FISH IS HEALTH
Sugar, carbohydrates are scarce in fish. It is very rich regarding the proteins. Owing to these, it is a very healthy food. Full-fat fish of 100 gr contains about 22 gr of protein and non-fat fish contains 10 grams of protein. Fish is also the food type that is benefited the most for proteins. Human body benefits 93% of this protein. This rate is lower in the red meat and other white meat.
Beside containing less carbohydrates, fish is also very rich regarding the mineral salts and minerals, it contains phosphorus, calcium, iodine and fluorine. Fish meat is rich regarding vitamin A, B1, B2 and D

BLACK MEAT – WHITE MEAT FISH
Our country which is surrounded by sea on three sides, despite the environmental pollution that increases gradually, is a country which is very rich regarding the varieties of fish. Sea fish is classified as black meat – white meat and as local or migratory. White-meat fish is easier to digest when compared to black-meat fish. They contain gelatin so they are convenient for boiling. They are convenient for frying, grilling, and also grilling during the seasons when it is full-fat. Goat fish, red mullet, sea bass, grey mullet, bluefish, turbot, bream, sea bream, sole fish, brill and tub gurnard can be given as an example.
Fish such as large bonito, bonito, mackerel, Spanish mackerel, swordfish, anchovy, sardine, smelt, is considered to be black-meat fish. These are more fatty when compared to white-meat fish and they contain less gelatin. Due tothis, they are not convenient for boiling and they are harder to digest.

GOAT FISH
This sweet fish of the seas is generally found at Aegean and Mediterranean. Goat fish, which is a local fish, lives at the sandy and muddy depths close to the shore of the warm seas and sometimes at rocky sections. Generally it is about 17 to 20 centimeters and rarely it reaches 40 cm. It has four types as the rock goat fish, sand goat fish, weed goat fish, and pasha goat fish. The best one among these is rock goat fish. Its back is red and abdomen is white and there are no grey spots on its back. Sand and weed goat fish has grey and red mixed on its back. There is a yellow stripe on both sides of pasha goat fish, from the chin to the tail. The tastiest time of this fish, which is confused with red mullet, is between July and October. During this time, frying, grilling and kebab in oily paper is very delicious. The main difference from the red mullet is that it has a longer head. The head of the red mullet is short and thick it has two beards under the chin.

RED MULLET
This fish which is very similar to and a close relative of goat fish is fished at all our seas. Those at the Black sea and Marmara have a length of 6 to 10 cm. Their length reaches the length of goat fish at Aegean and Marmara. The beard under the chin, short and thick head, and yellow-black spots on the first back fin discriminates it from the goat fish. The tastiest time of this fish, which can be eaten during all four seasons, just like the goat fish, is between July – October. Frying and kebab in oily paper is very delicious.

SEA BREAM
Sea bream, the famous local fish of Aegean which is swims as small shoals, is also started to be produced at farms. Sea bream is known by its flat body in the shape of an ellipse, white abdomen, dark grey back and pinkish cheeks. It is found at Atlantic Ocean, Northwest Black Sea, Aegean and Mediterranean. This fish, which was also fished at Marmara in the past and which was known as Red cheek, is unfortunately extinct. In general, it is between 20 to 35 cm. However, there are also those which reach 6 – 7 kg. The grill, steam, soup, oven cooking of this fish, which can be eaten with pleasure in all the seasons, is very delicious. The ideal size for grill is between 250 to 350 grams (3 to 4 pieces/kilo). Bigger ones should be preferred to be cooked in oven. All sizes may be used for steaming and soup. This fish, which has a delicious taste, should be preferred to be eaten as grill or oven cooked. Annular sea bream and lidaki are the small fish of this species.

TWO BANDED BREAM
Two branded bream, which is a close relative of sea bream, is a local fish with flat body in the shape of an ellipse, with silver scales. It has kinds such as Atlantic pomfred, sharp beak, white bream and conger. Its length is about 20 – 25 cm. During summer it lives in rocky and weedy places where mussels are abundant. In winter, it lives in the deep sea. This fish can be eaten at all seasons and is fattier and tastier during the months other than May – July. Like sea bream, grill, steam, oven cooking and soup of it is very tasty. 1 kg or larger should be oven-cooked.

SOLE FISH
Sole fish is also local fish and found abundantly at Aegean and Mediterranean. It can be eaten at all seasons. The tastiest time is between November and February. Frying is delicious. Larger ones are convenient for fillets, and they can be cooked as shish or fillet with sauce.

ANCHOVY
In 1988, it constituted two thirds of our total fishing with 310.00 tons (including 40.000 tons of fresh water production and fishing, total 480.000 tons in 1988). With its mouth sliding towards the back of its eyes and sharpened nose, it can easily be discriminated from its close relative, sardine. Smelt (Atherina) is also a relative of anchovy. Its length is about 12 cm and reaches up to 18 – 20 cm and they swim as large shoals.
Black sea anchovy is divided into two as Azov and Black sea. Azov anchovy has a shorter and thicker nose. They reproduce in Azov sea and go south for the winter, to Central and Eastern Black Sea; they migrate to north bythe end of April. Black sea anchovy reproduces at Northwest Black sea and go the coasts of Thrace andMarmara for winter from November to February. In April, they go up to Black sea for spawning. Moreover, ther is another anchovy type which is called Marmara anchovy, which is smaller and which does not migrate. Same type is also found at North Aegean sea. The color of the back of this anchovy is lighter.
Anchovy is especially is the basic food, basic protein source of the Black sea region. It is consumed by large masses due to the cheap price. Almost all types of dishes can be cooked by the anchovy. Such as grill, fried, oven-cooked, oily paper-kebab, steam-cooking, stewing. Although it is a black-meat fish, it is very convenient for steam-cooking. During the summer months, since it is not fatty, frying or steam-cooking should be preferred in stead of grill. Anchovy, which is fished also during the winter months, is salted and preserved. This is called anchovy. Moreover, it is also used for the production of fish oil and fish flour.

SARDINE
Sardine, which is a close relative of anchovy, lives as shoals and migrates along the coasts. Like anchovy, it is a fish with a very high commercial value. It came the second with 90.000 tons in 1988 after anchovy. It is used as dried, salted, even in order to obtain fish oil and fish flour. The name sardine is identified with canned food due to the process. Even canned menhaden is called by the same name.
Sardine is about 15 – 20 cm in Mediterranean. It grows up to 30 cm in the ocean. Whatever anchovy is for the Black sea, so sardine is for Portugal, Atlantic coasts of Spain, Sicily and Malta. In these countries, many dishes are cooked with sardine. In our country, sardine is abundant at the North Aegean and the tastiest season is July – October. During this period, various grills, oven-cooking and oily paper kebab, steaming and stewing can be made. Between November-June, only stewing and steaming would be fine but it will not be as delicious as the previous period.
Small sardine is called sprat; it is cooked without cleaning. Twaite shat is a big sardine. It has bones in the form of hair and it is not as delicious as the sardine.

MACKEREL
It is very similar to Spanish mackerel and it is a migratory fish that swims as shoals. Mackerel is about 30 cm in our seas and it grows up to 50 cm in the North Sea. Mackerel passes the summer months in the Black sea and goes down to Marmara during September and October and passes the winter months here and spawns here. It goes back to Black sea between the months of March – June. The Mackerel has three names according to the size. The smallest is kalinarya. Those fatty ones at the length of 20 – 25 cm are mackerel, and the third one is named as kipper. Those caught in the summer are called lipari. The tastiest season is from September until the end of January when it starts to spawn. During this period, grill, oily paper kebab, stuffing, meatballs and salted dishes are very tasty. Since it is fatty during these seasons, frying is not recommended. Starting from February, its fat is decreased and it can be fried then. Those caught during summer are convenient for stewing and frying. Kippers returning to Black sea in the spring are dried. This dried fish which is called dried kipper is named as kipper. The important differences of mackerel from Spanish mackerel are as follows:
. Although the designs on the back are similar, Spanish mackerel has a darker color than mackerel.
. Tail fork of the mackerel is like the letter V, empty inside and formed of two lines. Spanish mackerel’s is full inside.
. The eyes of the mackerel are almost as small as the eye of a needle and the Spanish mackerel’s is quite big.


SPANISH MACKEREL
This fish, which is very similar to mackerel, migrates together with the mackerel as shoals. Moreover, there are also local varieties in the Aegean and Marmara. It is tasteless when compared to mackerel, so it is usually fried. January is the month when it is the fattiest so this time is ideal for salting. Salted Spanish mackerel is very delicious.

BLUE FISH
Blue fish, which swims as shoals in the Mediterranean, Black sea, Marmara, Indian Ocean and Atlantic Ocean is a migratory fish with scales. Those which live in the cold seas are fattier and they are more delicious. In our country, the taste of those caught at Black sea and Istanbul strait and Marmara Sea are delicious. As we go south, it is tasteless and looses that fine taste and smell that is special to it.
From mid-September until the end of January, it is the fattiest and the most delicious time of blue fish. During this period, grill is recommended. Grill of the small blue fish is fine also, but its season is shorter when compared to blue fish. It starts to decrease by the end of November. Stew-cooking, steam-cooking, oily paper kebab and frying can be made during the other times according to the size. They do not have much fat during the spring, so frying, stewing and steaming should be preferred.
Blue fish is the fish that has many names according to the size.
Blue fish varieties are as follows:
. up to 10 cm …………………..leaf (20 pieces/kilo)
. between 11 – 13 cm………….small blue fish (16 – 19 pieces/kilo)
. between 14 – 16 cm…………coarse small bluefish (10 – 15 pieces/kilo)
. between 17 – 20 cm…………yellow wing (9 – 14 pieces/kilo)
. between 21 – 30 cm …………blue fish (4 – 8 pieces/kilo)
. between 31 – 35 cm………….coarse blue fish (2 – 3 pieces/kilo)
. over 30 cm………………….large blue fish (about 1 kg/piece or larger)


BONITO
It belongs to a family including mackerel, large bonito and tunny. It is a scaleless, black-meat migratory fish that lives as shoals. Its back is striped and abdomen is in silver color. Its length may reach 1 meter. The varieties of this family can be found in all our seas but the tastiest ones are those in the Black sea and Marmara. Bonito of the Black sea nad Marmare has seven stripes from the head to the tail as straight lines, of which four are dark and three are light blue. Close relative of bonito living in Aegean, named as Frigate mackerel, spotted tunny bonito and little tunny bonito have minimum 16 multi-colored wavy stripes from the back to the abdomen and minimum three black spots around the abdomen. The taste of the meat is not good when compared to the real bonito. But most people do not know this and they buy this as “bonito” then they start to dislike bonito because of this.
Fishing bonito starts in August. First, vanoz and baby bonito comes from the black sea, then bonito comes starting from September. The tastiest time is from September to mid-February. It is very fatty in this season, so frying would be very oily. Due to this, grill and oven-cooking is recommended. In the same season stew baking would also be good. It can be fried during the other seasons. Bonito is a black-meat fish, so steaming and soup is not recommended.
The names of the bonito according to the size are as follows:
. up to 20 cm ………………….bonito vanoz
. between 20 – 30 cm……..…..baby bonito
. between 31 – 40 cm………….bonito
. between 40 – 50 cm……..….chestnut bonito
. between 51 – 60 cm…..…….large bonito
. between 61 – 65 cm…..…….sharp
. between 65 – 70 cm………..pelamid
. over 70 cm……………….zindandelen
Large bonito and large sizes of large bonito are fattier than bonito. Due to this reason, salting or pickling in brine is preferred.


SEA BASS, UMBRA, BROWN MEAGRE
This family which contains 12 different species, lives at the shallow sections of the warm and tropical waters. The body is in the shape of a spindle and somewhat flat on the side. Sea bass has large scales and the sides are generally white and the bottom is silver, lower fin is yellowish. The largest ones may be over 1 meter. They are between 20 to 60 cm in our seas. There are two kinds as ordinary sea bass and spotted sea bass. They are discriminated by many spots on their back. Spotted sea bass is found in southern Aegean and Mediterranean and the ordinary sea bass is found at all our seas. Umbra, which is known as corb at the Black sea, also belongs to this family. Umbra which is very similar to brown meagre is at the length of 30 to 80 cm. there are also those which are larger than 1 meter and having a weight of 20 – 25 kg. Grown ups prefer the rocks near to the cost while the babies prefer the river outfalls. Its bright body with bluish-grey color has blue stripes from the back to the abdomen. Its abdomen is silver white.
Brown meagre can be found in all our seas and lives at the rocks close to the coast. It is about 30 cm long and 600 grams. There are also those which weigh 3 – 4 kilos. Its back is somewhat humpy and has dark brown and dark blue color. Its abdomen is yellow-white. In its head, behind the eyes, there are two pieces of white stones of which each is 4 – 5 grams. People believe that these stones are diuretic and expel kidney stones. It usually swims alone, hunts in the night and swims through the holes, and its main food is shrimp and baby fish. Sea bass can be eaten all along the year and has a very tasty meat. The best season is winter months and the beginning of the spring. It can be cooked in all methods, but steaming, oily paper kebab in the oven and with mayonnaise is very delicious. Sea bass is especially good with wine and fish dishes with mayonnaise.

GOLDENEYE, DENTEX
Goldeneye is a name that is generally used for large dentex. It is similar to waker and grouper, but belongs to a different family.

HORSE MACKEREL
Horse mackerel is the first fish that the fishermen meet when they start fishing at Marmara and Bosporus. Its mouth is extendable towards the front, it has thin teeth, big eyes, deep tail and its body is in the shape of a spindle and it is a migratory fish. There are also local ones living in Marmara, Aegean and Black sea.It is about 15 – 20 cm in Marmara and 30 cm in Aegean. Those less than 10 cm in Marmara are called scad fish. At the east of Black sea, horse mackerel is at the size of bonito, about 50 cm. yellow tail horse mackerel or yellow wing horse mackerel is the kind that is abundant in our seas.
Horse mackerel goes down to Marmara in the fall and return back to the Black sea starting from May. Horse mackerel is caught every season, but the tastiest period is between November and February. Frying and oven-cooking is delicious.

PICERAL
Its mouth is hooded, has big eyes, back-chest and anus fins are hard and thorny and it is a radiatus fish. There are two types in our seas: violet piceral and istargilos. Male piceral are larger than female ones. Female ones are about 20 cm while the male ones are about 25 cm. Piceral is a deep sea fish which is fed by mussel, sea worm and fish eggs. Its meat is white and very delicious. Frying it is very tasty. In the fall and spring months it can even be grilled. It is not cleaned when grilled. It is cooked as it is and then it is cleaned. It is served with lemon and olive oil and parsley. Frying after removing the scales and taking off the skin is very delicious also.
 
TURBOT
This famous fish of the Black sea is flat, has an oval body, one side is almost black and the other side is white and it has buttons on the white side. Rock turbot which is black on both sides is rarely seen. Rock turbot is mainly caught at Sinop, Samsun regions. Turbot which is caught at the north of İstanbul strait and west of Black sea is the ordinary turbot which is black on one side and white on the other side. Turbot migrates from the north to south in the Black sea. This fish which is caught in all seasons can be eaten through the whole year. The tastiest time is from the end of January until mid-March. Frying is delicious. It can also be steamed or cooked in oily paper. Baby turbots caught starting from the end of spring until August are delicious when fried.

GREY MULLET
It is a fish which is delicious in the months other than summer months, it has scales in it is non-migratory. It lives in all our seas. It is very delicious in the fall, winter and spring. Steam and stew cooked grey mullet is delicious. Also smoked type, which is called likorinoz, is also liked. Dried eggs of the striped mullet, which is a type of grey mullet, is a sea product that is very popular and it is an appetizer. Yellow ear grey mullet is fried and fillet grilled. When buying grey mullet, one should be very careful and should buy it from an acquainted fisherman. Because grey mullet loves polluted and dirty seas and it lives in such places while the other fish do not. For example, other fish can not survive in the Gulf of İzmir, but there, grey mullet is abundant. Grey mullet caught in such seas is very dangerous for human health.

SWORDFISH
It is a very delicious type of fish, which is now rarely seen in our seas. It is seen all year long in Mediterranean and Aegean and during summer months in the Black sea. It has an upper chin long like a sword, dark blue-black color in the back; and its relative marlin is not caught in our seas. This fish, which lives in Atlantic Ocean, around Bermuda, is discriminated from the swordfish by its pinkish color when cooked, back fin extending from the head to the tail and its upper chin which is flat in stead of round. The tastiest time of the swordfish, which can be eaten all year along, is between September – February. The best way to cook it is as shish with bay leaf. It can also be grilled or cooked in oily paper.

WHITING
Whiting, which is also known as chicken fish, lives in all our seas but mostly in the Black sea. Except summer, it is always egg-bearing. Egged grill, sauté with tomatoes is delicious.

TUB GURNARD
Tub gurnard, which is found in all our seas, is about 25 – 30 cm and rarely it is about 75 cm. The color of the back is red-pink, and the abdomen is pink or white. It is discriminated from piper by its pinkish-grey or completely grey back and the piper’s mouth like a duck beak. Both are delicious and in general, tub gurnard is preferred. It has highly developed gills and throat structure and it makes sounds at different frequencies like humming or moaning. Due to this sound, many fishermen call it moaning fish and it is considered to be evil.
Tub gurnard is not good for grill or frying. Steam-cooked and especially soup is very delicious. Cleaned meat of the boiled tub gurnard can also be eaten as an appetizer with mayonnaise and olive oil-lemon.

SCORPION FISH, LARGE SCALED SCORPIONFISH
After mentioning tub gurnard, we can not omit scorpion fish and large scaled scorpion fish. Although they are not from the same family, they are very similar regarding their meat and the method of cooking. Scorpion fish is found in all our seas while large scaled scorpion fish is found generally in Aegean. The back thorns of the scorpion fish are poisonous. Due to this, the fisherman should clean it for you.

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