Which carp should you choose for Christmas Eve? The simple question is only apparently. For carp to be tasty, it must be stored and transported in the right conditions - a dull fish will be bitter and unpalatable. Find out about ways to check if your carp is fresh and he althy.

How to choose a he althy carp for the festive table?

Buying a good, he althy carp requires some knowledge of a few rules. What should you pay attention to when choosing a carp?

  • Always buy carp alive or killed but framed on site at the store. This way you will avoid the likelihood that the purchased fish has died.
  • A good carp should swim backwards in a tub filled with water. If there is not enough space in it to move freely, because there are too many fish or they swim sideways, then better give up the purchase. The conditions for storing the fish in this place are not appropriate.
  • A dull carp will be unpalatable and bitter. The taste of the fish will also spoil the lactic acid, which is produced in stressful situations.
  • Choose carp that weigh between 1.5 and 2.5 kg. Too large ones will be greasy, and smaller ones will be difficult to fillet.
Worth knowing

Despite the fact that every fourth carp sold here is imported, Poland is the largest breeder of this fish in Europe. The carp "basin" is located in the basins of the upper Vistula, Odra and middle Bzura rivers. And the carp from Zator (a place where carp have been bred since the Middle Ages), for its exceptional quality, was recognized by the EU with the Protected Designation of Origin certificate. This distinction is awarded to products whose high quality is made up of natural conditions and production processes, characteristic for the town or region where they are produced.

How do I know if a carp is fresh?

The carp must not be battered, their scales should fit snugly against the skin, and the fins must be moist and slippery. We can check the freshness of a carp, just like any other fish:

  1. gills should be red,
  2. eyes must be glassy, ​​
  3. meat when pressed with a finger - elastic.

TRY RECIPE: Christmas carp with a crispy crust - how to fry a carp bell?

According to an expertprof. Paweł Poczyczyński at the University of Warmia and Mazury

Carp feeding

Carpis a thermophilic fish, it can be fed with artificial feed at a temperature higher than 12 degrees C, and cereal grains or other plant food when the water temperature exceeds 14 degrees C. In our country, carp are fed in ponds, on average from mid-May to end of September. In the Czech Republic, carp feeding time in ponds is 3-4 weeks longer than ours, fish grow faster and make better use of plant food, which is much more difficult to digest for them than natural food found in the bottom of the pond.

Where do the differences in the prices of Polish and imported carp come from?

For a kilogram of Polish carp, we will pay an average of PLN 14-15, but imported fish will be even a few zlotys cheaper. Lower prices are mainly due to grain prices in individual countries and climatic differences. The warmer it is in the country, the shorter the breeding cycle is.

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