Why carp is useful, properties, photos and preparation

The benefits and harms of carp lie, on the one hand, in tasty, tender and fatty meat, which has a large number of useful properties, and, on the other hand, in the fear of getting poisoned or choking on the small bones that the meat of this freshwater fish abounds in.

Description of carp

For the first time to eat fish of the carp family began in China in 1000 BC. The name of the fish comes from the Greek word meaning "fruit". The artificially bred fish came to be called so because of their fertility: each female can lay more than a million eggs.

Carp is a large, thermophilic fish with a large head. Its body is elongated and covered with large scales, the color of which depends on the habitat.

This type of fish spawns when the water temperature rises to 17 degrees Celsius. It feeds at temperatures of 7 degrees and above, and hibernates in winter.

Carps live for 50 years. In weight, they can reach one kilogram, and at three years old they are considered sexually mature and capable of reproducing.

Outwardly, the fish resembles a crucian carp, only it has 4 antennae on its lips.

Where carp is found

Fish of the Carp family are found in the Mediterranean and Black Seas. It inhabits such rivers as the Amur, Danube, Dnieper, Volga, also in some rivers of China. It was brought to America at the beginning of the twentieth century: when the years of the Great Depression began, cheap food was needed.

The chemical composition of carp

The beneficial properties of carp are contained in its amazing chemical composition. Fish meat contains useful minerals such as:

• potassium;
• sodium;
• molybdenum;
• zinc;
• selenium;
• manganese.

Fish is rich in vitamins. The following amount of vitamins per 100 grams of the product:

• riboflavin or B2 - 0.054 mg;
• phyloquinone or K - 0.097 μg;
• folate or B9 - 9.288 mcg;
• thiamine (B1) - 0.137 mg;
• retinol equivalent (A) - 19.804 mg.

Nutritional value and calorie content of carp

The benefits and calorie content of carp depend on its processing. When fried or smoked, fish meat will be more high-calorie, saturated with fats and contain quite useful properties in comparison with boiled or steamed meat.

How many kilocalories are in fish after cooking in one form or another is indicated in the table:

Based on the data in the table, we can conclude that this fillet is considered dietary. This is the main benefit. Although fish is easy to digest, it should not be overused. Eaten in large quantities can be harmful to the body.

Useful properties of carp

The benefits and harms of carp for the body is to provide health at the same time positive and negative properties.

Fish contains nutrients and a lot of protein, which is good for children as they grow.

Meat is rich in omega-3 unsaturated fatty acids. They have the following beneficial properties for the body:

• anti-inflammatory;
• do not allow cholesterol plaques to be deposited in the vessels, and therefore this type of fish is useful for the prevention of atherosclerosis, thrombosis, heart and vascular diseases.

The calcium in fish will benefit the human skeletal system. Zinc will improve memory and help focus more strongly.

The use of such meat normalizes the work of the gastrointestinal tract and the nervous system. It will be especially beneficial for diabetics and people with thyroid diseases - thanks to the Omega-3 acids.

Carp soup is recommended to be consumed during breastfeeding, pregnancy, feeding a small child. Well-absorbed calcium will benefit the elderly by strengthening their skeletal system.

The benefits and harms of carp caviar

Before talking about the beneficial properties of carp caviar, it should be noted that it is often thrown away, considering it unsuitable for food, which is completely in vain, since it contains a large amount of lecithin and unsaturated fatty acids.

The calorie content of caviar is 200 kcal per 100 g. In appearance, it is dense, small, pink in color.

It is completely absorbed by the body, without forming toxins. Phosphorus, fluoride and calcium contained in it strengthen teeth, bones, improve memory, saturate the body with vitamins, and accelerate the breakdown of fats.

However, such caviar can also be harmful - due to its high cholesterol content: consumed in large quantities, it can become the culprit of thrombosis.

Therefore, with excessive eating, caviar can become the culprit for excess weight. Therefore, in order to avoid the harm that carp caviar can bring, it is recommended to add it in daily portions in delicate quantities.

How best to cook this healthy fish with excellent taste is described below.

How to cook delicious carp

The most delicious meat is fried. There is a recipe that, when frying, will not dry out the meat, but will make it crispy and rich. You can buy a carcass everywhere, especially in autumn.

Fried carp

The best way to feel the taste of fish is if you don't add various additives and spices to it. Ingredients you need:

• carp - 1 kg;
• pepper - a pinch;
• vegetable oil;
• flour for breading pieces;
• salt;
• lemon.

Cooking steps:

1. Rinse the carcass with water, peel off the scales.
2. Gut, rinse again from the inside and cut into pieces, after removing the head.
3. Place in a plate, sprinkle with salt and black pepper. Drizzle with lemon juice.
4. Let it stand.
5. Dump in flour.
6. Fry on one side for 5 minutes, on the other - 7 minutes.

Carp baked in the oven

The baked dish has a special taste, incomparable with other types of cooking. Ingredients you need:

• carp - 1 kg;
• bulgarian pepper - 0.5 kg;
• eggplant - 0.5 kg;
• carrots - 0.2 kg;
• onions - 0.2 kg;
• garlic - 5 cloves;
• mayonnaise - 3 tbsp. l .;
• lemon, dill, parsley, salt, pepper.

Cooking steps:

1. Wash the fish, peel it off, remove the entrails and gills. Leave to dry.
2. Mix mayonnaise, pepper and garlic.
3. Chop the dill and parsley.
4. Salt the meat, grease with the prepared mayonnaise mixture. Put chopped greens inside.
5. Cut the onion, carrot, eggplant into rings and cut the pepper into longitudinal slices.
6. Cut the lemon into wedges.
7. Fry onions, carrots, peppers for 2 minutes.
8. Fry the eggplants separately.
9. Make cuts on the carp and put in the lemon wedges.
10. Put the cooked vegetables on a baking sheet, and on top - fish.
11. Drizzle with lemon juice.
12. Bake in a preheated oven for 40 minutes at 180 ^aboutFROM.

Stuffed carp

Ingredients:

• carp - 2 kg;
• champignons - 0.5 kg;
• onions - 2 pcs.;
• vegetable oil;
• dill, pepper, salt - to taste.

Cooking steps:

1. Wash the fish and remove scales.
2. Gut and rinse the belly.
3. Chop onion and mushrooms.
4. Fry the onions and add the mushrooms.
5. Carp and stuff with onions, mushrooms and chopped dill, place on a greased baking sheet.
6. Pour vegetable oil on top and bake for 60 minutes at 180 ^aboutFROM.

Harm of carp and contraindications

Carp is an omnivorous fish. He lives in muddy water, in which there may be substances poisonous to humans, digs in the silt in search of food. Therefore, harmful substances accumulate in his body along with useful ones.

If the fish is bred in an artificial reservoir, then there may be residues of antibiotics and artificial bait in it, which can also be harmful to humans, then there is little sense of useful properties.

The benefits of carp fish, like the harm, depend on the individual characteristics of the person. For some people, it can be dangerous simply because of an allergic reaction.

How to choose the right carp

The best way to buy is by fishing it right in front of the buyer. If there is no such opportunity at the outlet, then you should adhere to the basic rules for choosing fresh fish:

• clean and bright eyes;
• when you press your finger on the carp, the carcass should quickly take its original shape;
• red gills without mucus;
• only scales should be covered with mucus.

Compliance with these simple rules ensures that the meat will be full of useful properties and will not cause harm.

Carp storage

It is recommended to store carp in the refrigerator for no more than 3 days. Before putting in the refrigerator, you need:

1. Remove scales.
2. Remove gills.
3. Gut.
4. Put in a bowl, preferably glass.
5. Cover with cling film.

In the freezer, the shelf life is longer: up to three months.

Conclusion

The benefits and harms of carp depend on many factors: in what environment the fish lives, whether a person is allergic to it. Ideally, it is good to know where the fish are bred. If there is no such information, it will be easy to determine the addition of hormones in the feeding by a sharp decrease in the volume of fish during frying: if so, then it is better not to use such carp, because instead of benefits, there is a high probability of harm to health.

Fish reviews

For lovers of carp fishing - video: