot of fiber, which will also have a positive effect on intestinal motility;
  • vitamin A improves the quality of vision, is also involved in the synthesis of collagen;
  • regular use of smelt is good for skin and hair, minerals and amino acids found in fish have a strengthening and rejuvenating effect on the body;
  • improves the state of the central nervous system, able to overcome stress, frustration and disturbing sleep.

Contraindications and harm to the body

  • it is harmful to eat fried fish in the presence of gastritis or gastrointestinal ulcers;
  • contraindicated in case of individual intolerance or allergy to seafood;
  • fish meat can accumulate toxic substances in itself, which can lead to poisoning;
  • it is also necessary to take into account the level of cholesterol in the blood.

Vitamins in smelt (100 gr)

vitamins Content mg ​​(mcg) %DV
A 16 mcg 2 %
D 0.9 µg 8 %
TO 0.2 µg 0 %
E 0.4 mg 3 %
IN 1 0.02 mg 1 %
AT 2 0.13 mg 7 %
AT 5 0.66 mg 13 %
AT 6 0.15 mg 8 %
AT 9 4 mcg 1 %
AT 12 3.45 mcg 115 %
RR 1.44 mg 7 %
AT 4 64 mg 13 %

The presence of minerals (100 gr)

Minerals Content mg ​​(mcg) %DV
Potassium 291 mg 12 %
Calcium 61 mg 6 %
Magnesium 31 mg 8 %
Sodium 61 mg 5 %
Phosphorus 231 mg 29 %
Iron 0.9 mg 5 %
Manganese 0.8 mg 35 %
Copper 0.14 mg 14 %
Selenium 36.6 mcg 66 %
Zinc 1.64 mg 14 %


Some authors distinguish several subspecies: Osmerus mordax dentex(Asian smelt), Osmerus mordax mordax(East American smelt), Osmerus mordax spectrum(lake form of smelt in North America).

Smelt is a migratory fish, has freshwater lake subspecies. Widespread and high in abundance.

The body is elongated, covered with large, easily falling scales. The mouth is large. The sides of the body are silvery, the back is brown-green. It feeds on zooplankton, fish juveniles and eggs. Fresh smelt emits a characteristic smell of fresh cucumbers. The size and weight of the body varies depending on the region of habitat. Its maximum size is 34 cm (White Sea), weight 342 g and age limit 10-11 years. It matures at the age of 3-4 years with a length of 16-18 cm. Spawning occurs from April to June, depending on geographical distribution. Asian smelt differs from European smelt in a longer lateral line and strong teeth.

The Asian toothed smelt lives in the coastal regions of the seas and in the pre-estuary spaces of the rivers of the Arctic Ocean, from the basins of the White and Barents Seas to the east to the Bering Strait and further to America (from Cape Barrow to the Mackenzie River). IN pacific ocean from the Bering Strait along the Asian coast to the south to the Korea Peninsula (to Wonsan) and Japan (Hokkaido). It occurs in Chukotka, Kamchatka, the Sea of ​​Okhotsk, the Kuril Islands, Sakhalin, in the Amur, in Peter the Great Bay (Razdolnaya River).

The most intensive fattening occurs in summer and autumn, in the immediate vicinity of the coast, where it is located most of the year. Juveniles and immature toothed smelt feed mainly on small zooplankton, benthic crustaceans, mollusk and polychaete larvae, and eggs. Adults go to predatory image life, feeding on larvae and juvenile fish, mainly forming aggregations (including capelin, gerbil, herring, juvenile salmon).

Used as a commercial species. Object of mass amateur winter (under-ice) fishing. Smelt is caught on small spinners (a hook about 5 mm wide), on short leashes, spinners are collected in tiers of 5-10 pieces. It is usually used in fried and dried form.

Write a review on the article "Asian smelt"

Notes

Links

An excerpt characterizing the Asian smelt

Prince Andrei arrived in St. Petersburg in August 1809. It was the time of the apogee of the glory of the young Speransky and the energy of the coups he carried out. In this very August, the sovereign, riding in a carriage, was thrown out, injured his leg, and remained in Peterhof for three weeks, seeing Speransky daily and exclusively. At this time, not only two decrees, so famous and alarming to society, were being prepared on the destruction of court ranks and on examinations for the ranks of collegiate assessors and state councilors, but also a whole state constitution, which was supposed to change the existing judicial, administrative and financial order of governing Russia from state council before the municipal government. Now those vague, liberal dreams with which Emperor Alexander came to the throne, and which he sought to realize with the help of his assistants Czartoryzhsky, Novosiltsev, Kochubey and Strogonov, whom he himself jokingly called comite du salut publique, were now realized and embodied. [committee of public safety.]
Now Speransky for the civilian part and Arakcheev for the military have replaced everyone together. Prince Andrei, soon after his arrival, as a chamberlain, appeared at the court and went out. The sovereign twice, having met him, did not honor him with a single word. It always seemed to Prince Andrei even before that he was antipathetic to the sovereign, that his face and his whole being were unpleasant to the sovereign. In the dry, distant look with which the sovereign looked at him, Prince Andrei found confirmation of this assumption even more than before. The courtiers explained to Prince Andrei the inattention of the sovereign to him by the fact that His Majesty was dissatisfied with the fact that Bolkonsky had not served since 1805.
“I myself know how powerless we are in our likes and dislikes,” thought Prince Andrei, and therefore there is nothing to think about personally presenting my note on the military regulations to the sovereign, but the matter will speak for itself. He passed on his note to the old field marshal, a friend of his father. The field marshal, appointing him an hour, kindly received him and promised to report to the sovereign. A few days later it was announced to Prince Andrei that he had to appear before the Minister of War, Count Arakcheev.
At nine o'clock in the morning, on the appointed day, Prince Andrei appeared in the reception room of Count Arakcheev.
Personally, Prince Andrei did not know Arakcheev and had never seen him, but everything that he knew about him inspired little respect for this man.
“He is the Minister of War, a confidant of the Sovereign Emperor; no one should care about his personal properties; he was instructed to consider my note, therefore he alone can set it in motion, ”thought Prince Andrei, waiting among many important and unimportant persons in the waiting room of Count Arakcheev.
Prince Andrey, during his mostly adjutant service, saw a lot of receptions of important persons, and the various characters of these receptions were very clear to him. Count Arakcheev had a very special character in his reception room. On the unimportant faces waiting in line for an audience in the waiting room of Count Arakcheev, a feeling of shame and humility was written; on more official faces, one general feeling of awkwardness was expressed, hidden under the guise of swagger and ridicule at oneself, at one's position and at the expected person. Some walked thoughtfully back and forth, others laughed in whispers, and Prince Andrei heard the sobriquet [mocking nickname] of Sila Andreich and the words: “uncle will ask,” referring to Count Arakcheev. One general (an important person), apparently offended by the fact that he had to wait so long, sat shifting his legs and smiling contemptuously to himself.

IN northern Russia- smelt, smelt; on Lake Onega also - kereha, in the Archangel. lips - a root ... This small fish is undoubtedly the most popular in northwestern Russia: in St. Petersburg it is consumed in huge quantities by a less prosperous class of the population.

Smelt and smelt belong to a special genus (Osmerus) of the salmon family, which is distinguished by a rather large mouth, a longer lower jaw, numerous and big teeth and very delicate scales; the dorsal fin does not begin in front of the ventral fins, as in whitefish and grayling, but behind; lateral line incomplete.

The two fishes differ from each other almost only in size, and Kessler's latest investigations have positively proved that they belong to the same species. Carefully comparing smelt and so-called. smelt from very many lakes, our famous ichthyologist came to the conclusion that it is not possible to satisfactorily distinguish them from each other.

According to former researchers, smelt, in addition to size, differs from smelt in its teeth, less protruding lower jaw, less compressed head, and relatively smaller eyes; but Professor Kessler was convinced that these signs are very changeable and inconstant.

Even the size of smelt is determined by the size and depth of the pool, and in each lake this fish has its own special, more or less characteristic features. There is no doubt that the smelt is nothing more than a degenerate smelt - originally exclusively sea ​​fish, which is proved by its largest growth in the Gulf of Finland.

Already in Lake Onega, smelt is smaller than in Ladoga, and in other lakes it is even smaller and is often called smelt. Live smelt is very beautiful.

Her back is brownish-green, somewhat translucent, since the dorsal scales are not lined inside with a silvery pigment; the sides are silvery with a blue tint above and below; this silvery stripe is sometimes wider, sometimes narrower, sometimes more or less shiny (depending on the habitat), starts from the gill cover and, gradually narrowing, stretches to the base of the caudal fin; young people don't have it at all.

This silvery color of the sides of the body depends on the pigment deposited in the skin itself, under the scales. The ventral hymen is also silvery, and on inside gill cover is a deposit of black pigment in the form of more or less dense spots.

The fins of smelt are whitish, but sometimes they are either lighter or darker. Males differ from females in a more prominent lower jaw, and during spawning - big amount warts on head and lower paired fins. The size of this fish is insignificant: most smelt is from 6 to 7 1/2 inches in height and in rare cases reaches a length of 10 inches.

Smelt is found in the northern seas of the Old World: Arctic, White, Baltic and German. This is its main habitat, but, in addition, it is found in very many large and deep lakes in northwestern Russia and Sweden. With us, it is most numerous in the Gulf of Finland, from where in the spring it enters the Neva and Narova in countless numbers.

Then, it is very common in Lake Ladoga, where it differs from the sea in a darker color, in Onega and very many lakes adjacent to it (Ukshozero, Konchozero, Urozero, Sandal, Palozero, Lizhmozero, Pudkozero, Vodlozero, etc.), also in Lake Peipus and Pskov.

According to Kessler, smelt appeared in the lake. Mstino, from which the river flows. Msta, only in 1851 and soon multiplied to such an extent that in 1863 it was caught here for 3 thousand rubles. In all likelihood, it did not cross here from Lake Peipsi, since the Borovitsky Gates prevent this transition, but from Lake Velio, through various intermediate lakes and rivers.

Smelt is also found in some lakes of the Courland province and comes in the spring into the river. Pernov Liflyandskaya. In addition, it is kept in large numbers in the mouths of the Northern Dvina. Smelt always walks in very large herds. Usually she lives in deep sandy places of the sea or lake, but for throwing eggs she enters rivers, although she rarely rises very high along them and avoids fast currents.

Its food consists of various small animals, exceptionally small crustaceans: daphnia, cyprises, cyclops, but large smelt almost feeds exclusively on the juveniles of other fish or even its own; the rapacity of this fish is also indicated by its sharp teeth.

According to Kessler, this tendency of large fish to devour small fish of their own tribe is especially noticeable in lakes where there is no other, more suitable food, for example. in the Valdai lake. Smelt is very voracious, and it happens to find a three-inch fish in the stomach of a seven-inch fish.

The smelt probably feeds on a wide variety of animals; this should be attributed to the fact that in the rare Neva smelt it is impossible not to find in the swim bladder (communicating with the esophagus) several pieces, and sometimes several dozen large worms. The most complete information about salmon fish is located -

These fish are different from all species of this family. salmonids by their vitality: being taken out of the water, they remain alive for whole hours, probably because there are two small cavities in the form of sacs above the gills, in which water can be stored. In contrast to whitefish, smelt spawns in spring, at the end of April or in May, depending on the terrain and weather; at this time, the males are covered on top with a rough white film.

In northern Germany, it rises in March and April from the depths of the sea (Baltic and German) to the upper layers and enters the rivers, rising quite high along them - to their middle course. Smelt enters the Neva from the Gulf of Finland immediately after the opening of the river, without rising, however, it is very far along it, and begins to spawn when the water gets a little warmer - in May, sometimes even when cold weather, at the end of this month.

Probably, the reason for its relatively late spawning here is the low temperature of the Neva water, due to the course of the Ladoga ice. According to La Blanchere, smelt spawns at a water temperature of 8-10° Celsius. In Lake Onega, the passage of smelt into the mouths and mouths of rivers begins under the ice, at the end of April; to Vytegra, for example, it goes within 4-5 days, or rather, nights.

The smelt avoids the rapids, sticks to the sandier shores and, having spawned here, soon returns. Behind the herds of smelt, there are predatory fish - pike, pale, burbot, also whitefish, grayling and especially stickleback - fighters of its caviar. This yellowish caviar, in comparison with caviar and salmon, is very small (1 million) and numerous, since in fish medium size there are about 50,000 eggs.

According to La Blanchere, the latter stick to the sand, and the fish hatch after 5-10 days; the latter is hardly true. Juveniles stay in the upper layers of the water and grow very quickly, so that in August they reach 3 inches. Along Borne and Yarell, young smelt at this time rolls down to the mouths and stays here for some time, either driven into the river by the tide, or thrown into the sea by the tide.

The main smelt fishing is carried out during its spring course: in the Neva special networks- by fences, in Lake Onega, at the mouths of rivers - with large nets, and in rivers - with nets stretched on a number of stakes that are driven in, starting from the shore, not across the river, but at an acute angle.

In Lake Ladoga, in addition to spring fishing in the rivers, after their opening, smelt is also caught in the summer (in the northern part of the lake) with large nets. In the White Sea, the main catch of this fish is carried out at the beginning of winter - before Christmas, near the coast, with three-walled nets (up to 20 fathoms long and no more than two arshins wide), in which it gets entangled.

In addition, along the coast White Sea a significant amount of smelt is caught by fishing, which is mainly done by women, old people and teenagers. Smelt is fished on ice, almost throughout the winter, but mainly in February and March.

To a short (about 6 inch) and narrow (a inch) plank (toncer), replacing a rod, with cutouts for winding the line, a hairline 2-3 fathoms long is tied with a lead sinker 1 1/2 inch long and 3/ 8 inches.

Through the lower end of the sinker, an “overweight” is threaded - a wire (or a thin iron stick) 3 inches long, to the ends of which are tied on hair leashes (thin) 3 inches long rather large hooks without a bend (i.e., a sting and a rod in one plane) and with a sting bent outward.

Sometimes the sinker itself serves as a weight, which is shaped like a gentle arc; in this lead bow (attached in the middle), from 3 to 5 holes are made, into which thin hooks are threaded.

The bait is a small piece of fish (saffron cod, smelt, small herring, loach or sizh), baited hooks are lowered through the hole (up to half a yard in diameter) so that they stand at half water (smelt is kept at a far distance from the bottom), and the adhesive is placed across the hole or press it with a flyer stuck in the snow.

Usually two scaffolds are lowered into one hole. From time to time, tugging on the gluer, the angler finds out if the fish is caught, in the latter case he quickly pulls out the line and hits the head with a small stick or just hits the ice, releases the hook and lowers the line into the hole again.

In the same way they fish (since February) smelt and in southern parts Lake Ladoga (for pieces of smelt), but here only with good fishing it is possible to catch up to 300 pieces a day. It seems that our hunter-fishermen do not fish for smelt anywhere, probably for the reason that it can only be caught in the sea.

But in Germany and England, where the smelt stays longer in the rivers and goes farther into them, this fishing is quite common, although, for its lightness, it does not enjoy special respect.

In the mouths of the Thames, it is fished in large numbers from rafts, docks, ships - from mid-June to the end of November, mainly in summer, at a depth of at least 7-8 feet, with a small fishing line with a float and several small hooks (No. 8-9) tied to a fishing line on short leashes at a distance of 9 inches.

Worms, pieces of crayfish, crabs, sea woodlice (Asellus aquaticus) serve as a nozzle, but smelt takes best of all on pieces of eel cut from the abdominal part. When biting, the float falls on the water, and at this moment it is necessary to cut with a quick and sharp movement.

According to Alken, in Germany they catch smelt (in the sea and river mouths) from July (according to Born - from June) to December, on short strong rods with a heavy float and a long string with a sinker (at the end) and 10-12 (or more) hooks tied as above are best, however, on bristle leashes.

The sinker should touch the bottom. On the hooks, mainly pieces of fish (eel, smelt) the size of a fingernail are mounted, and there is no need to close the hook, since the smelt takes very greedily with a good bite, sometimes 60-70 pieces are fished out in a few minutes (?). Sometimes they fish smelt without a float, constantly lowering and raising the fishing line, since the bite is not heard.

Due to its extraordinary vitality, smelt is an excellent bait for catching all predatory fish. Despite the fact that the number of smelt caught in the north and north-west of Russia is very significant and probably should be considered a hundred or two thousand pounds, this fish is far from having such an important commercial value and such an extensive sale as smelt, i.e. degenerated and crushed smelt.

For the most part, it goes on sale fresh, and its value, compared with vendace, is very insignificant; in St. Petersburg, a hundred smelt is sold from a ruble to three, and in Ladoga and Onega lakes it costs much less. Its meat is very tender and tasty, but it has a specific smell, similar to cucumber, which intensifies during spawning and is not liked by many.

This smell, however, disappears after smoking. Smelt is smoked, however, rarely, because of its cheapness; most of the summer catch in the northern part of Lake Ladoga is dried in ovens, and from three pounds of fresh fish comes out a bunch of dried fish. Of all salmon fish smelt is the most unpretentious and can easily be bred in any significant lake that has sufficient depth and rather cold water.

In England, according to Borne, this fish is kept even in ponds (probably key ponds), and there it breeds very well and strongly. In total, it would be more profitable to breed smelt in the lakes of central Russia, in which it has a relatively significant value.

Smelt is a fish with a specific taste, juicy meat and soft bones. Who would refuse such a fried fish with a crispy crust? At the same time, smelt can also be baked, marinated or smoked.

Smelt is a small ray-finned fish of the Smelt family. Such a fish is called cucumber, since its smell cannot be distinguished from the aroma of a green vegetable. In our country, everyone knows smelt, and in St. Petersburg they even hold a holiday dedicated to this small fish.

What is a smelt fish? By appearance she is somewhat reminiscent of a dace, she has small translucent scales, but a large mouth with small sharp teeth. Even with a small length (from 10 to 14 cm) and low weight (up to 350 grams), this waterfowl is a real predator that hunts small fish, eats caviar and crustaceans. In food, smelt is not picky, so it can be successfully bred on an industrial scale.

It is rather difficult to answer the question where smelt is found, since it is common throughout the country. But she feels especially carefree in the reservoirs located in the central part of Russia.

What is useful for the human body

Smelt - useful product for the health of any person. It contains a lot of protein and minerals necessary for the formation and strength of bones. It also contains nickel and potassium, as well as other useful elements that contribute to the normal functioning of the whole organism. The meat of this fish contains vitamins of group B, which are necessary for normal metabolism and the functioning of the nervous system, plus vitamin A, which is important for the health of the visual organs and collagen production.

In cooking, a wide variety of fish dishes are prepared from smelt. It can be smoked, cooked in dried form, dried. But given its fat content, it tastes best when baked and fried. Smelt aspic and first courses come out no less tasty.

How delicious to fry in a pan

Many housewives fell in love with smelt because there are practically no problems with such fish in terms of cleaning and gutting. Her scales are small, nothing needs to be cut off, since such a fish must be eaten whole with bones and a head.

The only thing that is required is to remove the innards in order to Fried fish the smelt was not bitter.

Cooking method:

  1. We wash the smelt and put it in a colander so that all the water is drained from it.
  2. Next, put the fish in a tight bag, add salt, pepper, a little paprika, thyme leaves and flour.
  3. Seal the package and shake. This method will allow all the breading to remain on the fish during the frying process.
  4. Fry the carcasses in hot oil until golden brown.

Recipe for baking in the oven

Smelt meat contains a large amount of healthy fats, and in order to preserve all the benefits of fish, and increase the taste and aroma, it should be baked in the oven. If you do not know how to cook smelt fish in the oven, we offer a simple recipe.

Ingredients:

  • ½ kg of smelt;
  • lemon - half;
  • bay leaves;
  • allspice peas;
  • dried parsley;
  • salt, oil.

Cooking method:

  1. Place the smelt in a bowl, season with salt, sprinkle with dried parsley and pour over with citrus juice.
  2. Spread a few bay leaves over the foil and pour over them with lemon juice. Put the smelt, wrap and bake for 25 minutes at a temperature of 200 degrees.
  3. 10 minutes before cooking, the foil can be slightly opened so that the fish is covered with a delicious crust.

Smelt fish soup

Many fish soup is called fish soup, however, it is not at all. A real ear is a rich broth made from fresh fish, a minimum of vegetables and one very important ingredient, without which an ear is not an ear. But what is this secret, you will learn in the following recipe.

Ingredients:

  • smelt - 12 pcs.;
  • bulb;
  • carrot;
  • two tubers of potatoes;
  • parsley root and celery;
  • leek;
  • salt pepper.
  • greenery.

In the preparation of a real fish soup, two important ingredients are used - this is vodka with herbs and a burning birch torch.

Cooking method:

  1. Chop fresh dill green onion and parsley. Mix the greens in a bowl and pour 40 ml of vodka into it. We insist the composition during the entire process of preparing the fish soup.
  2. Next, prepare the vegetables: cut the potatoes into cubes, carrots into slices, and just finely chop the onion.
  3. We put all the vegetables and roots in a saucepan, put it on the stove and as soon as the water boils, throw in the bay leaf. Behind him immediately send salt, black pepper and a little nutmeg. Cook vegetables until soft.
  4. Now we put the prepared smelt without scales and entrails. Heads can be left. Cook the soup for five minutes, no more.
  5. Now pour in vodka with greens, set fire to the splinter and extinguish it right in the ear. Cover with a lid ready meal and let him brew well.

marinated fish

Smelt very delicious fish. And especially fried. But if a larger individual comes across, then it can be marinated.

Ingredients:

  • a kilo of fresh smelt;
  • mustard seeds;
  • a spoonful of sugar;
  • allspice, cloves;
  • Bay leaf;
  • salt, oil;
  • dill.

How to cook smelt fish in a marinade:

  1. Pour a liter of water into the pan, pour sugar, salt and all spices, with the exception of dill. We put the container on the fire, cook its contents for 10 minutes and at the very end of the process add chopped dill.
  2. Cool the brine and mix with two tablespoons of vegetable oil.
  3. We put the gutted smelt carcasses in any dish, fill them with brine and put them in the refrigerator for 12 hours.

Stuffed smelt

If you come across large smelt carcasses, then do not rush to fry them in an ordinary pan, but use our recipe.

Deep-fried stuffed smelt is very fragrant and tasty.

Ingredients:

  • large smelt - 12 pcs.;
  • five glasses of crushed crackers;
  • three tablespoons of flour;
  • three lemons;
  • 70 ml of tomato paste;
  • parsley;
  • three eggs;
  • mushrooms.

Cooking method:

  1. The first step is to clean the smelt, make a neat incision in the middle of the back and pull out the dorsal bone.
  2. Then salt the carcasses, sprinkle lemon juice and send to a cool place.
  3. Mix in a small bowl tomato sauce with chopped herbs, spoon sunflower oil and chopped mushrooms. We also remove this composition in the refrigerator for 20 minutes.
  4. After this time, we stuff the fish with the prepared filling and sew it up with threads. We dip the carcasses first in beaten eggs, then roll in breading and dip in deep fat for 15 minutes.
  5. Put the finished smelt on a napkin, and as soon as the fish an extra one will leave fat, take out the threads from it and put it on a beautiful dish. Garnish with parsley sprigs and lemon wedges.

Dried fish at home

Perhaps every fisherman knows how to dry fish. But how to dry it correctly is already a question. Moreover, there are several good methods cooking dried smelt.

The first cooking method In the brine:

  1. Pour water into the container and throw the peeled potato tuber. Pour salt (300 g per kilo of fish) and stir until the potatoes are on the surface.
  2. For piquancy in brine, you can use soy sauce(for 1 liter of water, approximately 25 ml of seasoning).
  3. We immerse the fish in the marinade, put oppression on top (weight from 3 to 5 kg).
  4. The time of salting will depend on the size of the fish. As a rule, it takes from 6 to 8 hours, and 30 minutes before the end of the process, you need to pour a spoonful of vinegar into the fish.
  5. We take out the carcasses and wash them twice. Once in ordinary water, and the second in water with added sugar. We string the smelt on a strong thread and hang it up.

The second cooking method Dry salting:

  1. We put the smelt in layers in a container, and sprinkle each with coarse salt (a spoonful per kilo of fish).
  2. We cover the workpiece and leave for a day.
  3. Then we wash the fish, string it and hang it in the same way.

The third method of preparation. Quick salting:

  1. We put the fish in a container and sprinkle with salt so that it turns out a salty “fur coat”. We leave the workpiece for 8 hours.
  2. Then we lay it out on paper, on which the juice will drain along with excess salt, and leave it for another five hours.
  3. We do not wash the fish, but immediately hang it behind the head. According to anglers, this method will help smelt not lose its fat.