The bream is a fairly widespread fishery product known not only throughout Italy, but also in the rest of the countries bordering the Mediterranean Basin and the Eastern Atlantic Ocean.
Bream belongs to the 1st fundamental group of foods, as a nutritional source of proteins with high biological value, specific vitamins and minerals (vitamin PP, vitamin B12, vitamin D, iron, phosphorus, iodine, etc.). Furthermore, it contains an excellent lipid profile, thanks to the high percentage of "semi-essential" omega 3 polyunsaturated fatty acids: eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). It is suitable for most diets, including diets for the clinical nutrition of the obese and those suffering from metabolic diseases.
Quite renowned for the goodness of its meat, the reputation of the bream can however change significantly according to the species, the territory (fishing habitat) and local traditions.
The bream lends itself to any type of recipe: it appears above all roasted, boiled or in a pan, in broths or soups; some like it fried. The barbed meat is also suitable for making sauces for first courses.
of the sea bream (D. sargus) and the related species called sarago pizzuto (D. puntazzo).
Worthy exponent of the 1st fundamental group of foods, bream is a product rich in proteins with high biological value, specific vitamins and minerals. Furthermore, since it is a product of peach, other very useful nutrients abound such as polyunsaturated omega 3 EPA and DHA fats, vitamin D and iodine. Let's go into more detail.
Bream have a moderate caloric intake; to be clear, they provide 70% less energy than fresh salmon and 30% more calories than cod. Energy is mainly supplied by peptides, which we have said to be of high biological value (they contain all the essential amino acids for man in the right quantities and proportions). This is followed by a modest lipid percentage and finally an almost insignificant quantity of carbohydrates. The fat distribution of the greater sea bream seems to be qualitatively higher than that of the pizzuto bream; the former is in fact characterized by higher levels (85% of the total) of omega 3 eicosapentaenoic and docosahexaenoic polyunsaturated fatty acids - limitedly essential but biologically more active than the essential plant precursor alpha linolenic acid (ALA). On the contrary, in the pizzuto also the saturated and monounsaturated ones acquire importance (each is present at almost 30%). However, 100 g of D. sargus provide as much as 20 mg of cholesterol more than the D. puntazzo. The carbohydrates, which appear to be measurable only in bream, are of the soluble type (glucose).
The vitamin profile of the bream is very good. Significant concentrations of water-soluble group B stand out, especially niacin or vit PP (B3), pyridoxine (B6) and cobalamin (B12), and an excellent level of the fat-soluble cholecalciferol (vitamin D).
Among the minerals, appreciable levels of phosphorus, iron, potassium and iodine are observed in the bream.
There is a consistent amount of purines in the bream.
The bream does not contain fibers; it is also devoid of the two molecules most commonly responsible for food intolerance: gluten and lactose. Well preserved it is also free of histamine, a molecule which however increases exponentially in "old" fish. Bream allergy, identified as cross-reactivity to the Gad c 1 allergen (parvalbumin) of cod, is not the most common.
Sarago Maggiore
Nutritional values per 100 g
Total carbohydrates
1.0 g
Starch
0.0µg
-µg
80.0µg
0.40 mg
0.0µg
Magnesium
Being low in calories, bream meat allows you to eat it in gratifying portions even in the low-calorie slimming diet. It should also be remembered that fish proteins have a greater satiating power than the others. Moreover, the bream is also rich in iodine, a mineral potentially lacking in the collective diet and necessary for the functioning of the thyroid gland - which regulates cellular metabolism and therefore the body's basal energy consumption.
The richness in "semi-essential" omega 3 polyunsaturated fatty acids EPA and DHA makes it an advisable product in anti-hypertensive dietary therapy and against hypertriglyceridemia. It can also prove beneficial in the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus and hypercholesterolemia. Due to the richness in purines - constituents of nucleic acids which, in excessive quantities and in predisposed subjects, harm the metabolism of uric acid - the bream is not recommended in the diet against hyperuricemia, gout and lithiasis or kidney stones (di uric acid). If the disease is compensated by means of specific drugs, moderate and occasional portions of fish are allowed in the diet.
Raw, the bream should not be consumed by pregnant women. Once the temperature has been reduced, the carpaccio and the sarago tartar are free from the risk of parasites caused by Anisakis. During gestation, due to the other dangers of an infectious nature, it is still advisable to subject the fish to cooking.
The bream is obviously not suitable for a vegetarian and vegan diet; on the other hand, it is admitted by the Jewish and Muslim religions (not by the Hindu and Buddhist ones).
The average portion of bream is 100-150 g (about 100-150 kcal) of meat, which corresponds to about 200-300 g of whole fish to be cleaned.
. Like other fish, it is always a good idea to subject it to temperature reduction to reduce the risk of Anisakis being transmitted. You can eat it plain, with extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice, soy sauce, etc.
There are many cooked bream-based recipes. It is excellent roasted, grilled or baked, whole or filleted, plain or au gratin with fragrant bread.
The herringbone fillets of bream can be used in soups and broths; the bones are excellent for producing the comic.
Stir-fried, the sea bream fillet with white wine, garlic and parsley (or with crazy water) is an excellent second course, light and almost as digestible as boiled fish (steamed or boiled).
The bream pulp cooked in a pan, even with tomato, is an excellent accompaniment sauce for pasta dishes. It can also be used in risottos.
To cook fried bream, an uncommon recipe, just flour it and dip it in peanut or extra virgin olive oil at the right temperature.
Among the most used aromas for bream are parsley, oregano, marjoram, tarragon, thyme, dill, chilli, pepper and lemon zest. The wine pairing can change from one recipe to another, but generally not too full-bodied white wines are suitable.
, passing through the silvery gray on the sides, to white on the belly. On the side it has dark lines (8-9) that make it appear brindle. At eye level and just before the tail it has small black spots. The mouth is small but powerful, equipped with numerous incisors and molars necessary to split and grind the shells and small calcareous fragments. D. sargus it can reach 2 kg in weight and 40 cm in length.
