Baltic sprat: calorie content, composition and benefits, description and photo of small fish. Sprat: the benefits and harms of a small fish. How to use sprat for benefits, potential harm of sprat for stomach diseases

Sprat is the common name for several species of fish of the herring family. Sprat include: European sprat (Baltic sprat and Black Sea sprat), sprat (common, Caspian and Azov-Black Sea), anchovy sprat, big-eyed sprat, Abrau sprat and Arabian sprat.

Sprat (sprat, anchovy, sprat)

Sprat is characterized by its small size: its silver-colored carcass is only 10-15 cm in length and weighs approximately 50 g.

There are several versions of why sprat is called sprat and not something else. According to the first version, it’s all about the spiny scales located on the fish’s abdomen - they seem to form a “keel” that makes the fish streamlined and hardly noticeable from below. According to the second version, the Russians borrowed the word “kilu” from the Estonian language, which was used to refer to this fish. Later, from “kilu” the name “sprat” was born. The third version has something in common with the first. It says that for the Estonians “kilu” was also not a native word, but they adopted it from the Germans, who used the word “keel” for its intended purpose.

The first mention of sprat dates back to the seventies of the seventeenth century. A Swedish diplomat named Gunn Airman, describing his trip to Muscovy (present-day Moscow), quoted the words of the famous Livonian song, which says that if the sprat is transferred to the sea, then the Swedes will face death. What does this indicate? Most likely, it is about the true love of the Swedish people for anchovies, or, in our opinion, sprat. Indeed, it is no secret that in Sweden people enjoy eating anchovies, including at Christmas.

In Russia, sprat fishing occurs between the end of April and the end of August, but it is believed that from May to September it tastes the best! A large amount of sprat is used to produce fishmeal. The rest of the sprat goes to stores salted, spicy-salted, pickled, fresh, dried, dried, frozen and smoked. But the most popular among fish lovers is spiced and smoked sprat, that is, sprats in oil.

Sprat meat has medium fat content (approximately 7.6 g per 100 g of product). When salted, it is great for making pates, salads, sandwiches and other snacks. In addition, fresh sprat is often used to make cutlets, fillings for pies or (whole) fish fries.

Sprat dishes

It remains to add that many peoples prepare interesting, unique dishes from sprat. Thus, in Chuvashia, local residents like to make okroshka with sprat, to which kvass, vegetables and sour cream are traditionally added. And in Novorossiysk, a common treat is the so-called stew - a hot vegetable dish with sprat - also a very tasty and original dish!

Benefit

Attention! The field "Recommended for diseases" contains information regarding fresh sprat, not salted or pickled!

1. Sprat meat contains vitamins PP (niacin equivalent), B2 (riboflavin), B1 (thiamine), B9 (folic acid), D, A (retinol) and C (ascorbic acid). In addition, it is rich in useful chemical elements: potassium, magnesium, iron, calcium, zinc, phosphorus, nickel, chlorine, chromium, iodine, sodium, fluorine and molybdenum.

2. Sprat is recommended for consumption by people with vascular diseases (atherosclerosis), disorders of the cardiovascular system, various bone diseases (including osteoporosis), weakened immunity and brain diseases. In addition to the above, sprat is useful to eat in case of metabolic disorders, during pregnancy and lactation, as well as in the postoperative period.

3. When cutting sprat, it is important to consider that literally everything in this fish is useful - from the pulp to the bones and scales. Moreover, it is the scales and bones that contain the maximum amount of substances useful to humans.

4. The sprat pulp contains valuable amino acids that prevent the development of vascular sclerosis.

5. The presence of sprat in the diet has a beneficial effect on the general condition of the body with the following diseases and factors:

• hyper- and hypoglycemia;
• nervous exhaustion and depression;
• diabetes mellitus and other disorders of the pancreas; joint diseases;
• circulatory disorders;
• gastrointestinal ulcer;
• fast fatiguability;
• sleep disorders;
• exhaustion and poor appetite;
• cramps in the stomach;
• muscle pain and cramps;
• brittleness of hair and nails;
• baldness;
• violation of protein and acid-base metabolism;
• anemia;
• rickets;
• arrhythmia;
• hypertension;
• muscle dystrophy;
• cervical erosion;
• problems with physical development in children (slow growth);
• poor oxygen supply to the brain;
• dry mouth;
• memory impairment;
• frequently experienced stressful situations;
• accumulation of toxins and waste in the body;
• regular consumption of fatty, sweet and salty foods;
• frequent consumption of tea and coffee;
• elderly age;
• heart disease;
• eye diseases;
• brain diseases;
• fungal skin diseases;
• intestinal dysbiosis;
• tremor; dizziness;
• lack of calcium in the body;
• frequent constipation;
• increased irritability;
• physical stress;
• epilepsy;
• schizophrenia;
• sympatho-adrenal crises;
• cold living conditions;
• thyrotoxicosis;
• hyperfunction of the parathyroid gland (hyperparathyroidism);
• use of contraceptives;
• use of estrogen-containing drugs;
• frequent drinking of alcohol;
• skin problems (acne and others);
• esophageal carcinoma;
• regular occurrence of bruises on the skin.

Harm

1. Eating sprat is not recommended for the following conditions: edema, kidney disease, leukopenia, high fever, dermatitis, allergies (especially to fish), fluorosis, kidney and bladder stones, hypercalcemia, increased blood clotting.

2. Salted and pickled sprat is contraindicated for people with any chronic diseases!

Sprat / Clupeonella cultriventris

Sprat is a subspecies of the Black Sea-Azov sprat, characterized by its larger size, up to 14-15 cm, lifespan of up to 6 years and slightly lower fat content, up to 12% body fat content. She has 41-45 vertebrae. The common Caspian sprat usually winters in the Middle and Southern Caspian Sea, and in March it goes north to the Northern Caspian Sea, approaching the shores at water temperatures from 6 to 14 ° C, and partially entering the Volga and Ural deltas. The height of sprat spawning in the Northern Caspian Sea is in April - May, at a temperature of 12-21°C. Sprat approaching the shores form huge schools, sometimes filling the entire coastal shallows with a continuous strip of fish. Appearing suddenly off the coast, sprat also quickly goes into the open sea, where it stays mainly in a layer of 6 to 30 m, sometimes dropping to 100 m. It feeds mainly on copepods, calanipeda and heterocope. In the backwaters and ilmens of the Volga and in Lake Charkhal in the Ural basin, sprat forms a small freshwater form - up to 11 cm in length.

Anchovy sprat/ Clupeonella engrauliformes

She has 44-48 vertebrae. In winter, anchovy sprat stays mainly in the Southern Caspian at a depth of 50 to 750 m. In spring and summer, it goes north and concentrates in the Middle Caspian, adhering to the temperature jump zone at a depth of 15 to 60 m. Anchovy sprat spawns in August - October in the open sea mainly at a depth of 40 to 200 m, at a water temperature of 13 to 24°C, and salinity from 8 to 12°/00. It makes daily vertical migrations, rising to the surface at night and descending deeper during the day. The main food source of the anchovy sprat is the copepod Euthemora. Anchovy sprat is not nearly as fatty as ordinary sprat: the fat content in its body does not exceed 6.4%.

Bigeye Sprat / Clupeonella macrophthalma

Big-eyed sprat is the deepest species of sprat, staying above depths from 70 to 250 m and found at depths of up to 300-450 m. Its eyes are larger than those of other sprat, the back and top of the head are dark. It lives in the Southern and Middle Caspian Sea, in the open sea, making large vertical migrations and avoiding the surface layer of water heated above 14°C. Caspian sprat - common, anchovy and big-eyed - serve as the main food for predatory fish of the Caspian Sea. They feed on predatory herring, beluga, and seals. The fishing for Caspian sprat began in the 20s and was initially carried out near the coast.

Big-eyed sprat

Since the beginning of the 50s, another type of fishing began to develop intensively, based on luring fish with the light of a strong electric lamp lowered into the water. The catching of sprat gathering towards the lamp was carried out first with lifting conical nets, and then through the socket of a hose lowered near the lamp, sucking in the fish with a pump. The sprat fishery has developed so much that by the mid-60s of the last century its catch amounted to more than three-quarters of the total fish catch in the Caspian Sea.

It would seem that they are very similar - small salted fish... However, both in taste and in dishes anchovy, anchovy and sprat- these are three big differences. If you don’t know about this, then you can easily get sprat under the guise of an anchovy.

How to distinguish anchovy from sprat and capelin

Anchovy is a subspecies of the Mediterranean anchovy Engraulis encrasicholus. Black Sea anchovy Engraulis encrasicholus ponticus smaller than anchovy, Azov anchovy Engraulis encrasicholus maeoticus- even smaller. It is very easy to recognize any anchovy (and therefore anchovy) by sight: the end (corner) of their mouth extends beyond the back end of their eye, if you count from the tip of the snout. Specifically, like this:

Sprat as well as sprat, so warmly recommended as an anchovy substitute, belong to the family Herring Clupeidae(and in appearance they are quite typical tiny herrings). For comparison, look at the picture:

Located on top capelin lies there for scale. Followed by 2 copies anchovy and 2 copies of the Black Sea sprat Clupeonella delicatula(which I would personally translate as “delicate herring”). There are about ten species of sprat in total, and not one of them is even distantly related to the anchovy. However, the differences in taste are much more important.

Subtleties of taste of anchovy and sprat

Anchovy significantly fattier than sprat, and the chemical composition of anchovy fats is very different from the chemical composition lipids sprat.

The second difference is in the cooking methods. Sprat It is sold mainly spicy salted, in barrels or in preserves. Hamsa is salted without adding spices, so as not to distort its unique taste. Here she is in the photo:

What is lightly salted anchovy and what is it eaten with?

Occasionally you can find fresh frozen anchovy, and then you can’t hesitate - defrost it, then add not too much salt, mix it properly in a container or glass jar, cover it with parchment and put it in the refrigerator for a week. The result is tenderness embodied.

Anchovy but, despite the family relationship with anchovy, it is salted completely differently, not like sprat and not like anchovy. Firstly, manufacturers deliberately and very strongly over-salt. Secondly, anchovy the ambassador is a very long one, at least six months, or even a year. During this time, a radical process of protein fermentation occurs, and the tender anchovy flesh acquires a dense, rough texture. This is how the anchovy, when fairly hardened, is sold. This is how they add it to pizza and salad. nicoise, V spaghetti.

Personally, I prefer spicy-salted sprat and lightly salted anchovy in a gourmet style: with black coffee, carefully removing the fillet halves from the backbone with the tine of a fork. Or classically: with a glass of ice-cold vodka, when you can simply take the fish by the head with two fingers, and even pull the flesh off the spine with your teeth. Otherwise, eat it like that, with all the bones.

Anchovy stew

During the anchovy fishing season, a dish called “stew” is popular in Kerch - and it seems that it is not prepared anywhere else. In a deep frying pan, sauté onions and sweet peppers, then lay out a layer of anchovy 3-4 cm thick, and crumble tomatoes on top - as much as you want. Sometimes finely chopped and fried carrots and (or) also a layer of raw potatoes, cut into thin circles, are added between the onions, peppers and fish. All layers are salted; You can also trim a little hot pepper. Then pour a glass of water into the frying pan, cover with a lid and place on low heat. After 20-25 minutes, the Kerch stew is ready. And when the residents of Kerch say “stew”, they do not mean canned meat, but precisely this.

Sprat, despite its modest size, has been extremely popular among consumers for decades. This was indirectly facilitated by the widespread use of such canned fish in tomato sauce, which were considered almost a must-have in the home of every resident of the Soviet Union.

They were used for hiking trips, consumed by eternally hungry students, and avid bachelors diluted their meager diet. The ever-busy Soviet women also liked such a quick-to-process product, who could use it to prepare a full dinner for the whole family in half an hour. But the most important advantage that such canned food received was its relatively low cost.

Today, the presented fish is no less in demand. In addition to the canned version in tomato, people do not ignore the various salting options for this raw material. There are even skillful chefs who have become adept at creating such delicacies at home without special industrial equipment for this.

Unknown origin

One of the strangest mysteries of the sprat is its belonging to a biological species. Experts are accustomed to using this name in relation to all schooling pelagic fish that are relatively small in size. According to the biological classification, they are classified as a member of the herring family, and they are all connected by an identical silver color.

Another distinctive feature is the presence of spiny scales on the abdomen. This allows the inhabitants of the marine environment to better camouflage themselves and at the same time obtain a streamlined shape for good maneuverability.

Because of all the same peculiar scales, which to the discoverers seemed similar to a ship’s keel, the fish itself received the name of the same name. If we talk about which specific species end up in a can of canned food, or on the shelves of specialized stores in salted form, then the variety here is off the charts. Depending on the region of catch, this can be either European sprats or Azov-Black Sea “colleagues”, which are generally called sprat. The Baltic, Caspian, Arabian, Black Sea and even big-eyed variations were also included there.

Due to the impressive list that fits the general description, most countries can afford to add such a healthy, albeit small, fish to their weekly diet. Thus, sprat and meal love to surf the expanses of not only the depths of the sea, but also reservoirs with desalinated water. Such versatility allowed them to spread throughout the Baltic, Mediterranean, Norwegian, Black and North seas.

Based on this, it becomes clear that on an industrial scale, the catch is largely concentrated in the territory of a number of Baltic countries, as well as Denmark, the Russian Federation, Norway, Bulgaria and even Ukraine.

Taking into account the average size of specimens - no more than 15 centimeters in length, the total mass of production of 600 tons annually is simply a colossal figure!

Moreover, every year savvy housewives add new recipes for its preparation to the thematic section of the cookbook. And these are not always easy tips on how to prepare a five-minute snack, but rather complex instructions for home-made pickling. The step-by-step diagram will be useful to all those who like to make huge reserves for the winter.

If we talk about the most popular options for industrial processing of prey, then spicy salting and smoked sprats are in the lead. The latter are, in general, almost a real gastronomic symbol of the capital of Estonia.

To reinforce this, clever manufacturers have even begun to put the outline of Tallinn on the label of their canned products. For three decades now, this technique has been bearing fruit, because the fame of delicious sprat from Estonian factories has spread far beyond the borders of its native country.

The first mention of the legendary Tallinn sprat on an official basis was recorded by the Swedish diplomat Mr. Airman. During his travels through Muscovy back in the 17th century, he left a record of a Livonian song, which was about this particular type of fish. Despite the fact that most people from the countries of the USSR believe that Soviet factories are to thank for the popularity of the canned version of their favorite fish, in reality this is not quite the case.

Historians have come to the conclusion that initially such reserves began to be made by enterprising people during the period of the Great Geographical Discoveries.

Back then, sailors needed a nutritious diet, traveling vast distances without the chance to replenish the ship’s “refrigerators” for many months.

Even then, European technologists knew how to salt meat or leave the nutrients of vegetables at a good level. But on the territory of Russia, fish conservation flourished, affecting first the stellate sturgeon. Later, during the reign of Nikita Khrushchev, the practice of making sprat in tomato began to advance. The pioneers at the state level in this area were experts from the Kerch plant.

Today, the assortment of supermarkets is literally bursting with an abundance of similar offers from different manufacturers. The fish departments are not far behind them, where the salty inhabitants of the seas are also widely represented. Moreover, its main advantage is the fact that the initial salting is carried out directly on the vessels that caught it. This allows the product to be preserved longer and gives distinctive taste characteristics.

Benefits and contraindications

The trump card of any representative of schooling fish of this family is a huge number. They are able to resist the development of atherosclerosis, which is especially highly valued by older people.

The mechanism of action on the body is based on the reduction of lipoproteins and low-density triglycerides that are dangerous to cells. You can achieve the effect if you know how to prepare it correctly. And regularly consumed home-cooked food containing sprat with minimal heat treatment serves as a shield for the development of cardiovascular diseases.

The composition boasts vitamins and also:

Not all lovers of these “sea crumbs” know that in fact they are useful not only for their fillets. They are valued for their tail, scales, and bones. It is there that nature hid shock doses, which have a beneficial effect on the functioning of all internal organs and tissues. And due to its availability, you don’t have to worry about the consumer being at risk of osteoporosis. Many doctors recommend adding deliciousness to the diet of patients recovering from an illness.

An unusual addition to the menu is suitable even for those who have recently experienced a strong emotional shock, and now their nervous system is seriously exhausted.

But to replenish spent reserves, you should eat not only soup, but also fish that has undergone more gentle heat treatment regimes. These include baking and steaming. In the latter case, you can even prepare a simple salad, which, with the right choice of ingredients, will be an excellent help for adherents of a healthy lifestyle. This is supported by the fact that per hundred grams of product there are only 135 calories, which are easily digestible.

Despite the great benefits of sprat, it can also significantly harm the digestive tract. If we leave aside cases of a possible allergic reaction of the body, individual intolerance and spoiled goods, there is another significant risk. It applies to canned products, which, due to additives and a huge proportion of vinegar, can irritate the mucous membranes of the digestive tract. And this is not to mention the fact that fish sandwiches are a bad snack option for those who are planning to stay on a diet. It is unlikely that he will be able to please the low one.

Culinary use

If everything is clear with pickled solutions - they are simply opened and eaten as a ready-made supplement, then some people have difficulties with fresh-frozen offerings. Especially in cases where people who are far from cooking try to make a full-fledged fish soup out of it.

Instead of using the defrosted preparation for the first course, it is better to put it in a frying pan after pouring a little vegetable oil into it. If you want to get the most satisfying result, then the carcasses are breaded ahead of time. The usual one is best suited for this role. The resulting golden-colored mountain can be combined with products at your own discretion. At the same time, gourmets recommend not to forget about vegetables in order to slightly cover the oil content formed during frying.

Some housewives do not really like the ice cream analogue due to the fact that the raw material has a specific smell. But it’s easy to get rid of it if you briefly hold the workpiece in a salt-vinegar solution before starting cooking.

Quick soup

If difficulties may arise with fresh or frozen sprat when creating fish soup, then this should not happen with a canned analogue in tomato sauce. To quickly and satisfyingly feed your family in the evening after work, you just need to get some simple ingredients.

At this same stage, the entire set of spices is sent into the pan along with the bay leaf, and only now everything is filled with water.

Five minutes before turning off, place the sprat into the pan along with all the liquid contents of the jar and stir. After waiting five minutes, turn off the fire, pour dinner into plates and sprinkle chopped herbs on top.

Spicy spice

Another recipe that is easy to implement involves making your own spicy salting. To do this, you will need to prepare a kilo of sprat, two tablespoons of salt and a teaspoon. You can experiment with seasonings, but the classic set includes a couple of large bay leaves, five cloves, about ten peppercorns and a pinch.

First, the fish is washed. Then the cloves, along with bay leaves and pepper, are ground in a coffee grinder or manually in a mortar. The resulting mixture is mixed with sugar and salt.

Taking a deep container, sprat is laid out there in layers, which is sprinkled with sugar, salt and a spicy mixture. Place a plate on the resulting mass and press it with a weight.

A weight or a special metal press is usually used as a load. If you don’t have such convenience at home, then even a three-liter bottle of water, which is removed from the basement and placed on a container with a semi-finished product, will do.

After 12 hours, the aromatic snack is ready. It is better to store it after the salting period in the refrigerator so that the reserves do not spoil prematurely.