Pike

Pike – fresh-water fish, the only representative of family of Shchukov. Fish this quite large, and in length can reach one and a half meters, and weighs to 35 kg.

The pike has a torpedovidny body, a wide mouth and the big head. It different, depending on an environment, character and extent of development of vegetation, can also have a gray-green color, gray-yellow, gray-brown, with a dark back and large olive or brown spots on each side. Pair fins of orange color, and unpaired – yellowish, gray or brown with dark stains. In some reservoirs it is possible to meet silvery pikes. Life expectancy of fish averages up to thirty years.

Among all fresh-water fishes the pike has the widest area of dwelling. She lives in fresh waters of North America and Eurasia. Prefers to live in a coastal zone, in slaboprotochny or flowing waters, in water thickets. In lakes and the rivers the pike leads a settled life. Sometimes she can be met in desalinated parts of the seas, for example, in Kurshsky, Riga or Finnish gulfs of the Baltic Sea, in Taganrog Bay of the Sea of Azov.

The mouth at a pike is perfectly adapted for capture of the victim at the expense of acute teeth of various caliber on a mandible and smaller multidirectional cutters sitting deeply in a mucous membrane by means of which fish well swallows production. And, reverse motion for production is impossible: at the slightest resistance teeth rise from a mucous membrane and stick into a body of the victim like one thousand needles. Pikes preferential eat fish (minnows, perches, small fry). Also the cannibalism, that is eating of smaller representatives of the look is characteristic of a pike. Also they hunt natatorial mammals (moles and mice), reptiles and Amphibia. Fish and various garbage, drop and fleas, owing to the irrepressible gluttony will not disdain.

Under natural conditions females begin to breed during a third or fourth lives, and males – on the fifth. Spawning happens at a depth of 0,5-1 meters, at a temperature of 3-6 degrees Celsius, right after ice thawing. During spawning the pike rises by shallow water and joyfully laps. At first for spawning there are smallest individuals, and large after them. At this time pikes keep groups. Small females have about two-four males, and at large – on eight.

Catch pikes in several ways, but the most widespread is catching on a spinning. When catching on a spinning as a bait use such tackles as silicone small fishes, wobblers, twisters, rippers, spinners.

Pike in cookery

In cookery the pike began to be used since the Middle Ages. It at once won hearts of many gourmets as has excellent tastes in any kind – stewed, fried, baked. From a pike cook very tasty paste, eat her with sauerkraut, various sauces, and also salt, smoke or just boil.

Meat of a pike not only very tasty, but, thanks to low caloric content, a pike still is to dietary products, perfectly is suitable for posts therefore it is favourite food in monasteries. Besides, meat of a pike is more useful than many other grades of fish, and her liver since the 17th century is considered a refined delicacy. In those days the pike was indispensable attribute on tables of the richest sectors of society. There were even guilds of "getters of pikes" who had the exclusive right of delivery of this fish.

The pike – fleshy fish and perfectly is suitable for preparation telny, cutlets, rolls, and also a farshirovaniye. Best of all in cookery to use medium-sized fishes, weighing no more than 2-2,5 kg as at larger big fishes meat drier.

Structure and caloric content of a pike

In 100 g of a crude pike 78,92 g of water, 19,26 g of proteins, 1,2 g of ashes, 0,69 g of fats contain; vitamins: Retinolum (A), thiamin (B1), Riboflavinum (B2), sincaline (B4), pantothenic acid (B5), pyridoxine (B6), folic acid (B9), cyanocobalamine (B12), Niacinum (RR), ascorbic acid (C), alpha tocopherol (E), calciferol (D), phylloquinone (K); macrocells: phosphorus, sodium, magnesium, calcium, potassium; microelements: selenium, zinc, copper, manganese, iron.

Caloric content at a pike of low, about 88 kcal on 100 g of a product.

Useful properties of a pike

First, undoubted useful property of a pike are her dietary qualities thanks to the low content of fat and low caloric content.

Secondly, meat of a pike contains the powerful natural antiseptic agents promoting strengthening of immunity and helping to struggle with bacterial infections. Therefore one more useful property of a pike is prevention of flu.

The pike contains a lot of phosphorus and potassium, vitamins of group B and other substances therefore its regular use reduces risk of developing of arrhythmia of heart.

The pike is useful to the persons having digestive tract diseases, obesity, hypovitaminoses, cardiovascular diseases.