February 26, 2025
FISHES & SEAFOOD
June 12, 2017
Fishes & Seafood
Fish are consumed as food by many species, including humans. It has been an important source
of protein and other nutrients for humans throughout recorded history.
Preparation
Fish can be prepared in a variety of ways. It can be uncooked (raw) (e.g., sashimi). It can
be cured by marinating (e.g., ceviche), pickling (e.g., pickled herring), or smoking (e.g.,
smoked salmon). Or it can be cooked by baking, frying (e.g., fish and chips), grilling,
poaching (e.g., court-bouillon), or steaming. Many of the preservation techniques used in
different cultures have since become unnecessary but are still performed for their resulting
taste and texture when consumed.
Nutritional value
Intermediate Technology Publications wrote in 1992 that “Fish provides a good source of high
quality protein and contains many vitamins and minerals. It may be classed as either
whitefish, oily fish, or shellfish. Whitefish, such as haddock and seer, contain very little
fat (usually less than 1%) whereas oily fish, such as sardines, contain between 10–25%. The
latter, as a result of its high fat content, contain a range of fat-soluble vitamins (A, D,
E and K) and essential fatty acids, all of which are vital for the healthy functioning of
the body.
Health benefits
Research over the past few decades has shown that the nutrients and minerals in fish, and
particularly the omega-3 fatty acids found in pelagic fishes, are heart-friendly and can
make improvements in brain development and reproduction. This has highlighted the role for
fish in the functionality of the human body.
The following is a list of the freshwater fish species of Greece.
The list includes all the known species, with their valid scientific names, their official
common Greek names and any sub-species.
- Petromyzontidae
- Acipenseridae
- Clupeidae
- Salmonidae
- Esocidae
- Cyprinidae
- Cobitidae
- Siluridae
- Anguillidae
- Gasterosteidae
- Syngnathidae
- Cyprinodontidae
- Poecilidae
- Mugilidae
- Atherinidae
- Serranidae
- Percidae
- Centrarchidae
- Blenniidae
- Gobiidae
- Pleuronectidae
Seafood
Seafood prominently includes fish and shellfish. Shellfish include various species of
molluscs, crustaceans, and echinoderms.
Consumption
Seafood is consumed all over the world; it provides the world’s prime source of high-quality
protein: 14–16% of the animal protein consumed worldwide; over one billion people rely on
seafood as their primary source of animal protein.
Iceland, Japan, and Portugal are the greatest consumers of seafood per capita in the world.
The UK Food Standards Agency recommends that at least two portions of seafood should be
consumed each week, one of which should be oil-rich.