Rotan fish: health benefits and harms

About the insatiable appetite of rotan in the community of amateur fishers there are the most fantastic legends. Many rumors about the pathological gluttony of this freshwater inhabitant did not play in favor of his image. For example, there was a strong opinion that illegibility in food affects the quality of the meat of this small fish. In fact, rotan meat has a pleasant taste, it is saturated with a lot of nutrients, which allowed fish to be included in the list of safe diet foods.

The grass or firebrand, as the people call rotan, is popular not only in home cooking. Experienced chefs at prestigious restaurants prepare a variety of dishes and light snacks with an elegant, slightly sweet taste from a river inhabitant. In a word, despite unusual food preferences and a nondescript appearance, rotan deserves the title of a healthy product. A close acquaintance with this representative of the fish fauna will make it possible to better know the features of his life and the geography of distribution. Also, do not be amiss to study the composition, calorie content and nutritional value of a fish product.

What does a rotan look like and where is it found?

Rotan is one of the most widespread species of ray-fin fish in the Eurasian space. It belongs to the Goloveshkov family, hence one of the names is the firebrand. In the wild, there are three varieties of rotan, but in the reservoirs of Russia and the CIS countries there is only one species of grass, which is often called the Amur bull for some similarity in appearance.

Predatory nature

Despite its modest size, rotan is an active predator, capable of literally exterminating all living things that come in its way. Therefore, for many fish breeders, it becomes a real problem. Indeed, in the list of gastronomic preferences for rotan, caviar and fry are in the first place. True, for such a large fish as pike and perch, the firebrand itself becomes prey, which is often used by fishermen when they catch large fish for rattan bait.

External signs

The appearance of the firebrand can hardly be called pleasant, but you can recognize this fish immediately by the following characteristic features:

1. Sizes. The grass is not large: the length of adult individuals with good nutrition reaches 15–25 cm, and the weight of the largest individuals does not exceed 0.5 kg.
2. Life expectancy also largely depends on the conditions of existence. In most cases, the fish lives up to 4–5 years, but there are long-livers whose age is 7 years.
3. The head is the most expressive part of the body. It is disproportionately large in relation to the body; the mouth of a rotan resembles the mouth of a predator, framed by several rows of small but very sharp teeth.
4. The body is dense and short, covered with dull scales. The head changes color depending on environmental conditions. But still prevailing brown, green and gray tones interspersed with small spots and stripes.

Habitat

Rotan endures extreme living conditions. He is a kind of Harry Houdini of the underwater kingdom. In places where other freshwater ones die in packs, the rotan feels comfortable. For example, it adapts to an oxygen-poor aquatic environment, feels rather well in ditches and swamps, and makes a comfortable home even in sewage.Moreover, this fish is particularly addicted to ecologically unfavorable water bodies.

In severe frosts, the rotan does not die, even if it freezes to the surface of the ice cover that covers the rivers in winter. Firebrand loves water bodies where there are no competitors. In such places, the fish feels completely safe. Therefore, in small water basins with stagnant water, rotan multiplies very quickly. The slightly salted aquatic environment and the drying up of rivers do not spoil his life. The only factor disturbing the peace of the firebrand is numerous enemies, for whom he himself is a tasty booty.

Distribution area

Rotan - a native of the Amur River basin, from here came one of his names - the Amur goby. From the territory of the Far East, fish began to actively spread to other parts of the planet. The widespread distribution of this freshwater inhabitant was the initiative to release this fish into the network of St. Petersburg canals in 1916. Today, the rotan population is the largest. This species of radiant fish settled in the basins of almost all European rivers; it is found in the Ob, Irtysh, and Ural rivers. The reservoirs of China and Korea are also included in the list of the main habitats of this river predator.

Breeding

Rotans reach puberty by two years. The period of breeding their offspring begins in late spring and lasts until mid-summer. At this crucial time, the color of the males becomes almost black, and the females, on the contrary, change their usual “outfit” to light colors. A growth also appears on the male’s head. In one season, the female grass will sweep no more than one thousand eggs, but the male will protect the future offspring. A caring parent constantly fins eggs with fins, providing an additional flow of oxygen. True, after the appearance of fry, his parental feelings disappear without a trace. Interestingly, the fry, barely hatched from eggs, immediately begin to eat plankton, leeches, insects, small crustaceans.

Nutrition

As already noted, rotan does not know the measure in food. His appetite is always at a high level, so cases of cannibalism are frequent in the ranks of his fellow tribesmen. Of course, such a neighborhood often becomes fatal for other small inhabitants of rivers and ponds. Also, leeches, roe of other fish, and tadpoles are included in the diet of grass.

What is the difference between a ratan and a bull

1. The habitat is the main difference between a rotan and a bull. Moth is a resident of fresh water, only occasionally fish can briefly go out of the rivers into sea water. Gobies, on the contrary, constantly live in salty or slightly saline waters, although they easily adapt to the freshwater environment.
2. The appearance of these two fish is also very different: the rotan has a huge head and mouth. In a bull, these body parts are modest in size, and therefore do not look so frightening.
3. The body shape of the bull is round, the body is flattened in front of the tail. The body of a rotan is flattened on its sides.
4. The species of these two inhabitants is the same - they are part of a group of perch fish, so both representatives have two dorsal fins. But in the grass, they are almost the same, and in the goby, the rear fin is much longer than the front.
5. The abdominal fins of the gobies have grown together and look like a suction cup. The flames on the abdomen are paired fins.

Composition and calorie content

The meat of the rotan is snow-white, with a pleasant, slightly sweet taste. This diet product meets all quality requirements. But the composition of the fish product deserves special attention. In the loin portion of fish, nicotinic acid (vitamin PP) is found in large quantities. In addition to this active component, the product also contains:

• vitamins A and D;
• easily digestible proteins;
• omega acids;
• the whole complex of aminoxylot;
• tocopherol or vitamin E.

And also mineral elements: molybdenum, zinc, sulfur, nickel, chromium and a whole group of minerals that the human body needs.

Separately, it is worth noting that the composition of rotan meat is an ideally balanced formula of substances that in a single complex have a positive effect on the course of almost all biochemical processes.

But the main value of a fish product is its low calorie content. The nutritional value of a 100 gram portion of boiled meat is only 88 kcal. Of course, this indicator will be higher for fried fish, but not so much as to refuse a tasty dish even with weight loss. The fact is that rotan meat is very quickly absorbed by the digestive system, so the body simply does not have time to put aside fats for the future.

Useful properties of rattan fish

General benefit

Dietitians recommend the meat of this small predator during the recovery period after operations, chemotherapy and long-term illnesses. Such a fish diet helps with the following pathological conditions:

• physical exhaustion;
• vitamin deficiencies;
• digestive disorders;
• weakened immunity;
• thyroid dysfunction;
• hormonal disorders;
• anemia;
• decreased vision and eye disease;
• problems of potency in men;
• depression and nervous breakdowns;
• cardiovascular pathology;
• heart dysfunctions.

Inclusion of rotan dishes in the diet will help strengthen the health of adults and even young children. Easy-to-cook delicacies and light snacks will be an excellent, and most importantly, an inexpensive addition to the family menu. Let us consider the benefits that this river fish will bring to the representatives of different population groups.

For women

Of course, for most representatives of the fair half, the primary task is to preserve the slender forms of the figure. If a rotan finds a worthy place in the diet of a woman of any age, you can maintain optimal body weight for many years. In addition, the fish product contains many amino acids that regulate the processes of synthesis and metabolism. During menopause, this property is especially necessary for women. Omega acids and mineral elements will improve the condition of the skin and hair, as well as strengthen nails. In a word, grass is a very useful product not only for women's health, but also for an attractive appearance.

For men

The content in the meat of firebrand zinc, selenium and some other elements will ensure the normal synthesis of sex hormones, which is very important for maintaining the sexual health of men. In addition to this property, the fish product has good antioxidant activity. It is known that men are more susceptible to physical exertion than women, which leads to the accumulation of harmful substances in muscle tissues. The use of rotan in any form at least twice a week will provide regular cleansing of the body of toxic substances, strengthen muscles and bone skeleton.

During pregnancy

During the gestation, women must include fish in the diet. An ideally balanced composition of firebrand meat is suitable for feeding expectant mothers if you cook in the oven and steamed. Dried fish can be consumed occasionally in the absence of edema. Rotan will provide the mother's body and the developing fetus with all the necessary components. Particularly valuable elements for the health of the unborn child are the vitamin complex and minerals involved in the formation of the bone skeleton, teeth, and brain. Scientists have proven that women who regularly eat fish during pregnancy rarely have children with developmental abnormalities.

When breastfeeding

Any fish is useful for lactating women, since the composition of such products increases lactation. Tender ratan meat can become the basis of dietary nutrition for mothers during the critical period of breastfeeding. The child, along with breast milk, will receive all the substances necessary for its full physical and mental development. But the most important advantage of fish products is that they contain vitamin D, a deficiency of which causes rickets in children.It goes without saying that nursing mothers should choose the steam method of preparing fish dishes or bake rotan meat in the oven. It is better to abandon the use of dried and salted fish for a while.

For kids

Fish plays a key role in the diet of young children.

1. The regular use of dishes prepared by the gentle method will be the most reliable prevention of rickets.
2. Such a diet helps strengthen teeth and bones, activates the brain in a child, which will positively affect his intellectual abilities in the future.
3. We must not forget that the components of the composition of fish delicacy normalize the thyroid gland, regulate the composition of the blood and contribute to the production of growth hormone.

Therefore, if the baby is not allergic to fish products, rotan is ideal for nutrition in the first years of life. But in the process of preparing food for a child, one must not forget that freshwater inhabitants are the main carriers of parasites. Therefore, the fish must be well processed and subjected to prolonged heat treatment.

Note: It is strictly forbidden to give sun-dried firebrand to children under 5 years old, since salted fish gives an additional burden on the kidneys.

When losing weight

People who are overweight should definitely switch from high-calorie meat products to fish. Rotan is ideal for the role of a basic food product. After all, a 100-gram serving of fish delicacy gives a feeling of good saturation, and the nutritional value of such a dish does not exceed 100 units. The calorie content of grassy fish soup is even lower. Given the well-balanced composition of the fish product, in the process of losing weight, the body will not suffer from a lack of nutrients.

Harm and contraindications

There are no absolute contraindications to the use of rotan. Doctors and nutritionists unanimously recognize the beneficial properties of this small fish. Therefore, in the absence of individual intolerance to fish products, you can cook any dishes from this freshwater inhabitant.

True, there is one caveat that should not be neglected: rotan is not demanding on the purity of water, and therefore fishermen catch it in sewers and dirty ponds. Therefore, before buying fish, it is advisable to clarify the place where it was caught.

How to choose and store

Rotan is not a commercial species of fish, so it is impossible to purchase it in a regular store. Such products should be bought only from friends who are fond of fishing. And the most reliable option is to have your own fisherman in the inner circle. But even with good friends, you need to buy such a product after evaluating several parameters:

1. Fish should be fresh. It is not difficult to determine by the eyes: they should not be cloudy, the scales of fresh fish are shiny.
2. Smell. Freshwater fish, even exceptionally fresh, may smell like mud. But usually this aroma is not strong, and after processing it disappears. If foreign odors are present in the smell, it is better not to use such fish for cooking.
3. The carcass of a rotan should be without signs of damage; there should be no mucus on it.

Storage rules
Any freshwater fish should be immediately cut, that is, washed, removed bones, cooked for storage. Of course, it is best to use such a perishable product in full for cooking. But with a large catch, you can save a certain amount of fish products:

1. Pass small specimens through a meat grinder, and send the minced meat to the freezer for storage. With this storage method, the product will not deteriorate until 2 months.
2. Large individuals must be divided into pieces and a little salt. When chilled, the fish will not deteriorate for 2 days.
3. You can also pickle fish or put in a marinade. But the shelf life of such products is also limited to 2 weeks.
4. Dried fish will last the longest.

An important point! Rotan is a very sensitive fish. If after catching it lies uncultivated for at least a couple of hours, this threatens with a loss of taste. Therefore, it is advisable to cook the firebrand immediately after fishing.

How to clean and cut a rattan

Butchering is not fundamentally different from the processing of any other river or lake fish. But taking into account the lifestyle of the fish, the carcass must be thoroughly washed under water, and then soaked in cold water for several hours. This simple procedure neutralizes the unpleasant odor of mud. But before that, you should do the following:

1. Remove the scales with a sharp knife.
2. Gently cut the abdomen to remove the insides. If you want to remove the bones, then this also needs to be done at the initial stage of preparation.
3. Remove the head and fins.
4. Large specimens cut into pieces.
5. Rinse and dry.

Important addition: during the heat treatment, the rotan bones become so soft that the fish dish becomes safe even for baby food.

How to cook delicious rotan: recipes

In culinary terms, grass is considered a universal fish product, which is why the value of this fish increases by 2 times. From this modest small fish you can cook:

• light salads;
• soups and other first courses;
• homemade canned food;
• omelette;
• casserole;
• cutlets;
• toppings for pies;
• stewed and fried dishes.

White with a pink tinge, the firebrand meat has a delicate structure, it has practically no large bones. However, their removal does not cause problems. Connoisseurs of fish cookery assure that fried rotan is superior in taste even to crucian carp, which is considered a kind of "standard" of fish taste. We describe some of the nuances of the main methods of cooking this fish.

In the oven

Cooking fish dishes in the oven does not take much time. In addition, this particular cooking method meets all the requirements of diet food. Therefore, for the diet of people suffering from diseases of the digestive system, such fish dishes are ideal. The preparatory phase is reduced to the usual cutting of fish carcasses. The further process consists of the following steps:

1. After removing the head and viscera of the rotan, rinse and then rub with salt.
2. For 15–20 minutes, leave the fish so that the salt is absorbed into the meat.
3. After that, wash off the remaining salt and pat the carcass with napkins.
4. Preheat oven to 200 ° C. Pour a small amount of vegetable oil into the baking dish.
5. Put the fish blank, pour the oil on top. This is done so that the fish does not dry out and does not burn.
6. Wrap the form on top with foil, and then send it to the oven.
7. After half an hour, remove the foil, and then bake the dish for another 10 minutes until cooked.
8. When the fish is covered with a golden brown, turn off the oven.

Oven-cooked fish delicacy can be served with boiled potatoes or stewed vegetables.

Marsh Prince appetizer
This is another delicious dish that can be cooked in the oven in a hurry.

1. You will need to take some minced meat from rotan and a yeast-free ready-made dough, which can be purchased at any store.
2. Defrost the dough.
3. Add a slice of white bread soaked in milk to the minced meat, grate the onion, salt, pepper.
4. Cut the dough into squares, and in the middle of each place a dessert spoon of the filling. The edges of the squares are slightly stretched to the sides.
5. Now grate the cheese on a fine grater and sprinkle crumbs on the culinary splendor.
6. Bake cheese and fish miracle for 20–25 minutes at 200 ° C.

The appetizer is very tasty and instantly disappears from the plate.

In the pan

This is the easiest and fastest way to cook. True, fried firebrand, although it has an amazing taste, is suitable for eating only completely healthy people. Small fish can be fried whole, and large specimens must be cut into pieces. You can fry on any vegetable oil on both sides until a delicious light brown crust appears.To make this crust crunchy, 5 minutes before the end of cooking, cover the fish pan with a lid.

In a slow cooker

Using this household appliance, it is easy to cook sprats from small rattans. Such a delicacy will surprise guests and delight the household, because it tastes as good as the famous canned fish from the Baltic region. Using a slow cooker, the cooking process will take a little more than an hour.

Grocery set for home sprats:

• small fish - 1 kg:
• onion - 2 heads;
• vinegar - 2 tbsp .;
• vegetable oil - 1.5 cups;
• bay leaf - 4 pieces;
• salt is a little;
• peppercorns - 4-6 pcs.;
• tea brew - 1 tsp

Algorithm of actions:

1. Clean fish, remove heads, gut.
2. Rinse well under running water, salt.
3. Leaves 15 minutes for better salting.
4. At this time, peel the onions and cut into rings.
5. At the bottom of the bowl, lay the onion husk with the first layer, and fish on top of it. The next layer is onion rings, spices.
6. Next, brew tea in a cup. While the tea is brewing, pour oil and vinegar on the fish.
7. Then again lay the husks of the onions, and then the next fish layer and spices. In this sequence, fill the entire container, leaving a little free space.
8. When all the ingredients from the grocery list take their place, pour the brewed tea into the bowl, which, together with the onion husks, will give the fishes a characteristic “sprat” hue.
9. After tea, pour the remaining oil onto the top layer. It is desirable that the oil completely covers the top of the workpiece.
10. Now close the multicooker lid and turn on the “Extinguishing” program. At the same time on the timer indicate the time 1 hour 20 minutes.
11. While the fish is languishing inside the unit, set the table.

Homemade rotan sprats are delicious and juicy. Such a dish can be given to children and eat by pregnant women.

What can be cooked from rotan: recipes

Some methods of cooking firebrand dishes were presented above. But this is only a small part of the culinary perspectives of a small nondescript fish. With the rational use of this valuable product, you can cook delicious dishes that can withstand competition with salmon and sturgeon delicacies. To make sure of this, it is enough to prepare a light salad from this small fish.

Salad

Fried gutted fish directly with scales in oil in a pan. Then separate the meat, knead it with a fork, add green onions and peas. Season the dish with mayonnaise and you can enjoy the taste of the original fish snack.

The following salad recipe is a little more complicated, it will require:

• boiled eggs - 2 pcs.;
• pickled cucumber - 1 pc.;
• onion - 1 pc.;
• fresh rotan - 0.5 kg.

1. With the firebrand, do exactly as in the previous recipe, that is, cook for 15 minutes in a pan.
2. Then separate the meat, cut it into small pieces.
3. Chop remaining ingredients too.
4. Then combine all the components, mix, season with sauce. To prepare the sauce, take vegetable oil (3 tablespoons), mustard (1 tablespoon), a pinch of salt, vinegar and pepper.

Ear

It is better to cook rotan soup in a cauldron. Put the fish at the very beginning of cooking directly in cold water. Carcasses do not need to be cut. Together with the fish, immediately send vegetables: turnips, parsley root, celery, carrots, a whole onion, laurel and black pepper. When the water boils, add diced potatoes. Boil your ear for an hour. Before serving, you can decorate the finished first dish with fresh herbs.

Fish soup
It is prepared in a similar way, but with the difference that the fish need to be sent to boiling water with their heads, but without gills. Put potatoes with carrots in cold water. Cook the soup for 20 minutes. The dish will turn out delicious if you add a spoonful of sour cream and herbs.

Cutlets

Fireball cutlets are very popular in home cooking. Of course, a sufficient amount of fish is needed to meet the nutritional needs of the family. For a pound of rotan, you need to additionally take:

• medium-sized onions - 2 pcs.;
• potatoes - 2 pcs.;
• raw eggs - 2 pcs.;
• flour or bread crumbs - as needed;
• butter - 2 tbsp;
• lard - 100 g;
• pepper, salt, garlic and other spices that are suitable for fish dishes.

When the entire grocery set is on the table, you need to do the following:

1. Skip the fish through a meat grinder.
2. Add bacon, butter, potatoes and onions to the minced meat.
3. Then beat the eggs, mix the mass with flour or breadcrumbs, then send it to the minced meat.
4. Knead the mass until it becomes dense.
5. Form cutlets and fry them in a pan.

Any side dish is suitable for rattan fish patties.

The second option for cooking cutlets
This recipe is slightly simpler than the previous one.

1. Select small fish for minced meat. Rinse it well, remove tails and heads.
2. Pass through a meat grinder twice with carrots and onions.
3. Add 100g slice of loaf, egg and a little softened butter to the minced fish.
4. Stir mass, form cutlets.
5. Before frying, roll each cutlet in breadcrumbs.

Canned food

There are many recipes for making homemade canned grass. But, taking into account the risk of poisoning by such products, here is the safest option. In principle, this is one of the variations in the preparation of sprats. But if you strictly follow the sequence of the steps below, you get an appetizer with a delicate taste, which is quite suitable for a festive feast.

List of main ingredients per 1 kg of rotan:

• tomato juice - 1–1.5 l;
• salt to taste;
• laurel - a few leaves;
• vegetable oil - 0.3 l;
• spices for fish.

How to cook:

1. Take a pot of large volume, and preferably a cauldron. Pour oil into the dishes.
2. Place the fish cut in thick pieces into containers so that 4–5 cm of space is still left to the top.
3. Put the fish together with spices and salt.
4. When this stage is completed, completely fill the fish base with tomato juice. As a result, the free space from the top edge of the dishes should be reduced to 2.5 cm.
5. If there is not enough tomato juice, you can supplement the volume of liquid with water.
6. After these steps, close the cauldron tightly with a lid and place on the stove.
7. At this time, turn on the oven to medium mode.
8. When the contents in the cauldron boil, leave it on the stove for another 8 minutes, and then transfer to the oven.
9. In the oven, simmer fish for at least 5-6 hours, and then another 2 hours to reach with the fire turned off.
10. Since such a long process of heat treatment will cause evaporation of the liquid, periodically need to add water.
11. Transfer the prepared sprats in tomato in a sterile container and refrigerate. It is advisable to sell the snack within 7-10 days.

Sun-dried firebrand

It turns out very tasty rotan stewed in sour cream. The omelet with fish is very popular. But the classics of the genre are, of course, salty and dried fish.

1. Before sending the fish to dry, marinate it. To do this, lay out fish carcasses in a deep dish.
2. Sprinkle each layer of rotan on top with plenty of salt.
3. Put oppression on top of salted fish. After a few days, the dried fish product will be ready.

If you dry such a fish in the sun, you get an excellent salty treat.

Interesting Facts

1. Rotan is interesting not only as a unique representative of ichthyofauna. A lot of unusual in his habits and behavior. For example, after having fed up, the fish rests at the bottom so that the food is digested in a relaxed atmosphere. This process can last for 2-3 days.
2. Like a true predator, the firebrand hunts, waiting for its prey in ambush. When an object of prey is in sight, a rotan instantly pounces on it. As the saying goes, the effect of surprise is fully triggered.
3. Rotan is considered a weedy creature, dangerous to the rest of the inhabitants of the reservoir. There is evidence that special tools are being developed to get rid of this predator. But as practice shows, after the complete disappearance of rotans, the reservoirs overgrow and eventually turn into a swamp.
4. When the male protects his future offspring, he beats unexpected guests with his massive head.
5. Rotan has a special eye structure, thanks to which it has a wide view and notices its prey from afar.
6. Despite its relatively small body size, the firebrand gnaws at a victim with a dead grip, which once again confirms the predatory nature of this fish.

Summing up, we can only add that in nature everything is so harmoniously selected that the universally recognized robber of fresh water in the culinary field is considered a valuable dietary product. This is an inexpensive, but very tasty fish that can bring bright notes to your daily diet. But the main advantage of a small fish is that it is useful for human health. Any housewife, adopting a few simple recipes, can always cook a nutritious dish.

Photo of rattan fish