What's this
What is the moray?
Murena - also known as the Mediterranean moray, or "roman eel" in English - is the name of a bony fish traditionally used for food purposes, but which has become almost obsolete on Italian tables.
There are many different species of moray eels - all from the Murenidae and Genus Muraena biological families - distributed throughout most of the planetary seas. The widespread in the Mediterranean Sea and in the Eastern Atlantic Ocean is the M. helena ; other species are: appendiculata, argus, clepsydra, lentiginosa, melanotis, pavonina, retifera and robusta .
The moray is perhaps the poor fish par excellence. It is not a blue fish or even a white fish, despite the white color of its meat. Source of high biological value proteins, specific vitamins and minerals, the moray belongs to the first fundamental food group. Like other fishery products it is also rich in iodine and semi essential - but biologically active - fatty acids of the omega 3 group - eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). From a dietary point of view, it lends itself to most dietary regimens, with few exceptions linked above all to the presence of serious - hereditary or acquired metabolic diseases, the latter above all in the presence of severe overweight. It should however be emphasized that traditional recipes based on moray tend to distort not just the nutritional properties.
The moray is traditionally eaten floured and fried, or in fish soup. It has the characteristic of being very rich in thorns, especially in the area of the tail - which is usually eliminated together with the head - which is why it is preferable to consume only creatures of large dimensions. Note : obviously, fish selection is possible only if the source of supply uses underwater fishing, which allows a visual collection of the specimens. Another feature that led to a gradual decrease in the consumption of moray eel is the difficulty in cleaning. It is, in truth, an easy obstacle to overcome. Having a thick, rubbery and indigestible skin, the moray should in fact be skinned, not scaled; the procedure takes place comfortably if hung on a hook, but is more complicated within the walls of a kitchen. Some choose not to remove the skin, but portion the fish into very thin slices, so as to facilitate the operation directly in the dish after cooking.
Did you know that ...
The skin of the moray, like that of the eel, can be processed and used to produce bags and shoes.
Similar to a snake - characteristic of the Anguilliformes biological order - the moray is famous above all for its characteristic appearance. It is elongated, with a thick, brown-grayish skin - underwater, apparently golden - with darker spots, and without scales. The eyes are small, the mouth is long and full of sharp teeth evident during breathing. It has tiny, typically circular gill caps. It is not equipped with "normal" fins, but with two crests - one upper and one lower - which extend - starting from the head and from the anus - along the whole body and joining the rear vertex (tail).
The moray is a voracious predator. It feeds on fish, crustaceans and cephalopod molluscs - especially octopuses. It has no natural predators of significant danger, especially in adulthood. Currently, in the Mediterranean Sea only large specimens seem to be decreasing and only in some areas.
Having little market, when it ends up in the nets or hooks of professional fishermen, it is often thrown back into the sea even when dead. It is the "terror" of amateur fishermen with bottom fishing line and surf casting; if it bites the prey near the den it is almost impossible to get it out. It constitutes a prey of little hunting interest in spearfishing; in fact, underwater hunters tend not to shoot them, if not very large and occasionally.
Nutritional Properties
Nutritional properties of the moray
The moray belongs to the first fundamental food group - foods rich in high biological value proteins, specific vitamins and minerals.
WARNING! No complete information is available on the chemical profile of the moray eel. Currently, "alleged" nutritional values circulate on the network taken from unreliable sources. These would indicate a protein and fat content well above any other species, which suggests a typing error. It is possible, as often happens, that the mistake consists in the position of the comma. Giving this hypothesis good, also considering the almost total absence of surface fat released during the cooking of the fish, it is likely to assume that the moray is a lean or semi-fat food.
The moray should be a low-calorie fish; energy is supplied mainly by proteins and lipids, perhaps with the prevalence of the former over the latter. Carbohydrates, if present, are not relevant. The moray peptides have a high biological value - that is, they contain all the essential amino acids compared to the human protein model - unsaturated fatty acids and any soluble sugars. In the lipid pool, excellent concentrations of the polyunsaturated EPA and DHA, semi-essential biologically active omega 3 should be distinguished.
The moray definitely contains cholesterol, even if the quantity is not known. The fibers are absent, as are lactose and gluten. It is a good source of purines, as well as amino acid phenylalanine. The histamine level should be around 0.
The moray should be an excellent source of water-soluble B vitamins - such as thiamine (vit B1), niacin (vit PP), pyridoxine (vit B6), cobalamin (vit B12) etc. - although, being fish, it has greater nutritional value due to the contribution of the fat-soluble vitamin D (calciferol).
Among the minerals, it is likely that the moray provides excellent concentrations of phosphorus, iron and zinc. On the other hand, since it is a fishery product, it acquires greater dietary importance due to the concentration of iodine.
It is not known if the moray tends to accumulate large quantities of environmental pollutants such as mercury and methylmercury. Regarding algal toxins, it should not be a risk product - especially that of the Mediterranean. Moreover, being a fish to be eaten exclusively cooked, it does not seem to constitute a primary means of transmission of Anisakis simplex .
Diet
Dietary role of the moray eel
The moray should be a food suitable for most diets. Normally digestible despite the high concentration of proteins, excessive portions - above all more elaborate recipes or with added fats, such as fried moray eel - can still be inadequate for those with digestive complications such as dyspepsia, gastritis, gastroesophageal reflux disease, ulcer gastric or duodenal.
The moray - in particular cooked without oil - could lend itself to slimming diets, which must be low-calorie and normolipidic. However, due to the incompleteness of the nutritional information in this regard, in the case of treatment against obesity, it is advisable to limit its consumption to one-off and to adapt to the recommended average portion.
The abundance of proteins with high biological value makes the ideal moray for the diet for malnourished, debilitated or with an increased need for essential amino acids. This type of food is advisable in the case of very high intensity sports activity, especially in the disciplines of strength or with a very important muscular hypertrophied component, and for all particularly prolonged aerobic disciplines. The moray is also suitable in case of breastfeeding, pathological intestinal malabsorption and in old age - in which the eating disorder and the decreased intestinal absorption tend to create a protein deficit.
EPA and DHA, semi essential but biologically active polyunsaturated omega 3, are very important for:
- The constitution of cell membranes
- The development of the nervous system and the eyes - in the fetus and in children
- Prevention and treatment of some metabolic pathologies - hypertriglyceridemia, arterial hypertension, etc.
- The maintenance of cognitive functions in old age
- Reduction of some symptoms of neurosis - depressive - etc.
Due to the absence of gluten and lactose, the moray is pertinent in the diet for celiac disease and for intolerance to milk sugar. The abundance of purines makes it rather undesirable, in considerable portions, in the nutritional regime for severe hyperuricemia - with gouty attacks - and for calculosis or renal urinary lithiasis. Well preserved, it has no contraindication for histamine intolerance. The massive presence of phenylalanine precludes a significant use in the diet against phenylketonuria.
The B vitamins have a mainly coenzymatic function; this is why the moray can be considered a good source of nutrients that support the cellular functions of all tissues. Vitamin D, on the other hand, is crucial for bone metabolism and the immune system. Note : we remind you that dietary sources of vitamin D are very rare.
However, phosphorus, which is hardly lacking in diet, is one of the main constituents of bone (hydroxyapatite) and nervous tissue (phospholipids). Zinc constitutes enzymes, nucleic acids and proteins of various kinds. Finally, iodine is necessary for the proper functioning of the thyroid gland - responsible for the regulation of cellular metabolism after the secretion of hormones T3 and T4.
Moray eel meat is allowed in the diet during pregnancy. In this case it is advisable to prefer meat from safe sources and medium-sized creatures, or, if obtained from large specimens, to limit the frequency of consumption.
The average portion of the moray - as a dish - is 100-150 g.
Kitchen
How do you cook the moray?
The moray is a fish that is no longer in use in Italian cuisine. Full of thorns, it should be consumed starting from a size of at least 3 kg. It has a lot of "waste"; in addition to the bowels, it is also advisable to remove the skin - skinning it whole from raw, an operation that can be carried out comfortably if hung from a hook - the head and the whole tail - which starts from the anus up to the rear vertex.
The moray can be eaten in various ways. We begin by specifying that for practical reasons it is usually advisable to portion it in slices or slices - depending on the recipe. Its meat, firm and fairly elastic, holds well any cooking method. The moray is excellent cooked by irradiation on the grill to grill, by conduction in a pan or on the plate, boiled in water and fried, and by convection in an oven or an American barbecue.
The most famous recipe is the floured and fried moray eel. It is a basic, simple preparation, which, however, maximizes the organoleptic and gustatory characteristics of this fish. The second most suitable recipe for the moray is undoubtedly the soup, in which however it is necessary to be careful not to break it to avoid the dissemination of the bones - as for the scorpion fish and the sea gurnard.
Did you know that ...
The moray eel is one of the best fish products for obtaining very tasty seafood soups at an almost negligible price. Other products that lend themselves to the purpose and can accompany the moray eel are: conger, breed or torpedo, red mullet, etc.
Description
Description of the moray
The moray has an elongated body, similar to that of the eel and the conger, and can reach large sizes.
The color of the moray oscillates between brown and gray, with darker spots - under water it takes on a golden appearance. The skin is slimy and without scales.
The dorsal fin begins behind its head and continues up to the caudal fin, where it merges with the anal fin; the pectoral fins are absent.
The moray has small eyes and long, pointed and backward teeth - that is, oriented backwards; the mouth is long, robust and extends up to the gills, consisting of small circular operculums.
Did you know that ...
Definitely far from being a good-looking fish, the moray is known among divers for its characteristic open-mouthed breathing, which gives it a particularly aggressive appearance; indeed, this attitude is linked to the smallness of its gill openings.
Biology
Outline of biology on the moray
The Mediterranean moray is a bony fish that appears in the biological order Anguilliformes, Family Murenidae, Subfamily Mureninae, Genus Muraena and helena species.
Did you know that ...
The moray is not a fish to be underestimated or to play carefree with. He lives mostly in the skin and goes out almost only to feed himself. However, precisely for this reason it is very territorial; it is not uncommon for you to attack when you feel threatened, even coming out of your hiding place to chase and bite potential enemies.
The M. helena mainly occupies the coastal waters of the Mediterranean Sea and the Eastern Atlantic Ocean - from the British islands to the coast of Senegal, the Canary Islands and the Azores.
It prefers rocky bottoms and normally lives at depths of between 5 and 80 meters. The smaller specimens are also visible almost on the shore; has been identified up to over 800 m.
Unlike the conger eel, the moray is solitary and extremely territorial. He spends most of his time buried in the cavities and cracks between the rocks and proves to be much more active at night.
The moray is a voracious predator and feeds on fish, crustaceans - crabs, prawns, shrimp, small lobsters and lobsters - and cephalopod molluscs - octopus, cuttlefish and squid; even the carcasses of dead animals are not disdained.
The reproduction of the Mediterranean moray is not well known. Fertilization is internal; it is assumed that the female generates about 60, 000 eggs, directly in open water, from which the planktonic leptocephali will hatch.
The moray can reach a length of 1.5 meters with a weight of over 15 kilograms - even if the officially registered maximum size is 6.5 kg. The average length is 80 cm. The maximum estimated age is 38 years.
The adult moray has no natural predators, but suffers from parasitosis generated from crustaceans, worms of the trematoda class such as the Folliculovarium mediterraneum and the digeneum Lecithochirium grandiporum.
Curiosity
The moray eel is one of the few fishes in the Mediterranean Sea that can harm human beings. Especially in marine parks, where fish is used to interacting with divers, morays are an attraction of the most popular. It is common to feed them with pieces of fish, without considering that the food frenzy can lead them to attack the prey quickly, sometimes without distinguishing the hand of the victim from the serving bite. What many people do not know, however, is that the moray is equipped not only with razor-sharp, rearward teeth - turned backwards, to prevent the prey escaping from their jaws once tightened - and covered with a toxic or infected mucus, but also of an almost immeasurable force that it uses, whirling on itself, to literally tear the pieces of meat during the fight. There are many divers who keep the scars of a gesture too rash.
