Crucian

Crucian carp is a fish of the cyprinid family, which is found almost everywhere in our country. This is a freshwater fish that can live both in rivers and in lakes with stagnant water. Karasi are unpretentious to living conditions and food, so they are found in almost every body of water. This explains its important commercial value: crucian carp are often bred in fisheries.

Crucian carp lives with many aquarium enthusiasts: gold fish-veil tails in home aquariums are decorative varieties of ordinary river crucians. Karasem is also that same goldfish from the tale of A.S. Pushkin about the fisherman.

An interesting fact is that crucians have the ability to change their gender if necessary. So, if you place several females in the aquarium, then one of them will eventually become a male in order to continue the genus.

Karas have a flat, but tall body, covered with large scales. The weight and size of the fish depends on its habitat and species. The length of some individuals can reach 50-60 cm, and weight – 2 kg. Reach puberty by the 3-4th year of life. Fish spawns in late spring – early summer, lays eggs on algae. Crucians live up to 15 years.

These are very tenacious creatures: the caught fish can breathe atmospheric air for up to a day, and if it is released into the water during this time, it can come to life. Mistresses know that often even brushed and gutted crucian carp jumps in a pan.

Chemical composition

Crucian carp is a moderately fatty species of fish. Its meat contains about 18 g of protein and up to 2 g of fat. There are no carbohydrates in the carp. This composition of meat determines its low calorie content: 100 g of raw fish contains only 87-88 kcal.

Fats in crucian carp are 70% saturated fatty acids and contain cholesterol. But, given the total amount of fat, their content in this fish can be neglected, since they do not represent special energy or nutritional value. 100 g of raw fish contains no more than 3% of the daily requirement for fats.

More interesting is the protein composition of crucian carp meat. They consist of all the essential amino acids necessary for the human body. 100 g of this fish contains almost 30% of the daily protein intake. This means that by eating only 300 g of crucian carp meat, you can provide the body with a daily intake of complete proteins.

The meat of this river fish is rich in vitamins and minerals (macro- and microelements).

Crucian carp contains a lot (in% of the daily norm of mineral matter) of macro- and microelements:

• fluoride (up to 90%);
• iodine (up to 80%);
• phosphorus (up to 28%);
• chromium (up to 25%);
• sulfur (up to 18%);
• potassium (up to 11%).

Useful Properties

The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends eating crucian carp several times a week to provide the body with a complete protein. The proteins of this fish are easily digestible and serve as a source of essential amino acids, which are not independently produced in the human body or are produced in small quantities.

Broths cooked from this fish contain many extractive nitrogenous substances, therefore they stimulate the release of digestive juices, stimulate appetite, and accelerate intestinal motility.

Low-calorie meat makes this freshwater fish a good source of protein for dieters.

A large amount of fluorine and phosphorus in the meat of crucian carp affects the processes of ossification and the formation of tooth enamel, so their use is useful for the growing body – children and women who are waiting for replenishment in the family and breastfeeding. Phosphorus along with B vitamins improves brain activity.

Iodine in fish meat is in the form of organic compounds that have high bioavailability. The regular presence of crucian dishes in the human diet ensures the normal functioning of the thyroid gland and the production of thyroid hormones in sufficient quantities.

Crucian dishes are also good for people with diabetes. Low calorie content, complete protein, lack of carbohydrates, low fat content, as well as a sufficient amount of chromium in this fish helps to reduce blood glucose and increase the sensitivity of the diabetic tissue to insulin.

Vitamins A, C, E and group B affect the metabolism in the human body as a whole, improve the condition of the skin, hair and nails, increase mood.

Possible harm

Crucian carp can exhibit any harmful properties when it is caught in reservoirs whose water is contaminated with heavy metal salts, pesticides, radionuclides or organic fertilizers. Due to the nutrition of plants and plankton from this reservoir and living in contaminated places, large quantities of substances harmful to the human body accumulate in the meat of these fish, which can cause food poisoning, intoxication, intestinal infections or helminthic infestations.

To avoid this, you can not buy fish in natural markets, along highways or in other places where food products do not pass veterinary and sanitary examination.

It is not recommended to use crucian carp in case of individual intolerance or allergy to crucian carp or fish products. The fish contains phenylalanine, so it is forbidden to use for people suffering from phenylketonuria. The protein of this fish, when split in the human body, is able to increase the content of purine bases in the blood, so crucians are not recommended for use by patients with gout.

Application in medicine

Crucian carp is a low-calorie fish that contains essential amino acids, vitamins and minerals, and does not cause allergies. It can be used in almost any disease:

• heart and blood vessels (improves heart rate, normalizes blood pressure, does not affect blood cholesterol);
• digestive system (increases appetite, stimulates the release of digestive juices, promotes cell regeneration);
• kidneys (reduces swelling, stimulates diuresis);
• blood (increases the level of hemoglobin, enriches the protein composition of the plasma).

During pregnancy, the use of meat of this fish is useful because of the high content of vitamins and essential amino acids, which is necessary for the harmonious development of the fetus. During breastfeeding, eating it enriches breast milk with proteins, vitamins and minerals. Carp ear is useful for young children who suffer from weight deficiency and loss of appetite.

Dishes from this fish are recommended for use during and after severe infectious and somatic diseases, operations, and injuries.

How to choose

You can buy Karasey all year round, but June crucian is considered the most delicious. Acquire for eating only fresh fish is necessary. The best option would be if the fish is still breathing, then there are no complaints about its freshness. If the fish no longer has breathing, then its freshness can be determined by the following signs:

1. The gills should be pink or red. Dull, gray or green gills are a sign of fish stale.
2. A thin layer of clear mucus should be present on the surface of the body.
3. The scales on the fish should be intact, shiny and held tight.
4. The abdomen should be soft, the hole from pressing the finger on the body should quickly level out.
5. The eyes of fresh fish are transparent, shiny, convex.
6. A fish smell should come from the fish. In crucian carp, the smell of tina is often mixed with this smell.

Store freshly cleaned, gutted fish in the refrigerator for no more than 2 days. It can also be frozen. At a temperature of -18 ° C, crucian carp can be stored for up to 6 months.

Cooking application

Crucian carp is a versatile fish in cooking methods. It is fried, boiled, stewed, baked, salted, marinated, smoked, dried. It is delicious in any form. One “but!”: he is very bony, so his meat should be disassembled with special care.

So that in a dish prepared from crucian carp, there are no bones, it is necessary to use one trick. It consists in the fact that along the whole body of each small fish with a knife it is necessary to make transverse notches every 0,5-1 cm (depending on the size of the fish).

Karas stewed in sour cream

It is a classic dietary dish that is easy to prepare. To prepare it, you will need 1 kg of carp, 0,5 liters of sour cream, onions, lemon, flour for breading, vegetable oil, salt and spices to taste. Clean the fish, gut, make notches on the barrels. Drizzle with lemon juice to get rid of the ooze smell (if any). Season with salt, sprinkle. Leave on for 20-30 minutes. In a preheated frying pan with vegetable oil, fry the boneless fish in breading from flour. Fry over high heat for no longer than 3 minutes on each side, to lightly brown. Put the crucians on a baking sheet, greased with vegetable oil, top with a layer of onions, cut into rings, and pour over sour cream. Bake in the oven at 180 ° C for 20-30 minutes until golden brown.

Conclusions

Crucian carp is an affordable and very useful freshwater fish that can and should be on each table several times a week. Her meat is a source of high-grade protein, minerals and vitamins.

Its use in food is shown at any age and in almost any state of health. At the same time, it has a low calorie content, so it can be used to lose weight.

Caution is necessary to feed children with this fish, as its meat is very bony. It is necessary to acquire it only in places of authorized trade in food products in order to avoid the purchase of fish from contaminated water bodies. Not recommended for use with gout.