The common name, horse mackerel, comes from the old Dutch word Horsmakreel. This means a mackerel that spawns on a ‘hors’, which is a shallow area in the sea or a bank. The English took the name and called the fish horse mackerel.
What is the difference between mackerel and horse mackerel?
Horse mackerel (aji)
(Mackerel belongs to the Scombridae family, while horse mackerel belongs to the Carangidae family.) It is smaller than other mackerel and has a lighter flavor. Horse mackerel is also popular in edomae-style sushi and is usually served with freshly grated ginger and scallions.
What is horse mackerel?
Horse mackerel is a vague vernacular term for a range of species of fish throughout the English-speaking world. It is commonly applied to pelagic fishes, especially of the Carangidae (jack mackerels and scads) family, most commonly those of the genera Trachurus or Caranx.
Where does horse mackerel come from?
The Atlantic horse mackerel (Trachurus trachurus), also known as the European horse mackerel or common scad, is a species of jack mackerel in the family Carangidae, the jacks, pompanos and trevallies. It is found in the eastern Atlantic Ocean off Europe and Africa and into the south-eastern Indian Ocean.
What kind of fish is horse mackerel?
Topic: Horse mackerel. The horse mackerel (Trachurus trachurus) is widely distributed from Africa to the Norwegian Sea. It is a pelagic fish feeding on zooplankton, fish larvae and smaller fish. International catches of western horse mackerel are annually around 150 000 tonnes.
Do people eat horse mackerel?
Whilst they are quite oily fish, horse mackerel have a different flavour to normal mackerel. The Portuguese often cook them in an escabeche (fried then steeped in a sweet pickle liquor) and the Japanese often use it to make a tataki, which is like an oriental tatare.
Are horse mackerel good to eat?
It congregates in large schools in coastal waters, where it feeds on crustaceans, squid and other fish. This mackerel is edible and can be smoked, fried, salted and baked etc.
Is horse mackerel high in mercury?
Mercury concentrations in horse mackerel and in Mediterranean horse mackerel were between 0.16 and 2.41 microg g(-1) of weight wet (mean, 0.68 microg g(-1)) and between 0.09 and 1.62 microg g(-1) (mean, 0.51 microg g(-1)), respectively.
Is horse mackerel a tuna?
Some context about details that appear in the story to follow: In the 1800s and early 1900s, “horse mackerel” was a vernacular term for bluefish tuna, which are indeed large, powerful fish.
Is horse mackerel oily fish?
Horse mackerel, taking into account its status as an oily fish, is a fatty fish. This fat is rich in omega-3 fatty acids, helping to reduce cholesterol and triglyceride levels in the blood that help reduce the risk of heart and blood vessel diseases.
Where do you find horse mackerel?
The horse mackerel (Trachurus trachurus) is a common species found in the eastern Atlantic Ocean off Europe from Norway to South Africa and into the south-eastern Indian Ocean to Mozambique.
Is horse mackerel sustainable?
The sustainability of horse mackerel, also known as scad, varies depending on where it’s caught. For Best Choice options, look for Southern horse mackerel caught near Portugal. Avoid horse mackerel caught by pelagic trawls in the Bay of Biscay, as there could be bycatch of dolphins and porpoises.
Where do horse mackerel live?
Distribution and habitat
The Mediterranean horse mackerel is found in subtropical waters throughout the eastern Atlantic Ocean from the Bay of Biscay to Mauritania, as well as the Mediterranean Sea, the Aegean archipelago, the Black Sea, the Propontis or Sea of Marmara, and the southwestern Sea of Azov.
Which type of mackerel is the best?
Atlantic and Atka mackerel from Alaska are high in inflammation-fighting omega-3s and low in mercury, but not all mackerel get a thumbs-up. King mackerel, from the Western Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico, has a high mercury content. Zumpano suggests limiting Spanish mackerel as well due to mercury concerns.
Which is better mackerel or sardines?
Overall, sardine is relatively richer in some vitamins than mackerel. It contains more iron, copper, calcium, zinc, and phosphorus. The level of calcium in sardine is six times higher than in mackerel.
What is the biggest species of mackerel?
As the largest species in its genus, the king mackerel grows to 19.7-35.4 inches (50-90 cm) in length. The maximum size reported of the king mackerel is 72.4 inches (184 cm) and 99 pounds (45 kg). Maximum age recorded is 14 years for females and 11 years for males.
Can you eat horse mackerel raw?
The vinegar is a preservative and helps prevent the ingredients from deteriorating. The photo shows some types of seafood ideal to be eaten raw: sea bream, prawns, horse mackerel, squid, turban shell, saury and abalone. Other types not shown here include: tuna, bonito, flatfish (flounder), yellowtail and sea bass.
Why is mackerel so expensive?
As of mid-October, Norwegian mackerel landings amounted to 74,000 tonnes, compared to 180,000 tonnes at the same time in 2017, according to the FAO. Prices have remained high this year as a result of a 20% cut in the total allowable catch (TAC) for north-east Atlantic mackerel in 2019.
Can you eat mackerel raw?
Mackerel is also beautiful raw in the form of a tartare or ceviche – just be sure to buy the freshest fish possible, caught on the day of eating.
Which is healthier tuna or mackerel?
Tuna contains 15 times more Vitamin A and 12 times more Vitamin B1 than mackerel. It also has more Vitamin B6, Vitamin B2, and B3. Tuna falls in the range of the top 12% of foods as a source of Vitamin B3 and Vitamin A. One serving of tuna covers half of your daily Vitamin B3 recommended intake.
Can you eat mackerel every day?
The FDA lists albacore tuna as a “once a week choice.” And while Atlantic mackerel is low in mercury and okay to eat two or more times a week, King mackerel is a high mercury fish that the FDA recommends avoiding.