South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1915-05-20
Facts Concerning
the Fish We Eat
American People Are Ignor-
ant of Many Kinds of Fish
to Be Found in Our Markets.

AS we are approaching the summer
| months, when more fish is caught and
/ eaten by many of US than at other
| seasons, l wish TO emphasize a state
/ ment 1 have seen many times relative
| TO the Importance and value OF the
work being done by our department OF
| agriculture in Washington. Most of
| the bulletins issued BY this department
dealing with different phases OF our
food supply can be obtained free of
cost, or by the payment OF "a very
small sum, by writing TO the depart
| ment at Washington. If you ASK 20
have your name, with address, placed
on their mailing list, they viii do so.
and from time to time the bulletins
will be sent 10 you when published.
AS a sample of the sort of information
you will receive, let me jot down some
facts l have CLEANED from this ser
vice, relating TO our fish industry. The
problem OF a meat shortage is u very
real one, we are told, owing in part to
the settlement of our vast cattle
ranches and the breaking up OF the
great paSturage areas inin cultivated
farms, while the increase in the value
Of corn has made cattle raising for
meat purposes a difficult problem on
the small farm. Turning then to the
sea for our heterogeneous food, we ind
one of the greatest difficulties in the
sources is the ignorance of the Amer
lean people. especially the native-born,
well-to-dO people, in regard to the
kind of food fishes, their desirablllty
as foods from the viewpoint OF both
Rutriment and palatability and the
methods of cooking which tend TO en-
nance their food value. We have been
so accustomed to meat as nitro
genOus piece de resistance OF any meal
that fish, if eaten at all, is merely an
entree, used more in Difference TO the
established customs of the old world,
or to religious tenetS, than in response
to q demand on the part OF the
American diner; yet Americans are
delighted at the delicacy of the Eng
Iish whitehall, at the fine flavor of
the sole cooked in Paris, and at the
appetizing aroma of smoked salmon in
the sandwich so universally served in
Germany.
American Fish Better.
We quite forget that the sand dab |
of the southern California coast more |
than EQUALS the English sole; that the |
pompano of our southern waters, the |
white fish OF the great lakes. and the
mackerel and bluehsh of the east |
coast are not surpassed by any or the
fnny delicacies served in Europe, ana
that the delicious salmon in the Ger
man sandwich is more than llke'y the |
exported TO Germany because 1t hnds !
comparatively scant favor at home |
There is also a common belief that |
fish does not furnish us with as much |
high grade food material as meat |
Analyses of meat and fish, however, /
show an encouraging similarity IN /
protein content. The tofelgn-Dorn |
population of the United States are
the fish consumers of the nation, nav
ing brought their fish-eating habits
with them. Whereas we have done /
comparatively little TO stimulate our |
fisheries older nations. have eXpend-
ed every effort TO gather the crop |
the waters yield so abundantly, ana
to deliver them cheaply and In prime
condition to their people not only
along the coast. but TO extreme Inland |
towns. England's fisheries, as source
of her food supply, are considered OF
very great importance, and enormous
quantities of her fish are Delivered
speedily and in very good conc. ION
while quite a large amount is export
ed to other countries.
For some of our fish we are sending
to Canada-smelts, Holsters and sal
mon come TO us in quantity from Can
adam waters AS does also much OF
the "winter-caught" freSh-water fish,
The latter are obtained by cutting q
series of holes through the ice, string
ing gill nets from hole TO mole, ana
pulling the nets up through the holes
TO remove the catch. This fishing is
done sometimes at 40 degrees below /
zero Fahrenheit, and the fish are
therefore frozen almost Immediately
upon their removal from the water.
They are boxed and held in the Ice
until hauled by teams TO refrigerator
cars. and so shipped to cold storage
plants in cities.
Wide Range of Choice.
The unparalleled freshness OF these
fish. even after months of storage, is q
strong argument for the installation OF
fish freeZers as near the source of pro-
duction as possible. The usual con
sumner near the seacoast mas no lued
of the many kinds of fish that are TO
be found in his market nor OF their
seasonal variation The east coast
housewife asks her fish dealer Tor
halibut, cod, bluefsh, weakhsh or pan
fish; the west coast housewife mas
little wider range. yet even with ner
halibut and salmon are standbys. Inc
eastern coast markets carry the tOl-
lowing staple varieties" which may
be had the year around: Saltwater
cod, flukes or founders
paddock hake, halibut, herring,
mackerel, pollock. porgies or soup
salmon (western), seabass, smeits'
shad. weakfish and whiting (sllVer
hake): freSh-Water nSh-ClscoeS Nldhe
herring) lake trout, whitefiSh, Ger
man carp and Buffalo carp. Limited
staple varieties" include: saltwater |
bOnitas. blackt1sh
(tautog), cells. skates, sheepshead' sea
trout (southern) and squid; fresh
water fsh-Pike, perch. Fancy vari-
cites come in such small quantities,
or during such limited seasons or from
such a distance that the supply cam
not be relied upon.
The prevailing ignorance concerning
frozen fish is even greater than that
concerning fresh fish. There is prob
ably not one in ten thousand Ameri-
AN housewives who would not refuse
hard frozen salmon at - cents
pound in favor of fresh-caught cod at
is cents a pound yet doubtless most
II them would consider salmon more
Dr less OF a delicacy.