Description

Buy Barracuda Hake online Wholesale in our shop

Hake is a fine large fish in the cod family. The flesh can tend to be soft, so it needs a little extra care when cooking. At least a dozen kinds of hake are fished commercially around the world. We sell three of them: our own English hake (which we think is a touch above the others);

South African hake, which is frozen at sea and arrives here as skinless, boneless fillets, and Chilean hake which is quite similar to South African (we may not always have all three in stock). In Spain, where there is a deep appreciation for all seafood, hake is considered a very special fish.

The barracuda is a full-flavored fish like wild tuna with a mildly sweet undertone. It has a stronger, “fishier” taste than whitefish like haddock.

Hake fish are members of the Cod & Haddock family of fish which are all part of the species order Gadiformes. There are at least 13 varieties of commercially fished species of hake throughout the world, and although there are differences in appearance, they all share similar culinary traits regarding taste & texture.

In the United States & Canada Hake tend to be used as a good, cheaper alternative to Cod, Haddock, and Pollock, especially as a frozen or processed product. Pacific Hake is also used as the primary ingredient for Surimi (imitation crab), but it should be noted that many other fish are also used in the creation of this product.

Fresh Hake is more readily available in European countries than in the US. And demand for Hake is highest in Europe, especially in Spain, where the fish is held in higher regard than it is in the US. Fresh Hake is available in the US, particularly in the regional localities where it is fished, it can be hard to source fresh outside of those local areas.

Author Nozères, Claude
Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial License

In years past, Hake has had a reputation in the US of being a very low-end fish due to a tendency for having a mushy texture. This condition was due to poor handling, and modern practices have pretty much eliminated this problem, especially with Pacific Hake. The problem was that the myxosporean parasite, which has no affect upon humans, causes an enzymatic reaction which softens the flesh of the fish and results in a “mushy” texture after cooking. To combat this, modern high-end processors (especially of the Pacific Hake) have employed a number of techniques including the need to butcher and freeze the fish within 30 hours of harvest, resulting in a high quality Hake.

Flavor Profile

Although taste & texture do vary by species, Hake tend to have a very mild taste, with slightly sweet meat and cream-colored to slightly-pink flesh which has a somewhat coarse, watery texture. They have a similar flavor as Cod, but with a milder taste, a softer texture, and a smaller flake. Hake is a highly perishable and fragile fish, so using a reputable vendor is key, especially when it come to fresh Hake.

Typical Cooking Methods