HACCP -
Hazard Analysis Critical
Control Point; a mandatory food-safety program implemented by the
seafood industry in December 1997 to minimize risk to public health.
HACCP requires suppliers to write up and follow a program detailing all
points in their manufacturing process where hazards exist; these are the
critical control points.
H&G - Headed and gutted.
hard-smoked – Products that have been smoked for up to several weeks.
Haddock
- A North Atlantic fish,
the smaller cousin to the cod. The haddock has firm white flesh that is
mild in flavor. Smoked haddock is called "finnan."
Hake - This low-fat saltwater fish, related to the cod, is found in the
Atlantic and North Pacific. It's flesh features a white, delicate flavor.
Halibut - A low-fat, firm white and mild-flavored fish from the
flatfish family. Resembles a gigantic flounder. "Chicken Halibuts" weigh
up to ten pounds and are considered the finest halibut.
Headed - Fish from which the head
has been removed.
Headed and Gutted (H&G) - Have head and viscera removed before sale.
Hermaphrodite - Having the organs of
both sexes.
Herring - A small salt-water fish related to the shad, alewife,
sardine, and the freshwater cisco. Herring is often pickled, smoked, and
dressed in numerous sauces. As a high fat fish, the fresh meat has a
soft, fine grain texture best suited for dry heat cooking. Most often,
it’s encountered in one of it’s very many cured forms:
- Pickled herring, a popular
form in Scandinavia and Russia, is marinated in vinegar and spices,
then canned in either a wine or sour cream sauce.
- A rollmop is a cured herring
fillet, rolled up and preserved in vinegar, flavored by onions and
spices.
- A kipper (or kippered
herring) is a split and smoked herring, and a Bloater is
a whole smoked herring. Both of these smoked herring are important
in British cuisine.
- “Raw” herring (really
enzyme-cured like ceviche) with raw shredded onions is a typical
Dutch delicacy.
- Silds are an immature Herring
that are canned as sardines in Norway.
- Very young Herring called Whitebait are eaten or cooked whole.
Herring can also
be prepared as herring soup.
- In Germany, herring is pickled to
make matjes, or soused herring, curing them in a
spiced sugar-vinegar brine.
Histamines - Chemicals produced by decomposition of flesh in scombroid
species (tuna, mahi mahi, mackerel) from poor handling. Not usually
fatal in individuals with normal immune systems.
HLSO - head less shell (in
reference to shrimp or prawns)
Hoki - A white fish resembling Hake quite bland in flavor and
relatively bone free, it can be fried, baked and poached and goes well
with a rich sauce. It is fished in large quantities off New Zealand and
is mainly exported.
Honeycombing - see
gaping.
Holiday - A condition in which the
glaze is missing entirely, an indication of improper glazing.
HOSO - head on shell on (in
reference to shrimp or prawns)
Hot Smoked - Fish exposed to smoke
at gradually increasing temperatures (up to 180¼ F) over a period of 12
to 18 hours, resulting in coagulation of the protein. The product is
cooked through, has a dry texture and an intensely smoky flavor.
