gigi
Kindergarten kid
Posts: 1,470
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Post by gigi on Aug 27, 2008 15:00:41 GMT 1
 In the famous book about fish and fishing: "The Complete Angler", the writer Isaac Walton refers to the Carp as: the 'Queen of Rivers', a 'river-fox', a 'stately, good and a very subtle fish', and a fish which is 'hard to catch'. Although this classic work was written back in the 17th Century and much else about the world has changed, the character of the carp has not changed! It remains a prize fish for many anglers and because of its strength a fish which not everyone can catch. The Carp inhabits ponds, lakes, and rivers; preferring, in the latter those parts where the current is not too strong. It thrives best on soft marly or muddy bottoms. Carp are said to live to a great age, some say even in excess of hundred years! As they age they lose their rich colour, their scales, and become grey, just as most other animals do. The Carp is has the ability to live a long time out of water. Carp have been keep them alive for several weeks, by hanging them in a cool place, with wet moss in a net, and feeding them with bread steeped in milk; and taking care to refresh the animal now and then by throwing fresh water over the net in which it is suspended. Though not so rapid in their growth as some fish, Carp have attained three pounds weight by their sixth year, and six pounds weight before their tenth year. The Carp was in former times of great value as food, and hardly the ruins of a monastery in existence remain where the remains of the old carp pond cannot be easily made out. The monks, probably in part because of the difficulty of acquiring sea fish, established carp ponds, where they could get a fish at any moment, either for a feast or a fast day. The muddy flavour of carp is due to the food which they eat, namely, the water-plants and the various insects and larvæ ; especially, I believe, the larvæ of midges and gnats, which they find in the mud. Carp also eat young shoots of water-plants and large waterbeetles, and I recommend that in carp ponds the water should be let down, and grass seed sown along the edges and mud. When the grass has sprouted shut the hatches, and let the water cover the grass, which will afford excellent pasture for the carp. An important food fish, the carp is extensively farmed in Europe, its fast growth, large size and tolerance of low oxygen conditions making it an ideal fish for intensive culture. These features are the prime cause of its widespread distribution, as it has been cultivated since the Middle Ages and introduced into many countries as a food fish. Carp are a fine angling fish, since their size and caution in taking a bait makes it especially prized. Carp catching, particularly of large specimens, is a specialised sport. In Poland and other countries of central and Eastern Europe the Carp is a traditional Christmas meal. All over Poland during the month of December, street corner traders have live carp for sale. The carp are taken home and kept alive, often in the bath, until Christmas Eve when they are served up with much the same ceremony lavished on turkey or goose in countries like England and the USA. In most of eastern Europe, Carp is even available in tins in a tomato based sauce, much like sardines! If you plan on eating Carp, they should never be cooked when first taken out of a pond, but be placed in a container in running water. This will help in getting rid of their somewhat muddy flavour. Here is a traditional carp recipe from Poland: Carp with Soured Cream Sauce o 1/4 cup butter o 2 bay leaves o 1/2 cup of sour cream o 1 lemon (juice) o salt and pepper o 1 carp, 3-4 pound, cleaned and ready to cook Grease a shallow making dish with butter. Season carp inside and out with salt and pepper, place bay leaves on butter and place this on your carp. Cover with sour cream and lemon juice. Bake in oven 350 F for 40 minutes or until brown. Baste frequently. Serve with potatoes. Makes 2 large servings. from Polishpoland.com |
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Post by valpomike on Aug 27, 2008 15:03:35 GMT 1
The carp in Poland is not what we have here, thank God for that. I have tried the Polish carp, and I love fish, but it was just O.K. and have had ours, here in the U.S.A. and it is bad.
Mike
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gigi
Kindergarten kid
Posts: 1,470
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Post by gigi on Aug 28, 2008 2:43:33 GMT 1
The carp in Poland is not what we have here, thank God for that. I have tried the Polish carp, and I love fish, but it was just O.K. and have had ours, here in the U.S.A. and it is bad. There are more than 100 different species of carp. The three main types are common, silver, and grass. Silver carp are generally regarded as the most palatable of the carp family. That is probably what you had in Poland vs. the bottom-feeding common carp. We'll have to ask our resident Polish carp lover about the different types when he returns from his trip.  |
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Post by Bonobo on Aug 29, 2008 18:25:42 GMT 1
There are more than 100 different species of carp. The three main types are common, silver, and grass. Silver carp are generally regarded as the most palatable of the carp family. That is probably what you had in Poland vs. the bottom-feeding common carp. We'll have to ask our resident Polish carp lover about the different types when he returns from his trip. I didn`t know there are so many species. I know a few kinds of one species and that`s all. Around 13 century monks in Eastern Europe started keeping carps in ponds near monasteries and cloisters, and they experimented a lot. Hence we have these kinds of carp in Poland: Original, wild full-scaled carp called sazan:  Mirror carp (lustrzeń), with one or two rows of scales wedkomania.pl/imgs_upload/Image/relacje_z_zawodow/World%20Carp%20Classic%202006/mariusz%20z%20ryba2%202006%2009%2028%20057.jpg  The rarest is naked carp (golec), no scales  Carp is a big fish  I have said it many times: carp is a very tasty fish. A bit fatty but that`s what I like too: this jelly between meat tissues. Yummy!!! |
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Post by valpomike on Aug 30, 2008 0:00:40 GMT 1
Here in the U.S.A. most carp is crap. There is a story how to clean them, you put the carp on a plank, skin it, take out the insides, and than trow it away, and cook the plank.
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Post by Bonobo on Dec 25, 2008 20:20:08 GMT 1
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Post by Bonobo on Dec 15, 2009 21:53:24 GMT 1
Christmas carp protected by new rights
15.12.2009 08:20
Poland's holiday traditional fish – the carp – has gained significant rights thanks to a new bill passed which protects the animal.
Sellers are no longer allowed to keep the fish in too-small tank or pack a live fish to a plastic bag, according to a newly-passed bill which protects carp by legally enacting the same rights for vertebrates as for the fish.
Ireneusz Szelinski, the regional veterinary authority in Konin, central Poland, said that the new legislation protecting animals “included fish, and carp, in the list of animals,” as well as making sure that their treatment in raising, sales and butchering, is humane.
“Our inspectors will be monitoring to make sure proper procedures are followed,” says Tomasz Wielich of the Regional Veterinary Inspectorate in Poznan, western Poland.
The new procedure for killing the fish – a staple part of the traditional Polish Christmas meal – stipulates that the fish can only be killed by a blow to the head and children are not allowed to witness the act of killing. In practical terms, this means that fish sellers are forced to separate the space where the fish are kept and where they are sold. Additionally, the person responsible for butchering the fish is required to be professionally trained in the task.
“These are basic laws which sellers will be required to execute. It will be especially necessary to educate consumers that purchasing a fish and putting it in a plastic bag is simply a slow, drawn out way for it to die through suffocation,” says Szelinski.
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Post by Bonobo on May 25, 2011 21:47:23 GMT 1
WOW!
Poland’s Royal Carp joins list of protected EU foods
25.05.2011
Zator Carp (Karp Zatorski), widely known as “Royal Carp”, has become the 27th Polish product to be registered by the EU as a protected regional foodstuff.
Karp Zatorski has been awarded the Protected Designation of Origin status (PDO), which amongst other concerns, combats charlatans who attempt to sell imitation products which are not made in a specified region.
Carp ponds in the vicinity of the town of Zator, southern Poland, have been a feature of the Polish landscape for centuries. Tradition holds that the fish graced the kings' tables.
Three neighbouring municipalities have been allowed to label their products as Zator Carp: Zator, Przeciszow and Spytkowice.
The proud fish-farmers join the ranks of several other food-producing communities. Amongst the 26 other products already protected by the EU are Bryndza Podhalanska (a highland cheese), Kielbasa Lisiecka (a smoked sausage from the Malopolska region) and various kinds of mead. 
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Post by valpomike on May 26, 2011 22:30:38 GMT 1
On my next visit, I will again enjoy the Polish carp. We don't in most cases, here in the USA, eat wild carp, because, like I once said, they are crap.
Mike
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Post by jeanne on Feb 9, 2015 21:14:42 GMT 1
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