What kind of fish is a dink? Like sardines? Is there any difference between the two?

In life, we occasionally hear this saying of Ding Yu, so what kind of fish is Ding Yu? Like sardines? Is there a difference between the two? In fact, Ding fish is not a formal name, but another name for mullet.

Mullet is a kind of fish belonging to Mugil family. The body is elongated, the front part is nearly cylindrical, the rear part is flat, the body length is generally 20~40 cm, and the weight is 500~1500 g; the whole body is round scale, the eyes are large, and the eyelids are developed; the teeth are fine into villous shapes, born at the edge of the upper and lower jaws; the dorsal fins are two, the anal fins have 8 fins, and the caudal fins are deeply forked; the body, back, and head are greenish gray, and the abdomen is white.

Mullet belongs to eurythermal and euryhaline fish, which can live in fresh water, brackish water and salt water. It likes to inhabit coastal waters, bays and river estuaries. It is one of the most important economic fish cultured in brackish water along the south coast of China and one of the most widely distributed important economic fish in the world.

Sardine is a general term for sardines, sardines, sardines and some edible fish of the family herringidae of the order herringidae of the class teleostei. It also refers to common herring and other small herringbone or herringbone fish made into canned fish in oil. Sardines are small, slender, silvery fishes with a short single dorsal fin, no lateral lines, and no scales on the head, about 15 - 30 cm (6 - 12 inches) long; they breed in dense groups, migrate along the coast, feed on abundant plankton, and lay eggs mainly in spring, and young fish hatched a few days later drift with the water until they become free-swimming fish.

Sardines are warm water fish in the offshore, distributed in the temperate zone of 6~20 degrees north and south latitude, generally not found in the open sea and ocean. Sardines are mainly eaten, but fish can also be made into animal feed. Sardine oil is used in paints, pigments, linoleum, margarine in Europe, and is an important marine economic fish worldwide.

Thus, mullet and sardine are two completely different fish, both species, shape, distribution, living habits and so on have obvious differences.

Tips for buying mullet

1. Fish gills

Fresh fish gill cover closed, fish gills bright red color, some also with blood, no mucus and dirt, no smell. Fish gills reddish or grayish red, fish is not fresh. Such as fish gills gray or black, accompanied by thick mucus and dirt, and smell, indicating that fish has been rotten.

2. Fish eyes

Fresh fish eyes bright, slightly convex, perfect without cover. Not fresh fish eyes gray without light, even covered with a thick layer of paste or dirt, so that the eyeball blurred, and concave. A putrefied eyeball ruptured and displaced.

3. Fins

Fresh fin skin close to the fin rays, intact, bright color. The skin color of fish fins is reduced and cracked. The putrefied epidermis peels off and the fins spread apart.

4. Skin

Fresh fish skin luster, scale integrity, close to the fish body, clear scale layer, fish body attached to the thin mucus is the inherent physiological phenomenon of fish body. Not fresh fish skin dull gray, loose scales, fuzzy layers, some fish scales discoloration, thick mucus epidermis. The putrefied fish color changes completely, the epidermis has thick mucus. Putrefied fish color change, skin liquid sticky hands, and have a bad smell.

5. Meat quality

Fresh fish tissue is tight, meat is firm, with obvious elasticity when pressed by hand, the depression of the pressed place is difficult to calm down for a long time, and the hand can separate the meat from the bone.

6, posture

Fresh fish take up the body straight, some fish such as yellow wall or bass, mullet, etc., when listed in order to keep fresh and put ice, head and tail upturned, and still fresh. If you hold the meat in your hands, it is not elastic, and the head and tail are soft and droopy, and it is not fresh enough. Fresh fish lips firm, do not change color, abdomen tight, anus around a round pit shape. The stale lips were pale and even the bones were separated and cracked, the abdomen was swollen and soft, and the anus was protruding.

Sardine shopping tips

When picking fish, we should see whether the meat is elastic. We should buy fish gills that are reddish or dark red, slightly convex eyes and clear black and white; complete appearance, no scales falling off; buy those without smelly smell, which is fresh.

Sardines themselves need to have some important conditions: first, sardines should be fresh enough, not frozen, even if they are just caught on board, they must be kept fresh in ice water at about zero degrees; second, they should be made by hand within 1 to 2 days; third, they should be soaked in high-quality olive oil.

Sardines with black eyes, skin pan-silver is preferred. Fish freshness can be identified from the following aspects:

1. A fresh fish must have clear, bright, full, eyeballs and well-defined eyes. If the fish's eyes sunken, color turbidity, or give up as well.

2. The slightly closed but easily opened fish mouth presents a peaceful calm, and the scales on the body are like carefully worn dresses, neat and close, and there will be no sloppy shedding. Even if you open the closed gills, you can see bright red and clear gills. Fish with loose scales and loose gills cannot bring you delicious enjoyment.

3, transparent and smooth mucus all over its body, although there is a smell of its own, but the smell is not heavy, there will be no smell that makes you tired. These fresh characteristics, even in frozen fish also apply more, and fresh frozen fish meat section bright, thawed weight, and before there will not be much change.