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Also known as:
German carp, Chinese carp.

Description:
Waters: Native to Asia but now harvested in freshwaters and fish farms worldwide.

Most weigh under 10 lbs. but can range from 3 to 50 lbs. Carp has large scales their dark gray backs fade into paler sides and pearly bellies.

Carp meat is off-white in color, with a dark midlateral strip that's often removed before cooking. It is low in fat, firm in texture, and mild-though it can be muddy, especially the farm-raised variety - in flavor. The skin is edible but not particularly tasty.

Best Cooking:
It's a good idea to remove the midlateral strip of darker flesh before cooking - it can infuse the meat with a strong, musky flavor. Carp bakes, fries, and poaches nicely. It is also the main ingredient in the Jewish dish "gefilte fish," and is popular in Chinese cuisine.

Buying Tips:
You may choose from live carp in tanks at the fish market choose out of tanks that are not overcrowded-the fish should have room to keep active and healthy. It is not always easy to scale this fish, so ask the fishmonger to do it for you.

Nutrition Value:
Carp, 1 fillet (6 oz.) (169.8g) (cooked, dry heat)
Calories: 275
Protein: 38.9g
Carbohydrate: 0.0g
Total Fat: 12.2g
Fiber: 0.0g
Excellent source* of: Potassium (726mg), Selenium (27.5mcg), Vitamin B12 (2.5mcg), and Vitamin E (15.3 IU)
Good source* of: Magnesium (64.6mg)

When cooked (dry heat), carp provides 0.797 grams of omega-3 fatty acids derived from EPA** (0.305g), DHA*** (0.146g), and ALA**** (0.346g), per 100 grams of carp.

*Foods that are an “excellent source” of a particular nutrient provide 20% or more of the Recommended Daily Value. Foods that are a “good source” of a particular nutrient provide between 10 and 20% of the Recommended Daily Value.
**EPA - Eicosapentaenoic Acid
***DHA - Docosahexaenoic Acid
****ALA - Alpha Lipoic Acid

Substitutes for Carp:
Striped bass, blackfish, catfish, cod, grouper, monkfish.

Notes:
The mossy, earthy flavor sometimes evident in carp tends to be stronger in the warmer months carp harvested from November to April will have less of a river-bottom taste.