Generality
Hake is a fishery product (sea fish) belonging to the Order Gadiformes, family Merluccidae, Genus Merluccius, Species merluccius; the binomial nomenclature of the hake is Merluccius merluccius L.
Hake is NOT cod, even if the two fish are very similar in morphology, nutritional characteristics and culinary applications. The hake is well present both in the Mediterranean Sea and in the North Atlantic Ocean, while the cod colonizes ONLY the cold North European and North American waters. The cod and the hake are descended from the same Order (Gadiformes), but they belong to different Families, Genres and Species. Codfish and cod are obtained from cod, but it is not clear whether large hake specimens are also involved in this process.
The nose pad has an elongated and thin shape, slightly compressed on the sides. The body is flattened and has a crest that resembles a "V"; the mouth is wide, the jaw is more developed than the jaws and is slightly undershot. The dorsal fins (two) are well separated and without rays. The color of the hake is blackish-gray on the back, silvery on the sides and off-white in the belly area; the mouth is black.
The hake reaches an average of 30-60cm in length, up to a maximum recorded of 110cm. It lives between 30 and 100m of depth; it can be found both in coastal and open sea areas and its distribution includes the Mediterranean basin and the North Atlantic Ocean.
The hake reproduces in the winter and spring, when it temporarily approaches the coast. It is a basically gregarious fish and, while it rests on the bottom during the day, it tends to rise at night.
Nutritional values (per 100 g of edible portion)
The hake is a predator that feeds mainly on crustaceans, small molluscs and fish. He is not a great swimmer and (from a professional point of view) he fishes mainly with the "trawl" technique; in sport fishing, on the other hand, it is threatened with the "bolentino" triggering small blue fish such as anchovies, sardines, horse mackerel or small mackerel.
Hake is a fish demersal, that is to say that it is stationed in the seabed on which it finds its nourishment; for this reason, like that of scampi, hake fishing is as profitable as it is destructive. Once the "nest" has been identified, almost all of the specimens can be taken but, fortunately, some areas such as the "Fossa di Pomo" (located in the "central Adriatic) have been decreed Biological Protection Area (ZTB June 16, 1998).
Gastronomic aspects and nutritional characteristics of hake
NB: In the INRAN food composition tables, hake and cod are grouped under the same "heading" (cod or hake); this apparent classification error, on the other hand, is a simplification required by the commercial promiscuity of the two fish (ERGO, hake and cod are rarely distinguished from each other, both for their similar appearance and for their coexistence in the same biological niches). Furthermore, the two fish (in all probability) should have almost overlapping chemical and nutritional characteristics.
The hake has white meat, rather lean and delicate but pleasant, which is why it is considered a prized fish. The hake, like cod, mostella, ling, etc., has particularly digestible and nutritious tissues, and is successfully used in the feeding of the infant while weaning; hake lends itself considerably to elementary cooking methods such as boiling and steaming, but it does not disappoint with "carpione" or in a pan with garlic and parsley.
Hake has a very low energy intake and is mainly given by high biological value proteins; the most present amino acids are: ac. glutamic, ac. aspartic, lysine and leucine. The lipid content is modest but among these there are the essential fatty acids of the ω-3 family. Carbohydrates are absent and cholesterol is low.
The saline contribution is mainly in favor of potassium while for what concerns the vitamins there is a good concentration of niacin (vit. PP).
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