Som

Som (European or ordinary) – the large fish belonging to family somovy. Benthonic regions of fresh reservoirs become a habital. The known habitals of som – basins of the Aral, Caspian, Black and Azov seas. Average fish reaches length of 3 m and can weigh to 150 kg. It is distinguished by lack of a fatty fin and thorns on unpaired fins. Fish can easily be recognized on the characteristic moustaches located on an upper jaw.

Most often the som is painted in brown color which shades can change up to brown-green. Besides, color of som differs in various places of its dwelling: fish can be both black, and light yellow. There are also catfishes albinos, very rare color kind of fish.

Crustaceans, whitebaits and water insects become the main food of som. More mature individual eats live fish, mollusks, other fresh-water, is rare – waterfowl and domestic animals. Fish and drop does not disdain, however.

Longevity of fish seldom exceeds 35 years though long-livers whose age was estimated decades are known.

Useful properties, structure and caloric content of som

Catfish fillet is vitamin-rich C, A, E, besides, it contains all list of vitamins of group B. Also this river fish contains zinc, magnesium, fluorine, chrome, cobalt, copper, potassium, iron, calcium and manganese.

Thanks to the maintenance of useful proteins and irreplaceable acids (including a lysine) catfish dishes are not only tasty, but also nutritious.

Caloric content of som at the same time is small: in 100 гр. fishes no more than 115 Kcal contain. Such number of calories allows to carry meat of som in category of the products suitable for food as that who adheres to a diet, and that who needs, owing to activity, in the increased use of calories.

Gained the greatest popularity of som among the women who are in expectation of the child, parents of small children, and also persons with the weakened immunity. High nutritiousness of som, rather low calorie content, and also a variety of the useful elements which are contained in its structure help to strengthen an organism, to recover power balance. Also it was found out that the use of this fish in food promotes improvement of a condition of skin, hair and nails and well affects work of a nervous system.

Preparation of som

The fresh carcass of som, except flavoring and power qualities, has fine properties which will be estimated by any hostess: the skin of fish is easily exempted from scales, and in meat there are practically no bones. Certainly, such fish can be prepared in a few minutes. For this purpose rather carefully to disconnect the head and fins of fish from a body, and to draw an abdomen then it is necessary only to cut a catfish on pieces.

Began to smell oozes which quite often accompanies a catfish and becomes a cause of failure from his consumption, it is possible to eliminate easily, having kept fillet in lemon juice within half an hour, or in milk within several hours.

One more useful feature of fish is that the caloric content of the prepared dishes on its basis can be varied. Content of fat in a carcass of fish unevenly: so, a tail part contains more calories, more nutritious, juicy and fat, than area of the head. Because the tail is recommended to be used for preparation of a balyk, catfish pies. A head part of fish will be suitable for preparation of rich fish soup, and from other carcass cutlets, goulash, shish kebabs and other dishes turn out very tasty. Caloric content of dishes with som and depending on the chosen way of preparation differs: those who monitors consumption of fats and calories are recommended to steam fish, to bake without oil or to boil. The rest can enjoy fried som with addition of sour cream, vegetable oils and sauces.