Farm raised - seafood which has been
grown in containment and fed a controlled diet. See also
Aquaculture
FAS - Frozen at sea.
Fancy Pack - A term used for
top-quality solid canned tuna, each can containing three to four
large pieces of premium cuts.
Fantail - A shrimp that has been peeled
with the exception of the last tail section.
Fat Line - The fattiest part of a fish,
mostly along the belly walls and lateral line. The fat line is often
removed for milder flavor and improved shelf life.
Fathead - A saltwater fish belonging to
the wrasse family. Also called "California sheepshead." Its meat is
white, tender, and lean.
Feathering - Trimming the fillet to
remove the "frill" of small bones around the edge.
Filet - French spelling for
fillet (see Fillet)
Fillet - A slice of fish flesh of
irregular size and shape which is removed from the carcass by a cut
made parallel to the backbone, usually 2 to 12 oz. Some fillets,
especially of fresh fish and those used to make up the larger frozen
blocks, may be larger than 12 oz. However, for most institutional
foodservice and home uses, frozen fish fillets over 12 oz. are not
generally available. Special cut fillets are taken from solid large
blocks; these include a "natural" cut fillet, wedge, rhombus or tail
shape. Fillets may be skinless or have skin on; pinbones may or may
not be removed.
Filter Feeder - A shellfish such as an
oyster or mussel, which obtains its food by filtration from the sea
water which it pumps through its system.
Finfish - An aquatic vertebrate of the
superclass Pisces.
Finger Pack - A term used for
layer-packed shrimp.
Finger Sticks - rectangles of fish cut
from a frozen block, usually 1 by 3 inches, weighing 1 to 2 ounces
each, breaded/battered.
Fingerling - An immature fish,
fingerlings are usually larger than Fry
Fingers - Irregular-shaped pieces of
fish, similar to a long, thin fillet, breaded or battered, raw or
pre-cooked. Weight per piece varies, usually available portioned (1
to 3 oz.), or in bulk.
Finnan Haddie - A medium-sized haddock
split down the back with backbone left on, then brined and hot
smoked.
Fish - Water-borne animals are broken
down into two very broad categories: fish and shellfish.
In the most general terms, fish are vertebrates, have fins, and
gills; while shellfish are invertebrates, either having shells of
one sort or another, or having evolved past the need for one. (For
more details, see
shellfish.)
- Fish are further separated into
freshwater and saltwater fish. Because fresh water provides less
buoyancy than salt water, freshwater fish have hundreds of tiny,
light bones in a network throughout the flesh. Saltwater fish,
on the other hand, have thicker, fewer bones, making them more
attractive for eating.
- Fish are divided into three broad
categories based on the fat content of their flesh: lean,
moderate-fat and high-fat fish. In lean fish (e.g. flounder),
the fat is concentrated in the liver rather than the flesh. The
meat tends to be mild and lightly colored. Moderate-fat
fish have darker color, firmer texture and more assertive flavor
than low fat fish. High-fat fish (e.g. tuna) can average 12
percent fat, but some have fat contents up to 30 percent. These
fish have the darkest color, firmest texture and most
distinctive flavor.
- Fish are also categorized as flatfish or
roundfish. Flatfish are adapted to swimming long the
bottom of the sea or ocean. There are oval shaped, with both
eyes on the topside of the body, and are usually dark on the top
and pale or white on the bottom. Roundfish have round or
oval bodies, with eyes on opposite sides of the head.
Fish Sticks - Rectangles of fish cut
from a frozen block, usually 1 by 3 inches, weighing 1 to 2 oz.
each, breaded/battered. Fish stick packs may bear grading and
inspection marks. Fish sticks may also be cut or extruded from a
minced fish block. Labels must, and menus should, show whether fish
sticks are "minced fish" or "fillet fish" sticks.
Flatfish - that have a flat body with
both eyes located on the upper side. Flatfish swim "sideways" and
include "flounder," "halibut," and "sole." Most of these fish have
sweet, delicate white flesh that chefs and consumers everywhere
enjoy: low fat, fine textured meat and mild flavor. All flatfish
belong to the order Pleuronectiformes, which means they have both of
their eyes on the same side of their head. All flatfish start out
life looking like normal fish, but after a few weeks, one eye
migrates to the other side of their head, their bodies flatten into
an oval shape, one side turns dark and one side white and they
settle to the bottom. The meat from a flatfish typically varies in
color: fillets from the bottom (white) side of the fish will be
thinner and whiter, while fillets from the top (dark) side will be
thicker and more gray. Even though many of them are called soles,
all the flatfish fished commercially in the U.S. are really
flounders. To show the extent of the confusion:
- Pacific Dover Sole is a flounder
not the same as true English Dover Sole from the North
Atlantic, is the most common flounder sold on the West Coast.
- Yellowfin sole is a small
flounder.
- Arrowtooth flounder, which is
found from California to Alaska, has a soft flesh and is often
marketed as “turbot,” although it is not European turbot, the
most expensive flatfish in the world.
- Greenland turbot, which is
caught in both the North Atlantic and North Pacific oceans, is
not really a turbot either, but instead is a member of the
halibut family. Outside of North America it is called Greenland
halibut or black halibut. To avoid marketing confusion with
Pacific halibut, the halibut industry successfully lobbied to
have the name of this flatfish changed to turbot.
- California halibut is actually a
left-eyed flounder.
- Fluke is a common name for
summer flounder, a popular East Coast flatfish that occurs from
the southern Gulf of Maine to South Carolina. Because it is a
closely related species, California halibut may also be called
fluke on occasion. It’s enough to make someone flounder, or at
least try one’s sole
Fletch - Large boneless fillet of
halibut, swordfish or tuna.
Flounder - A fine-textured flatfish
prized for its delicate flavor. Some of the more popular varieties
include "Fab," "English Sole," and "Plaice."
Flying Fish - This fish, a delicacy in
the West Indies and Japan, gains speed underwater then leaves the
water except for the lower lobe of its tail. It then vigorously
beats its tail, extends its ventral fins and can fly a 1,000 feet or
more.
FOB - Means free on board and a
location usually follows this term. Charges beyond the termination
point are the buyer's responsibility.
Formed Fillets - Portions cut from
blocks in such a way that they appear to be natural fillets,
although all are exactly the same size and shape.
Freezer Burn - Dehydration caused by
the evaporation loss of moisture from product. It is recognized by a
whitish, cottony appearance of the flesh, especially at the cut
edges or thinner places.
Fresh - Product that has never been
frozen, cooked, cured or otherwise preserved.
Fresh Frozen - Indicates fish were
quickly frozen while still fresh.
Frog's Legs - Like snails froglegs are
usually categorised with seafood -they are the tender, faintly sweet
white meat from the hind legs of frogs. Because of their mild taste,
they should be cooked quickly and without and overpowering
flavorings.
Frogfish - This large low-fat,
firm-textured salt-water fish has a mild, sweet flavor that compares
with lobster. Also called "angler fish," "monkfish," or "goosefish."
Front Section - A large section
(thicker than a steak) taken from the forward 1/3 of a fish's body.
Frost Fish - (
Frozen - Fish that have been subjected
to rapid lowering of temperature, generally to 0° F or lower, in
such a manner as to preserve the inherent quality.
Fry (Cooking) - to cook in a pan or on
a griddle over heat using fat or oil.
Fry (Fish) - See Fingerling.
Fugu -
Pronounced FOO-goo, this is the Japanese name for a pufferfish that
contains a poison sac so toxic, a single fish contains enough to
kill 30 adults. Approximately, 100 people die every year of fugu
poisoning. Yet, it’s still a delicacy in both Japan and the
Philippines. In Japan, it is used in both sashimi and nabemono
preparations, and only qualified chefs trained in removing the sac
may prepare it. In Japan, it is eaten almost in a ritual, first with
the fins being fried and served with sake (Fugu Hire-zake); then the
skin is de-spiked and served on a salad (Yubiki) with a ponzu
dressing; and finally the flesh sliced and served. Trivia: It is the
only food not permitted to be served to the Emperor of Japan.
Full Nape Fillet - Fillet with pinbones
in, nape on and tail on. Also called "full fillet" or "whole
fillet."
Fyke Net - Set in lakes and streams for
the catching of eels. Having swum into the net the eels are unable
to escape past the fyke (non-return) entrance.
