It would seem that fish and fresh cucumber may have something in common? Residents of Primorye will easily answer this question. But the rest of the population, most likely, will decide that this is a children's riddle with a sub-joke or even a hoax.
It turns out that there is a similarity between them - the smell. But it should be clarified - not all fish smell like cucumber, but only some of its species.
However, first things first.
Smelt
In the first place in the possession of fresh cucumber aroma is smelt, which is found on the territory of Russia in the waters of the northern seas - the White, Baltic, Okhotsk, their estuarine rivers, as well as throughout the Yenisei River basin and the Far East. Especially bright smell in freshly caught fish. Because the old name of smelt is borage, or cucumber fish.
The smelt family consists of about 10 species, and all of them are found in the waters of the Northern Hemisphere.
In those days, when the northern capital of our homeland was called Leningrad, smelt fishing began in March. The peak occurred in mid-April and marked the arrival of spring for the indigenous people. Today, St. Petersburg fish still smells of cucumber, but alas, there is no such dense, persistent spring smell in the city on the Neva. Now it can be found only in places of catch on the embankment and in the fishing rows of city markets. But smelt is still a symbol of the city, and mass urban festivities are held in her honor.
For example, in May, a grand holiday is held, dedicated to the king of fish, as Peter the Great called smelt. On this day, fry are traditionally released into the Neva. And in the plans of the authorities of St. Petersburg, even the installation of a monument to this fish, the favorite of all citizens.
What fish smells like cucumbers except smelt? We read the article further.
Grayling
In second place in the possession of cucumber smell is another northern fish - grayling. Like smelt, it is also from a noble fish family and prefers the cold waters of the Yenisei and Lena rivers for its habitat. Grayling is a delicacy due to the low content of thin soft bones and its delicate flesh.
If smelt marks spring, then this fish, on the contrary, is the arrival of winter colds. After all, its main catch falls on the winter months.
Capelin
Somewhat unexpectedly, but the capelin belongs to the smelt family. And she, respectively, like her cousin, freshly caught has a cucumber smell, but weaker. So much so that you can recognize it only by closing your eyes.
If you feel, by defrosting capelin, that the fish smells like cucumber, it means that it was frozen fresh, just caught.
Other fish
We cannot but mention other fish, which tend to exude a delicate cucumber flavor - these are red mullet, an inhabitant of the Black and Azov seas, char and some representatives of the genus salmon and whitefish. True, it should be noted that the smell of these fish is hardly perceptible, almost imperceptible, and it quickly disappears.
What exudes the smell of cucumber?
The fish smells like this because of the cucumber aldehyde in it. It is thanks to this substance that smelt exudes such a smell. Getting into the open air, it begins to evaporate actively and spread around its persistent pleasant aroma.