The Flounder is a flatfish species found at the bottom of all the oceans in the world. You may have seen flounder on your plate and asked, is flounder a white fish. Yes, it is white with quite strong bones enabling the diner to eat one side and then turn it over and eat the other side.
Is flounder healthy? Yes, and grilled flounder makes an excellent choice for the diner who is trying to lose weight as it is low in calories.
What does flounder taste like? Flounder has a fairly neutral ‘non-fishy’ taste, that lends itself to spicing up with garlic and pepper.
Is Flounder Kosher?
To know that a fish is Kosher, you must be able to see the scales, and the scales must also be easily removed. So by definition flounder is Kosher.
Under Jewish law, the Torah does not explain why this is the case, as it is an ancient decree beyond comprehension! To meet Kosher requirements when purchasing fish, it is important to see the scales on the fish personally. It is not good enough just to read a sign that says Kosher fish.
Any sea creature or mollusk that does not have scales and fins is not Kosher, so this includes prawns, shellfish, crabs, octopus, lobster, and shrimps cannot be consumed as part of a Kosher diet.
Is Flounder a White Fish?
Flounders’ diet consists of other smaller fish, found around the bottom of the ocean and is usually alright to eat, depending on where it is caught. If you are wondering what does flounder taste like? It is a white fish that tastes sweet and mild and has been depleted by overfishing in recent years. The New Zealand flounder is probably the safest flounder to eat, due to the pristine environmental conditions found there.
Is Flounder High in Mercury?
Many of the larger fish contain dangerous levels of mercury. Flounder do not contain large amounts of mercury, but depending on where it feeds it may contain traces of pollutants from feeding in the muddy waters around pylons. This makes ‘farmed flounder’ a better choice, as its feeding area is controlled.
Flounder is quite difficult to farm as the environment requires controlled conditions. The breeding method relies on adequate water temperature, as the sex determination of the offspring is temperature-dependent. When farmed properly these are the best flounder to eat, as they are free of pollution including mercury. Three ounces of cooked flounder contains 0.05 ppm of mercury an okay level.
Is Flounder Healthy?
When farmed in the right conditions flounder is perfectly healthy, and the farming methods are able to address the short supply that has depleted the industry. Flounders are found in the USA and Canada and in waters in the North Atlantic as well as in the Pacific Ocean and are popular all over the world.
Is Flounder Fishy?
One of the reasons that flounder is so popular is, that it does not taste fishy. Fish is a part of a healthy diet and flounder has a sweet taste that appeals to most people. Flounder is not just one fish but is part of a group of fish which explains why the flavor varies slightly when you try flounder in different places.
What Does Flounder Taste Like?
Flounder has a firm texture that holds together well on the fork, and when cooking it, it can taste a bit bland. Some of the nicest flounder has a lemon/butter sauce poured over them to enhance the flavor, and another favorite is garlic butter sauce.
Nutritional Value of Flounder
Flounder is particularly low in fat, and in every 3-ounce serve you will find the following:
- 99 calories
- 21 g protein
- 1g fat
- No saturated or monosaturated fat
- No carbohydrate
- No sugar and no fiber
- Traces of magnesium, Vitamin B12, phosphorous, and selenium are also found
If you are on a diet you could eat 6 ounces of grilled flounder and only consume 2 grams of fat and 180 calories.
If you are feeding children they can be fussy, but respond well to fish tacos. Grill the flounder with some butter, and when cooked scrape it into the taco shells. Place some cheese on top, and they will eat it, and you know that they have eaten a healthy meal.
Parents are always having a hard time getting their heads around how to serve healthy food to the kids, and tacos are a great way to disguise some of the main ingredients like vegetables. if they can’t see it they will often eat it so when you have filled the taco cover it with cheese and let them eat it with their hands, (finger food)!
Going Fishing for Flounder
Flounder is a saltwater fish mainly caught in Summer and Fall, so take your family fishing to catch their own flounder. When you catch and clean them yourself, you know where they came from and that they are fresh. Although not everyone wants to go fishing it is a good activity to teach the children and because you won’t catch much fish, it is sustainable. When you catch fish and cook it on the same day, it is so much fresher than buying it in a fish shop. Cleaning flounder is relatively easy because they are flat.
Summary
Flounder is a flat white-fleshed fish, with strong easy-to-remove bones. It is simple to cook and is high in nutritional value.
It is a Kosher fish as it fits the ‘scales’ criteria that make it suitable for consumption by the Jewish community. It is sweet in taste and appealing to most people. In some places, flounder is in short supply, but the good news is that it can be farmed.
Flounder is a small fish that is relatively low in mercury content. If you are on a diet flounder contains less than 200 calories in six ounces, so it is healthy and nutritious as part of a weight loss program.