Mackerel as food

Atlantic mackerel on ice in a fish shop.

Smoked mackerel

Mackerel is an important food fish that is consumed worldwide.^[1] As an oily fish, it is a rich source of omega-3 fatty acids.^[2] The flesh of mackerel spoils quickly, especially in the tropics, and can cause scombroid food poisoning. Accordingly, it should be eaten on the day of capture, unless properly refrigerated or cured.^[3]

Mackerel preservation is not simple. Before the 19th-century development of canning and the widespread availability of refrigeration, salting and smoking were the principal preservation methods available.^[4] Historically in England, this fish was not preserved, but was consumed only in its fresh form. However, spoilage was common, leading the authors of The Cambridge Economic History of Europe to remark: "There are more references to stinking mackerel in English literature than to any other fish!"^[5] In France mackerel was traditionally pickled with large amounts of salt, which allowed it to be sold widely across the country.^[5]

In Japan mackerel is commonly cured with salt and vinegar to make a type of sushi known as saba-zushi. Historically saba-zushi originated in Kyoto as a solution for transporting mackerel to the inland city, which otherwise would not have made the journey from the coast still fresh.^[6]

There is a large variation in the mercury levels found in mackerel. These levels differ markedly for different species, and even for the same species in different locations. According to the United States Food and Drug Administration, king mackerel is one of four fishes, along with swordfish, shark, and tilefish, that children and pregnant women should avoid due to high levels of methylmercury found in these fish and the consequent risk of mercury poisoning.^[7][8]

More images
Okhotsk atka mackerel, Japan Rye bread with smoked "pepper mackerel", Denmark Grilled mackerel with dill butter, Sweden Roasted horse-mackerel with fried garlic and pepper, Spain Godeungeo jorim made with mackerel, radish and seasonings, Korea

Notes

Other references

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Mackerel dishes.

• Mackerel nutrition facts

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Mackerel True mackerels (tribe Scombrini) Scomber (4 species) Atlantic mackerel Atlantic chub mackerel Blue mackerel Chub mackerel Rastrelliger (3 species) Short mackerel Indian mackerel Island mackerel Spanish mackerels (tribe Scomberomorini) Acanthocybium (1 species) Wahoo Grammatorcynus (2 species) Double-lined mackerel Shark mackerel Scomberomorus (18 species) Atlantic Spanish mackerel Australian spotted mackerel Broadbarred king mackerel Cero mackerel Chinese mackerel Indo-Pacific king mackerel Japanese Spanish mackerel King mackerel Korean mackerel Monterey Spanish mackerel Narrow-barred Spanish mackerel Pacific Sierra Papuan Spanish mackerel Queen mackerel Queensland school mackerel Serra Spanish mackerel Streaked Spanish mackerel West African Spanish mackerel Non-Scombrid mackerels Jack mackerels (15 species) Atlantic horse mackerel Blue jack mackerel Cape horse mackerel Chilean jack mackerel Cunene horse mackerel Greenback horse mackerel Japanese horse mackerel Mediterranean horse mackerel Pacific jack mackerel Yellowtail horse mackerel African scad Arabian scad Crozet scad Rough scad Trachurus aleevi Snake mackerels (5 species) Black snake mackerel Blacksail snake mackerel Snake mackerel Violet snake mackerel White snake mackerel Hexagrammidae (2 species) Okhotsk atka mackerel Atka mackerel Family Scombridae Subfamily Scombrinae Other Scombrids: Butterfly kingfish (butterfly mackerel) Tunas (tribe Thunnini) Bonitos (tribe Sardini)