SHAD (shad)
Any
one of several species of food fishes of the herring
family Common clues: Roe source; Caviar source; Herring's
kin; Food fish; Migratory herring; Herring relative Crossword
puzzle frequency:
2 times a year Frequency
in English language:
70803 / 86800 News: Caviar
and Conservation
The
shads or river herrings comprise the genus Alosa, fishes related
to herring in the family Clupeidae. They are distinct from others
in that family by having a deeper body and spawning in rivers.
The several species frequent different areas on both sides of the
Atlantic Ocean and in the Mediterranean Sea. The shad fry live
for a year or two in fresh water.
The
American or Atlantic Shad (A. sapidissima) is a valued food fish.
It was especially important in earlier times, however many of the
rivers where it was common now suffer from pollution.
Traditionally it was caught along with salmon in set nets which
were suspended from poles driven into the river bed reasonably
close to shore in tidal water. It weighs between 3 and 8 pounds
and has a delicate flavour when cooked. Though bony, it is worth
the effort, and indeed many esteem it above the famous Atlantic
salmon. It is considered flavourful enough to not require sauces,
herbs or spices. It can be boiled, filleted and fried in butter
or baked. Traditionally a little vinegar is sprinkled over it on
the plate.
There
are a few land-locked varieties, one from Killarney in Ireland
and two from lakes in northern Italy. There are also species
native to the Black Sea and Caspian Sea.
This
article is licensed under the GNU
Free Documentation License.
It uses material from the Wikipedia
article "Shad".
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