Silver Bream
Blicca bjoerkna
Products (2)
| Product | Package | Origin |
|---|---|---|
| Ungutted, chilled | — | Lithuania |
| Ungutted, frozen | ~10 kg | Lithuania |
About silver bream
The silver bream (Blicca bjoerkna) is a freshwater fish of the carp family (Cyprinidae), similar in appearance to the common bream. Its body is deep, with broad, flattened sides; the back is dark bluish-green, the sides are bluish-silver and the belly is white. The eyes are fairly large and lighter than those of the common bream, and the scales are large. It grows to about 38 cm in length and 1.3 kg in weight, but specimens of 15–20 cm are most commonly caught. It is distributed in the basins of the North, Baltic, Black, Azov and Caspian Seas and lives in lakes, rivers and the Curonian Lagoon.
Nutritional value
Silver bream meat is lean, filling and valuable for its complete protein, which supplies the body with essential amino acids. It contains B vitamins, phosphorus, potassium and selenium. Its fat content is low, making it an easily digestible fish. Like other cyprinids, silver bream has quite a lot of small bones, which is worth bearing in mind when preparing dishes.
Fishing seasonality
Silver bream is caught most actively in the warm season and in autumn, when it builds up reserves for winter and becomes oilier and tastier. It spawns in May–June, so fish that have recovered after spawning are considered to be of the highest quality. The size of the fish caught varies depending on the water body.
Culinary notes
Silver bream is particularly well suited to smoking — hot- or cold-smoked fish acquires a rich aroma. It is also tasty fried, braised or marinated. It pairs well with lemon, onions, dill and hot spices, which balance the flavour of freshwater fish. The small bones can be softened by deeper scoring or longer heat treatment.
