Generality
Hake is a product of peach (sea fish) belonging to the Order Gadiformes, family Merluccidae, Genus Merluccius, Species merluccius ; the binomial nomenclature of hake is Merluccius merluccius L.
The hake is NOT cod, although the two fish are very similar in morphology, nutritional characteristics and culinary applications. The hake is well present both in the Mediterranean Sea and in the North Atlantic Ocean, while the cod colonize ONLY the cold waters of North Europe and North America. Cod and hake descend from the same Order ( Gadiformes ), but belong to different Families, Genres and Species. Stockfish and cod are made from cod, but it is not clear whether the large hake specimens are also involved in this process.
The hake has an elongated and thin shape, slightly compressed on the sides. The body is flattened and has a crest that resembles a "V"; the mouth is wide, the jaw is more developed than the jaws and is slightly prognosed. The dorsal fins (two) are well separated and without rays. The color of the hake is gray-blackish on the back, silvery on the sides and dirty white in the belly area; the mouth is black.
The hake reaches an average length of 30-60cm, up to a maximum of 110cm. It lives between 30 and 100m of depth; it can be identified both in coastal areas and in the open sea and its distribution includes the Mediterranean basin and the North Atlantic ocean.
The hake reproduces in winter and spring, when it approaches the coast momentarily. It is a fish that tends to be gregarious and, while it is stationary on the bottom during the day, tends to go up at night.
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Nutritional values (per 100 g of edible portion)
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The hake is a predator that feeds mainly on crustaceans, small molluscs and fish. He is not a great swimmer and (from the professional point of view) is mainly caught using the "trawl" technique; in sport fishing it is instead undermined with "bolentino" triggering small blue fish such as anchovies, sardines, horse mackerel or small mackerel.
The hake is a demersal fish, which means that it is stationed in the depths on which it finds nourishment; for this reason, like that of scampi, hake fishing is as profitable as it is destructive. Once the "nest" has been identified, it is possible to collect almost all the specimens but, fortunately, some areas such as the "Fossa di Pomo" (located in the central Adriatic) have been designated Biological Protection Zone (ZTB 16th June 1998).
Gastronomic aspects and nutritional characteristics of hake
NB : In the INRAN food composition tables, hake and cod are grouped under the same "item" ( cod or hake ); this apparent error of classification, is instead a simplification required by the commercial promiscuity of the two fishes (ERGO, rarely hake and cod are distinguished from each other, both for their similar appearance and for their coexistence in the same biological niches). Furthermore, the two fish (in all probability) should have almost comparable chemical and nutritional characteristics.
The hake has white meat, rather thin and delicate but pleasant, which is why it is considered a fine fish. Hake, like cod, mostella, ling, etc., has particularly digestible, nutritious tissues, and is used successfully in feeding the weaning infant; hake lends itself remarkably to elementary cooking methods such as boiling and steaming, but does not disappoint the "carpione" or pan-fried with garlic and parsley.
The hake has a very low energy supply and is conferred mainly by high biological value proteins; the amino acids most present are: ac. glutamic acid, ac. aspartic, lysine and leucine. The lipid content is modest but among these the essential fatty acids of the ω-3 family are not lacking. Carbohydrates are absent and cholesterol is low.
The saline intake is predominantly in favor of potassium, while as far as vitamins are concerned there is a good concentration of niacin (vit. PP).
