Cod(Gadus) belongs to the genus Gadidae of the order Gadformes. It is a marine fish widely distributed in the cold waters of the Pacific, Atlantic and Arctic. They usually live on the seabed and are cold-water aggregating fish. Cod has delicate and tender meat, few bones and is thick. It is suitable for people of all ages and is a popular food choice. Strictly speaking, the genus Gad mainly refers to four types of fish: Atlantic cod, Pacific cod, Greenland cod and Alaska cod, collectively known as "cod".
So, what types of cod are there? Common types of cod include Atlantic cod, Pacific cod, Greenland cod, haddock, haddock, Arctic cod, haddock, blue cod, pollock and hake. Next, the editor has sorted out ten well-known cod varieties for everyone to take everyone to understand the common types of cod on the market and related information.
1. Atlantic cod (East and west coasts of the North Atlantic Ocean, up to 2m in length)
Atlantic cod (scientific name: Gadus morhua), also known as Atlantic cod or Atlantic cod, is the largest cod species in the world and is often used to make the classic British delicacy - fish and chips. It has a large head and a layer of mucus on the surface of its body. It can reach a maximum length of 2 meters and weighs about 96 kilograms. It has a conspicuous lateral line on its body and a variable body color, usually with dark spots.
Atlantic cod is mainly distributed in the northeastern and northwest Atlantic Oceans, and can also be seen in the Arctic Ocean, Indian Ocean and Antarctic Ocean. Its meat is as white as cream, with clear texture. After cooking, it is shaped like garlic cloves. It tastes soft and delicate, with a natural fresh fragrance, very little fishy smell, and a hint of cream aroma, which is endless aftertaste.
2. Pacific cod (North Pacific Ocean, body length can reach 1m)
Pacific cod (scientific name: Gadus macrocephalus), also known as big-headed cod, is one of the top ten well-known cods. It is mainly distributed in the North Pacific Ocean. The production areas in my country include the Yellow Sea and the northern East China Sea. The main fishing grounds are located in the northern Yellow Sea, southeast of Shandong Gaojiao, the southern part of Haiyang Island and the southeastern sea area. The fishing season of Pacific cod is winter and summer. The winter season is generally from December to February of the following year, and the summer season lasts from April to July. The winter production is the highest.
The Pacific cod can reach about 1 meter in length, with delicate and tender meat, refreshing and non-greasy taste. In addition to being eaten as a fresh food, it is often processed into various aquatic products. In addition, the liver of Pacific cod is enlarged, rich in fat, rich in vitamins A and D, and is an important raw material for extracting cod liver oil.
3. Greenland cod (Greenland, up to 70cm in length)
Greenland cod (scientific name: Gadus ogac) is a genuine cod, named for the waters around the coastline of Greenland. It is also distributed in the White Sea region of Russia. Its appearance is similar to that of a small Pacific cod, but it is smaller in size and has a maximum length of about 70cm. Due to its extremely limited production and the fact that fishermen rarely specialize in catching Greenland cod, it is very rare in the market and has almost no commercial value.
However, in recent years, Greenland cod has gradually gained more attention and become one of the high-end cods. Its unique charm lies in that it grows in the deep cold waters around Greenland, and its meat is more tender than most cods, and it is delicious and nutritious.
4. Yellowline pollock (Northern Pacific Ocean, high commercial value/suitable for processing)
Yellowline pollock (scientific name: Gadus chalcogrammus), also known as pollock or Alaska pollock, is one of the common cods on the market. It has an elongated body, slightly flattened on the back and sides, and can grow up to 90 cm. The back of the pollock is olive-colored, the abdomen is silver, the dorsal and pectoral fins are dark olive, and the anal and pelvic fins are gray. It is widely distributed in the North Pacific region, from the southern end of the Sea of Japan to the Chukchi Sea on the north side of the Bering Strait and the coast of Canada.
Pollock has high economic value. Its fish paste is white and delicate, rich in protein, has high nutritional value, and is very elastic. Pollock is used as raw material to process a variety of seafood products such as fish intestines, fish rolls, fish cakes, fish balls, crab sticks, etc., which can be called the representative of "blue food".
5. Haddock (Canada/USA, dark fingerprint-shaped spots on pectoral fins)
Haddock (scientific name: Melanogrammus aeglefinus) is an important edible economic fish in the North Atlantic region and has long been the main target of commercial fishing. Its back is dark purple-gray, its abdomen is grayish white, its lateral line is black, and unique dark fingerprint-shaped spots are often seen above and below the pectoral fins, which are often called "devil's fingerprints" or "devil's marks". Haddock is generally about 35 cm long and is a smaller cod.
Haddock has delicious meat and can be eaten fresh or smoked, pickled or canned. In addition, it has a very high protein content, very low fat content, no carbohydrates, and relatively low calories. It is a very healthy edible fish and is loved by consumers in North America and Europe.
6. Arctic cod (Arctic region, disappears above 5°C)
Arctic cod (scientific name: Arctogadus glacialis) is a unique cod and one of the important economic fish in the Arctic region. It is mainly distributed in the Arctic Circle, the northeastern Atlantic Ocean and the northeastern Greenland waters. As a typical cold-water fish, Arctic cod is extremely sensitive to water temperature. Once the water temperature exceeds 5℃, it is difficult to see its traces.
Arctic cod is small in size, with a maximum length of 36 cm. Its body color is dark, with a dark brown back, a slightly lighter belly, and black fins. Growing in cold and pure waters, Arctic cod has delicious and delicate meat. Its food source is natural marine organisms, which gives its meat a slightly sweet taste, so it is known as "white gold".
7. Whiting (European waters, silvery white/black spots on pectoral fins)
Whiting (scientific name: Merlangius merlangus) is famous for its delicious taste and high nutritional value. Nordic people call it the "nutritionist" on the table. This fish is about 70 cm long and has unique characteristics, including three dorsal fins, two anal fins, and small or missing chin barbels. Its body color is silvery white, with a distinct black spot near the base of the pectoral fin.
Whiting is mainly distributed in European waters, especially in the North Sea. The meat of Whiting is sweet and nutritious, and the liver has a high fat content. In addition to being rich in DHA and DPA contained in ordinary fish oil, it also contains vitamins A, D, E and other essential nutrients for the human body. The proportion of nutrients in its liver oil just meets the optimal standard required by the human body every day.
8. Blue cod (New Zealand, the main raw material for fast food hamburgers)
Blue cod (scientific name: Micromesistius poutassou), also known as long-tailed blue cod, is a fish that lives in the cold water area of the New Zealand coast. It has a rough appearance and its eyes look a bit scary. Although the market price of blue cod is lower than that of pollock, its meat is close to that of pollock and is often used as a substitute. Blue cod has delicate texture, delicious taste, rich in protein and unsaturated fatty acids.
Many fast food chains use this cod as the main ingredient for fish burgers, which has become a globally recognized delicacy. However, due to overfishing, the population of blue cod has dropped sharply. In order to prevent this fish from facing extinction, New Zealand has implemented strict fishing quotas to force a reduction in the catch of blue cod.
9. Pollock (Southeastern Bering Sea, body length/dark green)
Pollock (scientific name: Pollachius pollachius) is a common cod, named for its dark green body color. The pollock is about 1.1 meters long and can weigh up to 32 kilograms. It is dark green in color, has short whiskers, three dorsal fins and two anal fins, and its sides and abdomen are light green. Pollock like to live in groups, usually spawning in the southeastern Bering Sea in early spring or late winter.
This cod is both an edible fish and a popular sport fish. Pollock can be cooked in a variety of ways, especially when dipped in sauce. It can also be processed into canned fish, dried cod, or smoked fish. In addition, cod roe can be eaten fresh, smoked, or pickled, and the tongue and liver of cod are also edible and delicious parts.
10. Hake (Pacific Hake/Argentinian Hake/South African Hake)
Hake is named for its lack of barbels, and its unique skull and rib structure make it a unique cod. There are about a dozen species of hake in the world, of which Pacific hake, Argentinian hake and South African hake are the three most numerous.
These hake are relatively small, with an average weight of between 500 and 1,000 grams, dark silver-grey in color, white on the belly, and slightly long in body. Their dorsal fin consists of two parts, and they have a large mouth and sharp teeth. The meat of hake is white and has a higher fat content than other cod species such as cod and haddock, so it has a richer taste and is easy to cook. It is suitable for a variety of methods, including frying and baking.
The top ten types of cod are based on the characteristics and quality of common cod, and refer to the public popularity of cod and other related information, and are combined with other related rankings/lists on the Internet for comprehensive recommendations. They are for reference only. If you have any questions, please comment/communicate at the end.