Why Do We Not Eat Carp? Should Americans Eat More Carp?

Carp fish is one of the most popular freshwater species and it’s popularly known as the “Queen of the Rivers”.

It has a unique strong flavor and it’s consumed by people all across the world. However, it’s considered inedible by many in the united states

So, why do we not eat carp? We don’t eat carp because of the muddy flavor their meat often has. However, this muddy flavor can easily be remedied by soaking the fish in fresh water and vinegar. Carps make delicious meals in many countries and they have a lot of health benefits. They just need to be prepared and cooked properly. 

Continue reading to learn more about the problem with carp in the US and the best ways to prepare and cook carp to make their taste better.

Why Are Carp a Problem in the U.S.?

Carp species are native to Asia and they’re prolific breeders that are very capable of living in a wide variety of ecosystems, so they have been introduced to other parts of the globe.

They were brought to some parts of Europe in 1227 and then the United States in 1872.

They were mainly introduced in the U.S. to control vegetation but they’ve become some kind of a problem as they’re considered to be an invasive species and it can be difficult to control their populations

They’re considered to provide little sporting value and even less food value.  Meanwhile, in Asia, carp is considered a primer food fish and it’s a stable part of their diet. In Europe, carp’s sporting value surpasses that of any other fish.

Where to Find Carp in the U.S.?

Carps are mostly found in reservoirs where they are introduced to control the vegetation in the area.  

They can also be found in the backwaters of some major rivers such as the Missouri, Ohio, and Mississippi rivers as they tend to prefer shallow, warm waters with high levels of oxygen.

Is Carp Good to Eat?

Carp is good to eat and there are a lot of ways you can cook it to make a delicious meal. However, it first needs to be cleaned well before cooking to get rid of any fishy or muddy flavors. Carp is also good to eat because it has many health benefits such as being rich in proteins and omega-3 fatty acids.

What Does Carp Taste Like?

Carp are oily and they have a flavor that closely resembles that of salmon fish. The high content of oil in carp gives their meat a moist flaky consistency and a strong flavor.

However, keep in mind that the taste of carp, like that of many fish species, depends on the environment where they live and what they have been eating.

Many carp species live in muddy bottoms and feed on the vegetation there, so this will reflect in the quality of their meat.

The muddy taste is mainly caused by a chemical compound called geosmin which comes from algae, some kinds of bacteria, and decomposed organic material.

If carps have been living in living in clean waters and eating clean vegetation, they’re going to taste mild and sweet.

That’s why you need to fish for carp in the cleanest water possible and make sure they’re stored in ice and clean properly to reduce any muddy flavors and keep the good flavors intact.

To remove the muddy taste in carp, you can try soaking them in clean water and vinegar for over a day because the geosmin that causes the muddy taste breaks down in acidic conditions. You can also remove the fish’s skin before cooking it.

How to Clean Carp?

In order to remove any unpleasant flavors, you need to clean them properly before cooking them.

Here are some tips to help you properly clean your carp fish:

• It’s recommended to remove the skin from the carp before cooking it, however, if you prefer to keep the skin you need to make sure you remove all the scales.
• Removing the carp’s scales can be a hard process because their scales are tough. You need to hold the carp firmly by its tail the scrape over its skin using a sharp knife, starting near the top of the tail and follow the backbone to its skull. Repeat the process several times on both sides of its body.
• You can cut the carp’s head off just before the pectoral fin. This step is optional as some people prefer to cook the carp with its head.
• To remove the entrails, hold the carp with its belly facing up and make a cut along its belly starting at the spine near its tail towards its head. Make sure to keep your knife’s blade as shallow as possible to avoid damaging the meat.
• You can use pliers to spread the body open, then you use a toothbrush to clean the blood vein that runs along the fish’s spine
• Rinse the carp, inside and out, in freshwater to clean out any slime on their skin and prepare it for cooking.

Here is a great video that shows how to clean Carp:

How to Cook Carp?

While the bones of carp can be frustrating to deal with, there are many delicious ways to cook carp. It’s only a matter of cleaning them properly and knowing what you are doing.

Carp is best served baked or pan-fried.  The flesh is durable enough to handle being baked or fried and it significantly brings out the flavor. It’s also the easiest and most common method of preparation.

It’s very important to make sure that you are using the proper temperatures to cook the carp as it can be quite easy to overcook. It’s best if it’s still moist but fully cooked.

Since carp has such a distinctive strong flavor, it’s recommended no to use too much seasoning. Some salt and pepper are often to enhance the flavor and you can also use butter or lemon to reduce its oiliness.

Carp Recipes You Need to Try

Oven-Baked Carp Fillet

Ingredients

• Olive oil
• 2 small carp fish, cleaned and filled
• Sliced lemons
• Fresh parsley or dill sprigs
• Salt and black pepper

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 300-400 degrees F.
2. Cut two sheets of aluminum foil then place the carp fillets down on each sheet.
3. Oil both sides of the carp fillets and season them with salt and pepper. Add the parsley or dill sprigs as well as the lemon slices down the middle of each fillet.
4. Fold up the foil to make a packet and place the packets on a baking sheet
5. Bake the fillet packets in the oven for 10 to 15 minutes. The bake time mainly depends of the size and thickness of the fish. If you have an extra-large carp fillet, then the bake time need to be longer.
6. It’s recommended to slash the thickest part of the meat a couple of times on each side to ensure that the oven heat fully penetrates the meat and allow for more even cooking.

You can make sure that the carp is evenly cooked by inserting a sharp knife into the thickest part of the meat and checking if it comes out hot to the touch. You can also tell by whether the flesh turned opaque and if it has a slight resistance when it’s prodded by a knife.

After taking the fillet packets out of the oven, place each one of them on a plate and serve them with more fresh herbs and lemon slices.

Fried Whole Carp 

Ingredients

• Olive oil
• Whole carp fish, cleaned with the tail and head on
• All-purpose flour
• Salt and black pepper

Preparation

1. Pre-heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
2. Mix the flour, salt, and pepper in shallow dish.
3. Put the whole carp fish in flour mixture and make sure they’re completely covered on both sides.
4. Adding the carp fish into the skillet after raising the heat to high. Fry the carp for about 3 to 4 minutes on each side. The amount of time depends on the size thickness of the fish.
5. After taking the carp out of the oil, dab it with paper towels to reduce their oiliness then serve them with any fish-friendly side dish.

Related Questions

Can You Eat Asian Carp?

You can eat Asian carps. They are commonly considered a delicious meal in a number of countries including their native Chin and other parts of Asia like Russia, India, and the Middle East. In the United states, Asian carps are not popular as food because they get a muddy flavor from some pollutants in the rivers where they live.

How Do Carp Spread?

Carp can spread by jumping over barriers such as low dams. They can also spread due to flooding, as flooding can connect water bodies and allow the invasive carps carp to move from one area to another

What Do Carp Like to Eat?

Carp species are omnivores which is why they have a very diverse palate. They like to eat many things including aquatic plants such as algae and river weeds as well as small insects such as mayfly larvae and caddis fly larvae. They will also occasionally eat fish eggs, snails, worms and some small crustaceans such as shrimps.

Helpful Resources 

Why is Carp a problem in the US?

Why is Carp jumping but not biting your bait?

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