, how to choose fresh smelt, composition of smelt, description of smelt fish, benefits of smelt for humans, harm of smelt for humans, can smelt be eaten, can children eat smelt, smelt festival in St. Petersburg

In the springtime in St. Petersburg, the aroma of fresh cucumbers appears on the city streets, and all because fishermen bring tasty and healthy smelt fish, which surprisingly has such a smell, for which it received a comic nickname from fishermen - fish-vegetable.

Description of smelt fish

Smelt has become a traditional late spring dish in St. Petersburg. We loved this representative of salmon fish for the delicate taste of the meat and its quick preparation. The smelt fish is not at all large in size and not the brightest in appearance: no more than 30 cm in length, and an adult specimen reaches 350 grams of weight, colored dark and light gray, with a greenish tint on the back, with iridescent scales.

In nature smelt fish prefers cold waters, so it stays close to the bottom. A distinctive feature of the smelt is its wide mouth with a large number of teeth, which are quite large for the modest size of the fish itself, so don’t let yourself be bitten!

The scales of smelt are moderately shiny and quite soft, making them easy to peel off in a few movements with a simple knife. The fish themselves, unlike most of their relatives, are able to remain alive on land for up to several hours, which increases their freshness and is very convenient for fishermen and buyers.

Smelt fish: benefits and harm - composition

In addition to its excellent taste, smelt also has undoubted benefits for the human body, and this is due to its very good composition, like most fish.

Smelt meat consists of proteins and fats, water and ash, and contains a large amount of vitamins and minerals shown in the table.

Smelt fish - composition: protein, fats, water and ash.

Name	Quantity per 100 g. smelts
	1.5 grams
Vitamins	Retinol or vitamin A (15 mcg), B1 (0.01 mg), B2 (0.12 mcg), B3 (1.45 mcg), B6 ​​(0.15 mg), B9 (4 mcg), B12 (3 .44 mcg), vitamin E (0.5 mg), D (0.8 mcg), K (0.1 mcg), B4 (65 mg)
Macronutrients	Potassium (290 mg), Calcium (60 mg), Magnesium (35 mg), Sodium (60 mg), Phosphorus (230 mg)
Microelements	Manganese (700 mg), Selenium (36.5 mcg), Copper (139 mcg), Zinc (1.65 mcg), Iron (0.9 mg)
	Nicotinic, pantothenic (B5) and folic

As can be seen from the table, despite the sufficient fat content, smelt does not have a high calorie content, and even people who are watching their figure or on a diet can eat it.

Small smelt can be eaten whole, with bones; this is especially useful for people suffering from osteoporosis. Thanks to smelt you will restore the balance of micro- and macroelements.

The rich composition of smelt generally has a beneficial effect on human health, especially for the following organs and systems:

• Smelt strengthens bones and joints.
• Helps prevent cardiovascular diseases.
• Smelt increases brain productivity.
• Smelt helps reduce stress, fatigue, and improves mood [there is no arguing here, smelt is very tasty and cannot help but improve your mood, find out and try it yourself].

Such a healthy and tasty product cannot cause harm to health; it can be eaten by everyone: children, adults, and the elderly.

Smelt can be harmful in two cases: if you are unlucky enough to be allergic to it, and if the smelt was caught in a dirty pond.

Smelt caught in a dirty pond may be tasty and no different from ordinary fish in appearance, but inside it may contain heavy metals, wastewater products or industrial and agricultural products. Buy smelt in trusted places, better and cheaper from familiar fishermen. The price often depends on, it makes sense to study the issue in advance so as not to end up with a low-quality product.

Can children have smelt?

As mentioned earlier, smelt is an extremely healthy product, and of course it can be given to children. Naturally, we are not talking about infants, but children who eat meat and other adult foods can be given smelt. I would not give fried smelt, perhaps it is better to just boil it, or remove the fried meat and give only pieces of meat free from bones.

Smelt will only strengthen the bones and joints of a young body and can even improve vision, this is especially true for schoolchildren who spend a lot of time reading and on the computer.

Give children smelt for the first time in small quantities to assess whether the child has an allergy and, if something happens, take action, because the less allergen gets in, the easier it is to deal with the consequences.

How to choose fresh smelt

Smelt can be Baltic, Neva and Ladoga, and even Far Eastern [but this is a completely different smelt]. In the Baltic, in the Neva and on Ladoga, the smelt is the same, only in a different time period of its migration route. There is an opinion that the current in the Neva is stronger and the strongest and largest fish end up there, and judging by the stalls, this is true.

You can choose fresh smelt like any other fish based on appearance and smell.

For fresh smelt:

• There should be no fat or mucus on the carcass.
• The gills should be bright red.
• There should be a smell of fresh cucumbers.
• The eyes should not be cloudy; they become cloudy after freezing [which is typical, the smell of cucumbers does not disappear after freezing].
• The pupil should be narrow; if it is dilated, then the fish has already laid down.

Petersburg smelt - history

Smelt is highly cultivated in St. Petersburg, and is almost a symbol of the city in late spring - early summer. St. Petersburg residents fell in love with smelt so much that they even came up with Smelt Day: mass celebrations are organized in Lenexpo, with cooking and tasting of smelt, mass entertainment, competitions and a fish market.

The love story of St. Petersburg and smelt is shrouded in all sorts of legends and secrets. There is an opinion that Peter I initially fell in love with smelt and he popularized it among the people and even supported fishermen, and gave it the name Tsar Fish. The second story talks about the life-saving smelt during the siege of Leningrad, which saved many city residents from hunger in the spring. To believe or not to believe in legends is everyone’s business.

The main thing is that smelt fish healthy and tasty and will perfectly diversify your table, both adults and children will like it and there is something for every taste and budget.

Smelt is a small fish from the Salmon family. This seafood has an unusually delicate taste and a wide range of medicinal properties. The benefits and harms of smelt are always of interest to people who want to include this product in their daily diet. Its popularity is due to its usefulness, low calorie content and various cooking methods.

What does smelt look like and where is it found?

A small sea fish with delicate silvery scales. Its lifespan is from one to ten years. It has an elongated body of 20-30 cm, but in some cases it grows up to 40 cm, and weighs about 350 g. This marine inhabitant is characterized by transparent fins and a green back. The eyes are bright black, and the mouth is small in size and has a large number of large teeth. An interesting feature of the fish is the smell of fresh cucumber.

The fish can be found in the northern seas and lakes, bays and estuaries of Russia, Scandinavia and the Baltic states. It often moves to cooler areas to search for food. Its diet consists of small crustaceans, planktonic algae and small fish.

Composition of smelt

Sea fish is popular not only for its excellent taste, but also for the presence of irreplaceable healthy components in its composition. This is a high-protein, easily digestible product with low calorie content.

Nutritional value of healthy smelt

Vitamins		Minerals
		macronutrients		microelements
				Manganese

Such a huge content of organic and inorganic substances significantly enhances the nutritional value of fish. Therefore, it must be included in the diet to promote health and prevent various diseases.

Calorie content of smelt

The calorie content of smelt per 100 grams is 102 kcal, but this figure may vary, as it depends on the time the fish was caught, its habitat, and also on the method of preparation.

Moderate consumption will saturate the human body with essential substances and will not cause harm to the figure.

What are the benefits of smelt?

The benefits of smelt for the body are invaluable due to the high content of vital micro- and macroelements. It is recommended to include fish in the diet for the treatment and prevention of many diseases, since it:

• copes with problems of the cardiovascular system;
• strengthens bones and joints, supplies the body with plenty of calcium;
• improves metabolism and provides a feeling of lightness in the stomach;
• has a good effect on dental health;
• fights swelling, ridding the body of excess fluid;
• used to heal external damage to the skin.

Sea fish is useful due to its rich chemical composition, since the beneficial substances it contains help to comprehensively strengthen and restore the functions of the body and stabilize the functioning of important systems. Therefore, with the systematic use of seafood products, the likelihood of forgetting about many serious diseases will significantly increase.

Smelt in folk medicine

The fat of this sea fish is often used in folk medicine as an antibacterial and healing agent. For various skin injuries - scratches, cuts, ulcers, burns - fat is used as a lotion to speed up healing and fight against many bacterial organisms.

Can children eat smelt?

Due to the significant content of macro- and microelements, vitamins and acids, the product is necessary for children to strengthen the musculoskeletal system and support the immune system. Before giving the product to your child, you need to remove the seeds from it and boil it. To check if your baby has an allergic reaction to fish and to protect himself from problems, it is necessary to administer it gradually in small portions. On average, complementary feeding can be started at 1.5 years of age.

Smelt is good for the bones and joints of a small organism, and can also improve or restore vision, which is quite important nowadays for schoolchildren who spend all their time near a computer monitor.

Is smelt good for dieting?

The seafood product does not have a high calorie content, so it is perfect for a diet menu when served with vegetables and herbs. It contains a huge amount of easily digestible proteins, which explains the benefits and nutritional value of fish. It is best to eat it baked, since the calorie content after such heat treatment is slightly reduced.

During the diet, you are allowed to eat even fried healthy smelt with the addition of a large amount of raw vegetables and herbs to the finished dish. Such a lunch will quickly fill you up, give you strength and energy, and also speed up your metabolism, which will have a positive effect on your figure.

Are there any benefits to fried, dried and dried smelt?

Sea fish retains many useful components during processing. Frying is the simplest and most common way to cook fish. Even after heat treatment, it has a positive effect on brain activity, immunity, and the support system.

Dried fish enriches the human body with essential components that prevent the appearance of wrinkles, slow down aging, reduce the occurrence of heart failure and are an excellent prevention of cancer.

Dried healthy smelt is necessary for pregnant women for the development and growth of the baby’s brain, as well as in the fight against depression.

How to cook delicious smelt

According to numerous surveys, it became known that this seafood product tastes best when fried. To do this, you just need to clean the fish, getting rid of the entrails, roll it in flour on both sides, and place it in a non-hot frying pan with sunflower oil. Here is one of the most delicious recipes for preparing healthy smelt:

But frying is not the only method of preparing fish tasty and, most importantly, healthy. Healthy smelt is baked, stuffed, smoked, marinated, grilled and even stewed in white wine. The product goes well with lemon sauce, vegetables and cheese. It is also used to prepare fish soup and cutlets. In Scandinavia, excellent quality fish oil is obtained from it, and canned food is very common in other countries.

Harm of smelt and contraindications

Every product has contraindications, smelt is no exception. Sea fish can cause significant harm to the body in the following cases:

Important! Being careful when buying fish and preparing it will help you protect yourself from unpleasant consequences. Also, before use, you need to make sure there are no allergies or problems with the excretory system.

How to choose and store smelt correctly

When choosing sea fish, you need to pay attention to the smell and appearance of the product. There are several criteria that will help you make the right choice:

1. The smell of smelt should resemble a fresh cucumber, if it smells like fish, this means that the product is expired.
2. If the belly of a sea fish is not swollen, the scales are smooth and shiny, the eyes are bulging and transparent, and the gills have a dark red tint and are characterized by the absence of mucus, then the product is fresh.
3. If you have doubts about the expiration date of smelt at home, you should place the fish in water, then the fresh product will instantly sink.
4. When frozen, a pale tint to the gills and drooping eyes are acceptable.

It is necessary to store sea fish in freezers, since when frozen it does not lose either its taste or beneficial properties. But before that, it needs to be thoroughly washed and cut, removing the insides. Without freezing, the product can be stored for no more than three days if it is dried, cleaned of entrails, rubbed with salt both inside and outside and placed in a cloth moistened with vinegar.

Dried and dried sea fish are stored for a year, wrapped in wrapping paper and placed in a wicker basket or cardboard box, which should be in a warm, dry place. When pickled, smelt should be stored in the refrigerator for about 2 days, just like fried and boiled.

Conclusion

Moderate consumption of valuable seafood in any form will saturate the body with useful components and maintain health and youth for many years. It is important to know the benefits and harms of smelt, and also to be able to choose the right fresh product.

One of the tasty and healthy fish of the salmon family is smelt. It is found, as a rule, in the northern seas, as well as in deep lakes. Fresh smelt smells like a cucumber. The size of smelt is relatively small, it can vary from 10 to 30 cm. Since smelt has quite fatty meat, this allows you to use different methods for preparing it. This fish can be stewed, marinated, smoked, baked. The easiest way to prepare smelt is to simply fry it. To do this, roll the fish, cleaned of its entrails, in flour and fry in oil on both sides for about 5 minutes. In addition, smelt produces aromatic and rich soup. Dried smelt can be a good snack for beer. The benefit of dried smelt is to preserve those beneficial properties that are lost during heat treatment.

The benefits and harms of smelt fish

Smelt meat contains a large number of various minerals and macroelements - vitamins PP, calcium, sodium, chlorine. It is also enriched with iron, chromium, fluorine, and nickel. The calorie content of smelt is approximately 100 kcal.

Smelt can only cause harm if it is caught in a dirty pond. In this case, it may contain harmful substances that can lead to poisoning.

When choosing smelt, you should pay attention to the gills. For any fresh fish, they should be red. The whiter the gills, the more questionable the freshness of the smelt.

Smelt is a fish with a specific taste, juicy meat and soft bones. Who would refuse such crispy fried fish? In this case, smelt can also be baked, marinated or smoked.

Smelt is a small ray-finned fish of the Smelt family. This fish is called cucumber fish, since its smell is indistinguishable from the aroma of a green vegetable. In our country, everyone knows smelt, and in St. Petersburg they even hold a holiday dedicated to this small fish.

What kind of fish is smelt? In appearance, it somewhat resembles a dace; it has small translucent scales, but a large mouth with small sharp teeth. Even with its small length (from 10 to 14 cm) and low weight (up to 350 grams), this waterfowl is a real predator that hunts small fish, eats caviar and crustaceans. Smelt is not picky about food, so it can be successfully bred on an industrial scale.

It is quite difficult to answer the question of where smelt is found, since it is distributed throughout the country. But she feels especially carefree in reservoirs located in the central part of Russia.

What are the benefits for the human body?

Smelt is a healthy product for the health of any person. It contains a lot of protein and minerals necessary for the formation and strength of bones. It also contains nickel and potassium, as well as other useful elements that contribute to the normal functioning of the entire body. The meat of this fish contains B vitamins, which are necessary for normal metabolism and the functioning of the nervous system, plus vitamin A, important for the health of the visual organs and the production of collagen.

In cooking, a wide variety of fish dishes are prepared from smelt. It can be smoked, dried, or dried. But considering its fat content, it tastes best baked and fried. Smelt aspic and first courses are no less tasty.

How to deliciously fry in a frying pan

Many housewives fell in love with smelt because with such fish there are practically no problems in terms of cleaning and gutting. Its scales are small, there is no need to cut anything off, since such a fish must be eaten whole, along with the bones and head.

The only thing that is required is to remove the insides so that the fried smelt fish does not taste bitter.

Cooking method:

1. We wash the smelt and place it in a colander to drain all the water.
2. Next, place the fish in a tight bag, add salt, pepper, a little paprika, thyme leaves and flour.
3. We tie the bag and shake it. This method will allow all the breading to remain on the fish during the frying process.
4. Fry the carcasses in hot oil until golden and delicious.

Oven baking recipe

Smelt meat contains a large amount of healthy fats, and in order to preserve all the benefits of the fish, and increase the taste and aroma, it is worth baking it in the oven. If you don’t know how to cook smelt fish in the oven, we offer a simple recipe.

Ingredients:

• ½ kg smelt;
• lemon - half;
• bay leaves;
• allspice peas;
• dried parsley;
• salt, oil.

Cooking method:

1. Place smelt in a bowl, add salt, sprinkle with dried parsley and pour over citrus juice.
2. Spread several bay leaves over the foil and pour lemon juice over them. Place the smelt, wrap and bake for 25 minutes at 200 degrees.
3. 10 minutes before cooking, you can open the foil slightly so that the fish is covered with an appetizing crust.

Smelt fish soup

Many people call fish soup fish soup, however, it is not that at all. Real ukha is a rich broth made from fresh fish, a minimum of vegetables and one very important ingredient, without which ukha is not ukha. But what this secret is, you will find out in the next recipe.

Ingredients:

• smelt – 12 pcs.;
• bulb;
• carrot;
• two potato tubers;
• parsley and celery root;
• leek;
• salt pepper.
• greenery.

In preparing real fish soup, two important ingredients are used - vodka with herbs and a burning birch splinter.

Cooking method:

1. Chop fresh dill, green onions and parsley. Mix the greens in a bowl and pour 40 ml of vodka into it. We insist on the composition during the entire process of preparing the fish soup.
2. Next, prepare the vegetables: cut the potatoes into cubes, carrots into slices, and just finely chop the onion.
3. Place all the vegetables and roots in a saucepan, place it on the stove and as soon as the water boils, throw in the bay leaf. Follow it immediately with salt, black pepper and a little nutmeg. Cook until the vegetables are soft.
4. Now we put the prepared smelt without scales and entrails. You can leave the heads. Cook the soup for five minutes, no more.
5. Now pour in vodka with herbs, light a splinter and simmer it right in the ear. Cover the finished dish with a lid and let it brew well.

Marinated fish

Smelt is a very tasty fish. And especially fried. But if you come across a larger specimen, you can marinate it.

Ingredients:

• a kilo of fresh smelt;
• mustard seeds;
• spoon of sugar;
• allspice, cloves;
• Bay leaf;
• salt, oil;
• dill.

How to cook smelt fish in marinade:

1. Pour a liter of water into a saucepan, add sugar, salt and all the spices, with the exception of dill. Place the container on the fire, cook its contents for 10 minutes and at the very end of the process add chopped dill.
2. Cool the brine and mix with two tablespoons of vegetable oil.
3. We put the gutted smelt carcasses into any container, fill them with brine and put them in the refrigerator for 12 hours.

Stuffed smelt

If you come across large smelt carcasses, then do not rush to fry them in a regular frying pan, but use our recipe.

Deep-fried stuffed smelt turns out very aromatic and tasty.

Ingredients:

• large smelt – 12 pcs.;
• five glasses of crushed crackers;
• three tablespoons of flour;
• three lemons;
• 70 ml tomato paste;
• parsley;
• three eggs;
• mushrooms.

Cooking method:

1. The first step is to clean the smelt, make a neat cut in the middle of the back and pull out the back bone.
2. Then salt the carcasses, sprinkle with lemon juice and send to a cool place.
3. In a small bowl, mix tomato sauce with chopped herbs, a spoonful of sunflower oil and chopped champignons. We also put this mixture in the refrigerator for 20 minutes.
4. After this time, stuff the fish with the prepared filling and sew it up with thread. First dip the carcasses into beaten eggs, then roll them in breading and deep-fry for 15 minutes.
5. We place the finished smelt on a napkin, and as soon as the excess fat is gone from the fish, we remove the threads from it and place it on a beautiful dish. Decorate the dish with parsley sprigs and lemon slices.

Homemade dried fish

Perhaps every fisherman knows how to dry fish. But how to dry it correctly is already a question. Moreover, there are several good methods for preparing dried smelt.

First method of preparation. In brine:

1. Pour water into a container and throw in the peeled potato tuber. Pour salt (300 g per kilo of fish) and stir until the potatoes come to the surface.
2. To add piquancy to the brine, you can use soy sauce (approximately 25 ml of seasoning per 1 liter of water).
3. We immerse the fish in the marinade, put pressure on top (weight from 3 to 5 kg).
4. The salting time will depend on the size of the fish. As a rule, it takes from 6 to 8 hours, and 30 minutes before the end of the process you need to pour a spoonful of vinegar into the fish.
5. We take out the carcasses and wash them twice. Once in plain water, and once in water with added sugar. We string the smelt onto a strong thread and hang it up.

Second cooking method. Dry pickling:

1. Place the smelt in layers in a container, and sprinkle each one with coarse salt (a spoonful per kilo of fish).
2. Cover the workpiece and leave for a day.
3. Then we wash the fish, string it and hang it in the same way.

Third cooking method. Quick salting:

1. Place the fish in a container and sprinkle with salt so that it forms a salty “coat”. Leave the workpiece for 8 hours.
2. Then we lay it out on paper, onto which the juice along with excess salt will drain, and leave it for another five hours.
3. We do not wash the fish, but immediately hang it by the head. According to fishermen, this method will help smelt not lose its fat.

Do you know that smelt is a “vegetable”?

Such a categorical statement is used by fishermen who catch this wonderful fish, which emits a smell that is very similar to the aroma of fresh cucumbers. It is so concentrated that in its habitat it can fill the streets located near a reservoir. The smelt is a symbol of St. Petersburg, and in May there is even a holiday dedicated to this fish, which is timed to coincide with its entry into the Gulf of Finland.

Brief information characterizing smelt

Smelt belongs to the salmon family, more precisely to a special genus - Osmerus, which has a number of distinctive features:

• a wide mouth filled with numerous teeth large enough to damage human skin - so some care must be taken when handling it
• delicate, non-shiny scales that are easy to clean
• the fish has high vitality, remaining alive in the air for several hours, which in turn has a positive effect on its taste

A live fish looks very attractive: its yellowish-white sides and belly are beautifully set off by the upper part, which shimmers in green-blue. But they still value it not for its appearance, but for its delicate and unique taste.

The size of this fish depends on the depth and area of ​​the reservoir in which it lives, so the length of the smelt can vary significantly: from 8 to 35 cm. The maximum weight of the fish is only 350 grams, but at the same time it is an object of industrial fishing and is always welcomed by amateur fishermen .

Composition and calorie content of smelt

The benefits and harms of smelt

The fatty and tender meat of this fish has a pleasant taste and is recommended for consumption by all categories of the population, including the elderly and children. It is easy to clean and tasty in all its forms: fried, boiled, salted, smoked...

Despite the relatively high calorie content of smelt, its moderate consumption will not harm your figure, and you can get a lot of pleasant sensations from delicious food, rich in many healthy ingredients. This fish is one of the record holders for potassium content, which plays an important role in water-salt metabolism and also affects many systems of the human body.

Smelt can only be harmful if there are allergic reactions to it.

However, some experts believe that such fish, caught, for example, in the Neva (in a large city), can still pose a certain danger to humans, because it will necessarily contain arsenic and polychlorinated biphenol, which in turn can lead to serious poisoning. However, there is another opinion: if smelt is caught in season (wherever), then it does not contain harmful toxic elements.

Well, unfortunately, it’s up to you to decide which opinion to trust...

Features of cooking and eating smelt

Smelt meat is quite fatty and is suitable for both frying and steaming. You can make soup with it, you can stew it or cook it on a grill, stuff it and put it in the oven... But still, the most popular option is frying smelt, previously rolled in flour with spices. Naturally, first you need to clean and gut it (which, fortunately, is very easy to do, especially if the fish is fresh).

A very small fish can be turned into a delicious snack for beer, for which you need to generously salt it and fry it in oil. Dry smelt, which is obtained both at snow drying plants and at home, is no less popular. It is also tasty salted or dried.

It should be noted that some doctors recommend eating fried smelt along with the bones, which are tender in the spring and do not spoil the taste. They believe that this option of eating fish is an excellent way to prevent osteoporosis, as it allows you to restore the correct ratio of calcium and phosphorus in human bones.