What Does Perch Fish Taste Like?
Perch fish covers a variety of subspecies of freshwater fish, such as white perch, silver perch, and yellow perch. Being readily available and sustainable, perch is a favorite fish among many to not only catch but to eat too!
While there are a few subspecies of perch, most taste the same and have the same texture, and do make for good eating.
What does perch fish taste like? Perch fish is a good-tasting fish, with a sweet taste and an excellent flavor. Perch also has a firm and crumbly texture that is favored by many. While it doesn’t have a mild flavor, it is not a very “fishy” fish and holds up well when cooked with other ingredients.
If you are considering trying out perch, keep reading to find out more about what it tastes like, the texture of the fish, and how it is best cooked!
The Taste Of Perch Fish
Perch fish is known to have a sweet taste, but with a good, rounded flavor too. This flavor is not overly fishy and doesn’t leave you feeling like you’ve sipped some lake water along with the fish!
The taste of perch is similar to seabass and seabream, but it has a more delicate flavor overall. When cooked, perch turns firm but crumbly and is a white flesh fish.
When raw, perch flesh is either a lighter pink or if it is a yellow perch, will be a deep pink similar to salmon.
This flesh does not give off a fishy odor nearly at all, so it makes it ideal for those who enjoy eating fish, but not the fishy smell that some stronger smelling fish have.
Perch is often chosen to be cooked with a variety of ingredients, as the flavor stands up to stronger ingredients well, but it does not overpower them either.
The mildly sweet and rounded flavor of perch is why it is such a popular fish to eat and is definitely worth trying if you haven’t yet.
The Texture Of Perch
For many, the texture of the fish is just as important as the taste. Perch is a firm and crumbly fish, but it is also smooth and flaky too.
The fillets are moist and lean, which is why they take on a firm texture, but also why they remain smooth and juicy.
Being lean and moist also allows the perch to handle different cooking temperatures well, so it can be cooked using a variety of methods, and still land up with soft and flaky fillets.
The tender flakes of perch break down with every bite, and the balance of firm and smooth is quite perfect!
The Benefits Of Eating Perch Fish
Perch fish is not only great to eat because of the taste and texture, but there are other benefits that you can enjoy from the occasional fillet too.
This fish does give some great nutritional benefits to the body and is a fish that you should consider consuming more in your diet.
Just 1 average serving of perch can provide you with around 1/3 of your daily recommended intake of phosphorus, vitamin D, vitamin B-12, manganese, and selenium.
It also includes other nutrients which are just as important.
Perch is also high in omega 3 fatty acids, and just one serving of perch contains around 90% of the daily intake of omega 3 fatty acids.
These are the benefits that the nutrients perch contains can have:
- Phosphorus is important for maintaining and encouraging cell growth.
- Vitamin B-12 helps with forming red blood cells.
- Manganese and vitamin D help to boost the immune system.
- Selenium goes a long way to ensure heart health.
Are There Any Concerns With Eating Perch
If you purchase your perch from a reputable, responsible seller, there should be no concerns at all with eating the fish.
The only problem that there is when consuming perch is where the fish has come from. This relates to the conditions of the water where the perch lived. Perch lives in freshwater and is a predatory fish, eating smaller fish and some insects.
This in itself is fine, but if the body of water has been contaminated, this could affect the quality of the perch.
Perch which has lived in contaminated water might not taste very good and might have a rougher texture, which is not what perch is supposed to taste and feel like.
How To Cook Perch
As perch is a moist and lean fish, it is suitable for a variety of cooking methods, and pairs well with many different ingredients.
Perch can be fried, baked, sautéd, poached and baked, and turn out great each time. It stands up to different temperatures, so you can be experimental with your cooking.
Here is a great way to cook perch to make the most of its great flavor and texture:
Ingredients
- Perch fillets
- 1 cup flour
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 3 tbsp butter
- Lemon juice
- Chopped parsley
Directions
- Make sure your perch fillets are cut down to roughly equal sizes, so cooking time would be similar.
- Pat the perch fillets dry and then lightly dredge them in flour. Shake any excess flour off of the perch fillets.
- Place a frying pan onto medium heat and add in 1 tablespoon of olive oil and 1 tablespoon of butter. Allow the butter to melt and then add in the perch fillets, making sure to place them skin-side down.
- Leave the fillets to sear for two minutes, moving them ever so slightly now and then to prevent the skin from sticking to the pan.
- After two minutes, flip the perch over and allow to cook on the other side for one minute.
- Carefully remove the perch fillets from the pan, keeping the pan on the heat.
- Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter to the pan and stir to create a sauce, adding in a squeeze or two of lemon juice and fresh chopped parsley.
- Cook the sauce for around a minute, until the flavors have blended together well and it has a good body. Season with some salt and pepper.
- Pour the sauce over the fish and serve immediately.
What Is Yellow Perch?
Yellow perch is a subspecies of perch which has a slightly different flesh appearance to other perch subspecies.
The flesh of the yellow perch is a darker pink and looks quite similar to salmon. When cooked, it turns white just like the other perch subspecies.
It has a mild, sweet flavor, and the texture is firm and flaky. It is rich in omega-3 fatty acids, and adults can grow to around 4-10 inches long.
They are not particularly large fish, but they are packed with great flavor and have a great texture that really makes a good meal.
Is There Ocean Perch?
Most perch served is freshwater perch, but there are some varieties of ocean perch as well.
This fish as known as Atlantic Ocean Perch found in the offshore waters of the Atlantic, all the way from southern Labrador to the Gulf of Maine, and then off the Atlantic coast of Germany, Iceland, Denmark, and Norway.
Ocean perch is good-for-eating fish and has soft edible skin too. It is a great fish option for when you are looking for a lighter meal, and a good-tasting, great textured fillet of fish.
Related Questions
Now that we’ve gone over what perch fish tastes like, let’s take a look at a few related questions on the subject!
What does perch taste similar to?
Perch fish tastes similar to walleye, seabass, and seabream. It does have a more delicate, rounded flavor and some sweetness that sets it apart.
Does perch taste better than tilapia?
Perch is considered to taste better than tilapia, and it has a more distinctive and unique flavor.
It is considered a desirable fish, along with white bass, when it comes to panfish, as it can be fried and flavored with a variety of ingredients.
Is red perch good for eating?
Red perch is good for eating. The pink-red skin on red perch is edible too, along with white flesh that is moist and firm, similar to the sweet flavor of red snapper.
While red perch has a delicate flavor, it holds up well when cooked with different herbs and sauces.
