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What is emery?
The emery (binomial nomenclature Lamna nasus ) - also called "sea calf" - is a cartilaginous saltwater fish.
Like spurdog, verdesca, dogfish, gattuccio etc., it is one of the most used sharks for food purposes.
The emery is not included in the blue fish category nor in the poor fish category; its precarious availability in the seas and the deep fishing techniques indispensable to catch it make it instead a medium or medium-high fishing product.
In the nutritional field, the sea calf is classified in the first fundamental group of foods - foods rich in high biological value proteins, specific vitamins and minerals. It also contains iodine and vitamin D; the breakdown of fatty acids is very good - thanks to the presence of the semi-essential omega 3: eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) - and the level of cholesterol is more than acceptable.
The flesh and the fins of the emery - the latter for the famous shark fin soup - are very much appreciated all over the world which, unfortunately, has resulted in a long history of intense human exploitation - non-sustainable intensive fishing.
The sea calf is robust and fusiform. The long snout is conical and tapers to the tip of the nose. The back is gray and the belly is white. It has several distinctive features (see below), the best known of which are the shape of the tricuspid teeth in adult specimens and a white spot at the base of the first dorsal fin. It can reach 2.5 m for 135 kg.
Emery is a fish considered "endangered" in most of the seas of the world. In some places it is even labeled as "at risk of extinction". Occasional or specific fishing is regulated but still ongoing. Its reduced reproductive capacity - of about 4 small per year - and the intensive withdrawal, are the essential motivations for which the fishing of this shark should be stopped.
Nutritional Properties
Nutritional properties of emery
Emery is a product of fishing that falls within the first fundamental group of foods. It is not part of the category of poor fish even if, in the past, its availability in the seas was very abundant - which allowed it to be caught even with less advanced techniques, in not too open waters and reasonable bathymetric even for small fishing. It is not a blue fish, but contains equally good doses of omega 3 EPA and DHA semi essential fatty acids; Vitamin D and iodine concentrations are also noticeable - it completely reflects all the properties of its food group. The chemical nutritional characteristics are generally similar to those of dogfish, spurdog, verdesca and gattuccio; let's go into more detail.
WARNING! Detailed information on the chemical profile of the sea calf is not available. Reference is therefore made to the most reliable sources but the level of accuracy remains in doubt.
The emery has a medium-low energy supply (≤ 125 kcal / 100g), thanks to the modest concentration of total fat. Calories are mainly supplied by proteins (> 20 g / 100 g), followed by lipids (≤ 5 g / 100 g and, possibly, by irrelevant concentrations of carbohydrates (0.2-0.35 g / 100 g). Peptides they have a high biological value - they contain all the essential amino acids compared to the model of human proteins and predominantly unsaturated fatty acids, with an excellent percentage of biologically active semi-essential polyunsaturated omega 3: eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid (0.3-1.0 g / 100 g).
The fibers are absent. Cholesterol is not excessive but neither is it negligible and traces of marine wax esters are not inferred.
deepening
Sea wax esters, in English "wax ester", are complex molecules formed by the union between a fatty acid and fatty alcohol. They have a potential beneficial effect on the organism, especially in conditions of malnutrition-overnutrition due to the western lifestyle; on the other hand, certain insights suggest that sea wax esters are not completely digestible and absorbable. It already constitutes food supplements and is generally extracted, due to its greater degree of purity, from the small crustacean Calanus finmarchicus - zooplankton.
Lactose and gluten are completely absent. The concentration of purines is very abundant. Histamine, absent in the fresh product, increases exponentially in poorly preserved fish. Being a highly protein food, it is also a significant source of phenylalanine amino acid.
Data concerning the vitamin profile are limited; it is however reasonable to think that emery is rich in water-soluble B vitamins - such as niacin (vit PP), pyridoxine (vit B6), cobalamin (vit B12) - and the fat-soluble vit D (calciferol). The level of phosphorus and iodine is appreciable, but there is not enough information regarding the other minerals.
Mercury
Sea calf is one of the fishes in which the accumulation of mercury and methylmercury is proportional to its size. In particular, it is estimated that the equation that includes the retention parameters of the heavy metal in the fabrics and length is perfectly linear. It is therefore considered necessary to avoid eating large emery often, especially in large portions.
Diet
Sea calf in the diet
The emery is a protein food but quite digestible. However, excessive portions are however inadequate for the diet of subjects with digestive complications such as dyspepsia, gastritis, gastroesophageal reflux disease, gastric ulcer or duodenal ulcer.
Sea veal is a food suitable for most diets, including slimming ones, which must be low-calorie and normolipidic.
The abundance of high biological value proteins makes the emery ideal in the diet of malnourished, weakened 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 sea calf is also suitable in the 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 omega 3, are very important for:
- The constitution of cell membranes
- The nervous system and 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 neuroses - depressants. Etc.
Due to the absence of gluten and lactose, emery is pertinent in the diet for celiac disease and for intolerance to milk sugar. The abundance of purines makes unwanted emery in the nutritional regimen for hyperuricemia, especially serious - with gouty attacks - and in the one for calculosis or renal lithiasis from uric acid. As for histamine intolerance, if perfectly preserved, it has no contraindication. The massive presence of phenylalanine makes it inappropriate for the diet against phenylketonuria.
The B vitamins have a mainly coenzymatic function; this is why sea calf can be considered a good source of nutrients that support the cellular functions of all tissues. 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, constitutes both bone (hydroxyapatite) and nervous tissue (phospholipids). 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.
Emery meat is allowed in the diet during pregnancy, provided it comes from medium-sized creatures and not from large specimens - rich in mercury and methylmnercurium.
The average portion of emery - as a dish - is 100-150 g.
Kitchen
Emery in the kitchen
Sea veal can be cooked in different ways, but it is not particularly appreciated raw.
Did you know that ...
Emery or sea veal is the subject of one of the most well-known commercial frauds. Because of its resemblance, it is often passed off as swordfish; only the most expert consumers are able to recognize it, while novice buyers inexorably fall prey to this widespread scam.
At the same time, other less valuable shark species are marketed under the name of "sea veal"; this is, most of the time, a scam, given the now scarcity of this fish in all the seas.
It lends itself to all cooking systems and methods, even mixed:
- for conduction: stir-fried, grilled, poached / boiled in water and fried in oil
- by convection: baked, grilled on refractory stone
- by irradiation: charcoal grill
- mixed conduction-convection: steam
- vacuum - even at low temperature - for conduction in drowning in water
- vasocottura - even at low temperature - by conduction and convection.
A particular trend is to be reported, like all edible fish of the same type - sharks - to dry out excessively, becoming stringy and rubbery. It seems particularly susceptible to grilling - especially for irradiation - and baked.
The emery meat is combined with many ingredients of vegetable origin; the associations with spices such as oregano or marjoram or parsley, chilli and black pepper, with citrus fruits such as lemon or orange, with olives, with capers, with vegetables such as cherry tomatoes and yellow peppers are classic., with anchovies and other sea ingredients such as bottarga and fish eggs in general - including sea urchin - anchovy sauce, seaweed etc. In cooking it is often shaded with white wine.
Some famous recipes are: marinated and sautéed sea veal with aromatic herbs and lemon peel, spicy emery soup, pendulums and black olives, sea bream with pizzaiola, fried emery cutlets, baked sea veal, breaded with capers and anchovies, Mediterranean emery, sautéed sea veal with soy sauce, grilled / grilled emery, sea veal in tuna sauce, steamed or boiled emery, etc.
The emery fins are a highly sought after ingredient for shark fin soup - of Chinese origin.
The food and wine pairing with emery depends above all on the finished recipe; it's hard to go wrong choosing a still white wine, with a medium-sized body, like the chardonnays.
Description
Description of the emery
Gray or slate on the back and white on the belly, the sea calf has a very robust trunk that is stretched towards the snout - long and pointed - and flattens transversely before the tail.
It has two large pectoral fins and a very developed first dorsal fin - rounded in shape; the two pelvic fins, the dorsal secondary and the anal are minuscule; the caudal is crescent-shaped, with the two lobes almost equal - the lower is smaller.
The eyes are large and black, without protective eyelids. The small "S" shaped nostrils are positioned in front of and below eye level.
The mouth is broad and strongly curved, with a moderately protruding jaw. The North Atlantic emery has 28-29 rows of upper teeth and 26-27 rows of lower teeth, while those of the southern hemisphere have 30-31 rows of upper teeth and 27-29 rows of lower teeth. Each tooth has a strongly arched base and an almost straight central cusp, shaped like a snail, which is flanked by a couple of smaller cusps in all the individuals, except the smaller ones.
The five pairs of gill slits are long and precede the bases of the pectoral fins.
The skin is soft and covered with small flattened skin teeth (scales), which give it a velvety texture. Each tooth has three horizontal ridges that lead to the teeth on the posterior margin.
The most distinctive features of this species are the three-pointed teeth, the white spot at the base of its first dorsal fin and the two pairs of lateral keels on the caudal peduncle.
The emery usually reaches a length of 2.5 m and a weight of 135 kg; the North Atlantic specimens grow the most - the record was 3.7 m and 230 kg - compared to the southern hemisphere sharks and differ both in color and life habits.
Curiosity
Sea calf or emery is among the most efficient sharks in swimming and hunting. It manages to move the tail keeping the body rigid; this style is more effective but at the expense of the excursion in the movements. It has larger gills, which allow it to oxygenate the tissues better. Furthermore, it is laterally equipped with two strips of aerobic red muscle with involuntary contraction, which allow it to continue swimming while optimizing its efforts.
Biology
Biology and behavior of sea calves
Also known in English as "porbeagle", sea veal is a shark (Phylum Chondrichthyes) belonging to the Lamniformes Order - "mackerel sharks" or mackerel sharks - Lamnidae family, Genus Lamna and nasus species.
The emery is widely distributed in the cold and temperate sea waters of the North Atlantic, including the Mediterranean Sea - not in the Black Sea - and in the southern hemisphere - it is absent in the tropics. In the North Pacific, its ecological equivalent is the salmon shark - or Pacific emery - Lamna ditropis . This does not mean that, in certain areas, L. nasus and L. ditropis share the same ecological niches.
Curiosity
As we have said, the nasus and ditropis species are closely related. Their phylogenetic separation occurred, hypothetically, 65-45 million years ago, due to the formation of the polar cap on the Arctic Ocean that separated the Atlantic Ocean from the Pacific.
The emery is an opportunist hunter who acts on the whole water column - including the seabed - and prey above all on the smaller bony fishes and cephalopod molluscs. It mostly colonizes the external continental shelf, near the banks rich in food, and only occasionally approaches the coast or moves offshore to a depth of over 1300 m. He engages in long-distance seasonal migrations, moving between different depths. The sea calf is fast and very active; it is characterized by various physiological adaptations that allow it to maintain a higher body temperature than the surrounding water. It can be solitary or gregarious.
Did you know that ...
The emery is known among marine biologists for its aptitude for assuming "playful" behaviors and, while not being aggressive, loves to nibble any floating object.
This shark is viviparous aplacental and has an ovophagic attitude, ie it develops embryos that remain in the mother's uterus by eating unfertilized eggs. Females give birth to about four puppies a year. Ordinarily he does not attack man; only a few attacks - among other things of uncertain origin - have been attributed to emery.
Fishing
Emery fishing
The emery is usually taken only with equipment and technological systems - for example the Norwegian longlines. At the amateur level it is captured during the "big game" or big game; usually the lovers of this activity engage in the "no-kill", that is in the release of the living prey. He is not interested in spearfishing.
Ecology
Ecology of the sea calf
Studies on the demographic density of sea calves suggest that this species can no longer sustain an intensive fishing due to its low reproductive capacity. The unregulated harvest caused the collapse of the relative population density in the East North Atlantic in the 1950s and in the Western North Atlantic in the 1960s. The emery continues to be fished, in a specific way or as an occasional catch, with various degrees of monitoring and management according to the regulations in force. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has labeled emery as a vulnerable species throughout the world and as a threatened or endangered creature in different parts of the North Atlantic Ocean.
