Omul fish: description, benefits and calorie content

Description of where it is found

Omul belongs to the whitefish family, the order of salmonids. There are several types:

Arctic (passage).
Baikalsky.

Arctic omul can be found on the shores of the Arctic Ocean. In Russia, migratory omul are observed in almost all northern water bodies.

The Baikal omul, as the name suggests, is found in Lake Baikal. And it’s not surprising, but in the southeast of the lake there is a lot of it, but in the northwest you can’t find it.

Lifestyle of omul:

Lives mainly in stagnant and cold water, which is saturated with oxygen.
Prefers deep terrain.
Fish move in schools.
In winter it descends quite deeply, reaching 300 meters in depth.
Omul is also characterized by a low-salt environment.

Most often, the fish prefers to be in the part of the lake where it flows into the river. There is quite a lot of silt there, in which omuls love to look for food.

Spring type of fish:

The body is oblong, covered with small silvery scales.
Small mouth.
An adipose fin is present.
The color is silver, while the back has a brownish-greenish tint, and the belly is quite light.
The average weight of an adult fish is about 800 grams, but up to one and a half kilograms can be found.
Life expectancy is up to 18 years.
It feeds on zooplankton, natural invertebrates, and fry. During spawning, it stops feeding.

Composition, harm and benefits

It is not for nothing that omul is considered a delicacy, but all thanks to the fact that it combines qualities that at first glance are incompatible. The first is a high degree of fat content. If you decide to fry the fish, you don’t need to use any oil at all, and the omul will be very tender and juicy. Second, low-calorie fish. For this reason, omul takes pride of place in various diets, and even in obesity.

Nutritional value per 100 grams of omul is 88 kcal. The composition includes proteins, fats, ash and carbohydrates, B vitamins. Macroelements include chlorine and sulfur. Microelements include zinc, nickel, molybdenum, chromium and fluorine.

The benefits of omul are as follows:

As mentioned above, fish is quite fatty, but at the same time it is included in various diets. The fat found in omul is mainly polyunsaturated omega-3 acids. They are the ones that can lower cholesterol levels in human blood. Which in due time prevents the formation of blood clots and plaques. Consequently, the risk of atherosclerosis is reduced.
A composition rich in mineral components is desirable for obese people. By eating this fish, you quickly feel full. A diet that includes omul is always easy and productive, and there are practically no failures.
The protein that makes up omul is absorbed by the body almost 100% within 30 minutes of eating the fish. For comparison, beef or pork takes at least 5 hours to digest. It is for this reason that omul is so loved by athletes who want to gain muscle mass.
Also, omul does not burden the human digestive system, and this is wonderful, especially if there are problems of various kinds with it.
The high content of B vitamins has a positive effect on the nervous and reproductive systems.

Omul is contraindicated only in case of individual intolerance. Also, you should be careful about heat treatment. Otherwise, there is a possibility of infection with helminths - this is typical for any predatory fish.

Omul in cooking, recipes

There are not so many culinary dishes made from omul, and this is due to the exotic nature of the fish. In addition, not every person knows how it tastes. The delicacy is prepared in different ways: boiled and stewed, fried and smoked, baked and salted. It produces excellent sushi and excellent fish soup.

Another interesting dish made from omul is split. It is prepared mainly in winter, since preparation involves freezing the fish alive. and in cold weather this is quite possible. As soon as the fish is thoroughly frozen, it must be thoroughly beaten on all sides so that the meat is separated from the skin. Then the frozen skin is removed, although it itself comes off perfectly, and the fish is eaten raw. As with the first recipe, it is strongly recommended to drink a glass of vodka before use. It is impossible to prepare such a dish at home without a powerful freezer.

Omul turns out surprisingly tasty after salting. Many argue that frozen fish can also be salted, but experienced fishermen assure that you only need to take fresh fish. Cooking technique:

Wash well in cold running water, do not peel off the scales.
Lay out paper on the table, sprinkling it with 5 millimeters of salt.
I dip the fish well in salt, pressing it slightly to the table.
Shake off excess salt.
Place the omul in a container with its back down, creating a small semicircle out of it.
Press down from above with oppression.
Place in the refrigerator.

Not only is omul itself a delicacy, but also its caviar, which is rich in protein and a full range of amino acids.

Step-by-step recipe for cold smoking in a smokehouse:

The fish is washed and cleaned.
The belly is cut open and the entrails and gills are removed.
The fish is turned along the ridge, making it flat.
Table salt is poured into a container and the fish is placed in it, skin side down.
The top of the omul is filled with fish, and the next layer is laid out.
They put oppression on top and leave it for almost two days.
Next, the carcasses, washed from brine, are hung upside down for several days in a dark place.
The dried fish is placed in a smokehouse for 2-3 days, maintaining a temperature of 25-30°C.
After the omul is cooked, it needs a little time to air.

Fish prepared in this way can be stored for up to 4 months while maintaining its taste unchanged.

Savvy housewives have invented a method of cold smoking in apartment conditions:

The fish is washed and gutted according to the old procedure, the head is cut off.
The omul is carefully covered with salt and wrapped in A4 paper, oddly enough, then in several layers of newspaper. You need to wrap each fish separately and tightly.
The wrapped fish is left for 3-4 days in a room that is well boiled.
Liquid smoke is diluted with water at a ratio of 1:20.
The fish is placed in a container and filled with the resulting solution.
Leave for a day, wash and dry.

It is prohibited to exceed the dose of liquid smoke.

Recipe for hot smoking over a fire:

The fire is made from small logs; while the fish is being salted, the logs should practically burn out.
The omul is allowed to salt for about 2 hours, then the excess salt is washed off and the fish is wiped dry.
Pick some willow leaves (without branches), level the fire, and sprinkle a 10-centimeter layer of foliage on top. Don't accept it.
Place the fish on top and also cover it with a layer of foliage.
The flame should not wake up, there is only smoke.

In just 15-20 minutes you will be able to enjoy delicious smoked fish. This preparation is appropriate if you are out in the countryside and don’t have a smokehouse at hand. By the way, fish prepared this way cannot be stored at all.

Hot smoked omul according to a traditional recipe:

The fish is salted for 1-3 hours, the time varies depending on the number of carcasses and the tastes of the cook.
Before smoking, the fish is washed to remove excess salt.
Dry, place on a wire rack, and place in the smoker for 40 minutes.

To add flavor, various sawdust or wood chips are added. Some people add fruit tree branches or willow vines. You can store this preparation of omul for no more than 3 days in the refrigerator.

Experienced chefs advise that to avoid bitterness, after 10 minutes of smoking, open the smokehouse slightly and release steam.

The calorie content of fish depends on the type of smoking: cold - 122 kcal per 100 g, hot - 172 kcal per 100 g.

Recipe for cooking omul in the oven, you will need:

One omul carcass.
200 grams of sour cream.
One lemon.
2 medium onions.
Pepper and salt (preferably sea salt) are used to taste.
Place a teaspoon of Provençal herbs on the tip.

Cooking steps:

The fish is cleaned of scales, the insides of the eyes and gills are pulled out. The head and fins can be cut off - this is optional. The carcass is washed well and wiped dry.
The omul is salted, poured with juice from half a lemon and placed in the refrigerator for an hour (or half an hour).
Mix sour cream with all the spices.
Cut the onion and the remaining half of the lemon into rings. Place the onion on foil and place the fish on top. We put the lemon in the belly and put it on top of the fish.
Fill everything well with sour cream and wrap it in foil.
The baking sheet is covered with foil. Lay out the fish and place in the oven for 25 minutes (temperature 180°C).
Next, unroll the foil and bake for another 15 minutes under the grill.

It is important to know! How to choose the right omul? The fish will only be tasty if it is frozen once. Repeated freezing will lead to loss of beneficial qualities, and the meat itself will look like mush. Repeatedly frozen omul looks like this:

The gills have a faded tint.
The eyes are sunken.
Damage is visible on the skin.

If you see such signs, refuse to purchase.

Accordingly, having bought fresh fish, you need to store it in the freezer, but defrost it only once.

You might also like:

Cod: benefits and harm to the body Catfish - beneficial properties, calorie content and how to choose Flounder - beneficial properties, calorie content and how to choose Dorado - beneficial properties, calorie content and how to choose

Omul

It is rightfully considered a royal fish, as it has amazing taste and does not live everywhere. The omul belongs to the salmon order and the whitefish family.

Smoking in the traditional way

To prepare hot smoked omul, the fish is first salted. To do this, place it in a saline solution for several hours. The salting period depends on the salt concentration and taste preferences.

Hot smoked omul

As an option, the Buryat recipe is used. To prepare smoked Baikal omul, they make brine (use 100 g of salt per 1 liter of water), into which they place the fish for 40 minutes. Wash, dry and smoke.

To make hot smoked omul, just place it in a smokehouse for 40 minutes at a temperature of about 80 degrees. To obtain a good taste, use wood chips from willow, poplar or garden trees. The wood is soaked, laid out in an even layer on the bottom of the smokehouse, a tray for fat is placed above it, over which grates with fish are placed. Close the lid and place it over the fire or on the stove.

Read now: Smoked mussels: 4 recipes, benefits and harms

To avoid a bitter aftertaste, as soon as 10 minutes have passed since the start of smoking, open the lid and release steam.

Important! Hot smoked omul is stored for a maximum of 3 days.

Description of omul

Omul is a semi-anadromous fish that can live even in brackish water. The body of the omul is elongated, covered with firmly seated scales. This fish has a small mouth with jaws of equal length. The omul has an adipose fin. The general color of the body is silver, the color of the back is brownish-green, the belly is light, and the fins and sides are silver. During the period of sexual dimorphism, epithelial tubercles become more pronounced in males.

Individual omul specimens can even reach 47 cm in length and weigh more than 1.5 kg, but usually the omul does not weigh more than 800 g. This fish lives no more than 18 years.

How to catch omul

Amateur fishing for omul is allowed all year round, excluding only the spawning period. In open water they catch it, or, and with the onset of frost they switch to.

Among artificial baits, small spinners, various flies, jig baits and others predominate. It performed well with its tiny lures and invisible fishing line. The drill is considered the best live bait among local fishermen. The meat of crustaceans and small live bait is also used.

When fishing at night from a boat, you can use a powerful flashlight, the light of which attracts the attention of plankton, which is a living bait for omul. During bottom fishing, they use gear with a load of 20-40 g and several habits with a natural bait. In winter, you can replace live bait with flies (from 6 to 10 pieces on one tackle), made in different shades of red.

Catching omul on Lake Baikal video

Fishing for omul on Lake Baikal video

Spawning of omul in Bolshoy Chivyrkui video

Omul fishing on Lake Baikal from the first person

Places and features of omul habitat

Omul chooses places with clean and cold water to live; it prefers water rich in oxygen. This fish lives in the Arctic Ocean basin, Lake Baikal, and is known in tundra rivers that flow into the Yenisei Bay. The Baikal omul has the following populations: Posolskaya, Selenga, Chivyrkuiskaya, Severobaikalskaya and Barguzinskaya, depending on the spawning sites.

The spawning migration of omul usually begins in the 2-3rd decade of August. As it approaches the spawning grounds, the omul changes its gregarious pattern of movement to moving in small schools. Moving up the river, the omul does not come close to the banks and avoids shallow areas, sticking to the middle of the channel. Basically, the spawning grounds of this fish are located 1.5 thousand kilometers from the mouth of the river.

Puberty in omul occurs at 7-8 years, when its length exceeds 30 cm. It is interesting that males can become sexually mature a year earlier than females; the period of puberty in omul can last for 2-3 years. Reproduction of omul occurs annually.

The spawning time for omul is the end of September - October, when the water temperature does not exceed 4°C and a place with a sand and pebble bottom, at least 2 m deep, is selected. The diameter of omul eggs is 1.6-2.4 mm, the eggs are not sticky, bottom-based. After spawning, the omul migrates to feeding areas. The larvae also do not stay in the spawning grounds, sliding down to the lower reaches of the river. The fertility of omul can be up to 67 thousand eggs; the larger the fish, the more eggs.

During spawning, the omul does not feed, but begins to feed intensively after it. The omul is a fish with a wide range of nutrition; its diet includes zooplankton, benthic invertebrates, juvenile fish such as the Arctic horned fish, polar cod, etc. In the autumn-summer period, the omul fattens in the shallow coastal zone, where it eats mysids, gammarus and crustacean plankton.

Selection and preparation of omul

Frozen, fresh and chilled high quality fish are suitable for smoking:

if frozen, there should not be too much ice in it - just a thin glaze;
meat – smooth, without a lot of blood and smudges;
eyes without cloudiness, this is a sign of damage;
if the fish is headless, you additionally need to evaluate the condition of the scales - chilled fish should not have cloudy mucus;
You can choose fresh fish by smell - it will be light, unobtrusive, not pronounced.

Before smoking, omul carcasses are cut along the belly, gutted and thoroughly cleaned. If small fish are hot smoked, you can leave the insides and head. However, it is important to remember that they can impart a slight bitter taste.

Salting methods

Before smoking, carcasses must be soaked in salt. This can be done using 2 technologies - pickling and dry salting. The choice depends on the recipe and the preferences of the cook. As for the scales, you can remove them at will, regardless of the method of salt treatment and smoking method.

The note

Vladimir Kuznetsov

Professional smoker

To ensure uniform smoking, the gutted carcasses are moved apart along the side wall and secured with toothpicks, but only after the salting procedure.

Dry

The dry method is the simplest; it does not require preliminary preparation:

Gutted carcasses are rubbed with a mixture of salt and pepper inside and out.
Place in an enamel container. Galvanized, aluminum, glass will not work.
Cover the top with a small plate and put pressure on it to squeeze out excess liquid from the meat fibers.
Place in a cool place for 24 hours.

Some recipes do not use pressure for salting, so the fish will be more juicy. Eliminating weight will not affect the process of killing bacteria in any way. For the mixture, you can use either simple salt and pepper, or with additives: dry mustard, lemon juice, dried herbs.

Wet

For the “wet” method, a marinade is prepared, cooled, and then the fish is placed in it. You will need 1 liter of water, 100 g of salt, you can add bay leaf and black peppercorns. It is forbidden to place carcasses in a hot solution - it will destroy the delicate structure of the fibers.

Keep in water for at least 2 hours, then ventilate for a few more hours to remove excess moisture. To do this, choose a place where it is cool, there is no sunlight, and there are a lot of insects. If the carcasses are large, you will have to spend up to 24 hours on ventilation.

Taste and nutritional value of omul meat

Omul is one of the most nutritionally valuable commercial fish. About 20% of the total body weight of omul is fat, this is especially true for the marine subspecies of omul and, despite the fact that fatty foods are not held in high esteem today, this does not apply to fatty omul meat. Since the meat of this fish has high digestibility and nutritional value, the body absorbs omul meat in 1-1.5 hours by almost 95%, while it takes more than 5 hours to digest animal meat by 85%.

Fat in omul meat is found in the abdominal cavity, in the subcutaneous layer and in the liver, and it is evenly distributed between the muscles and is even found in the fins.

Omul, especially lightly salted, is rich in essential fatty acids, which reduce blood viscosity, improving the functioning of the heart muscle and nervous system. Omul meat contains more B vitamins than other fish species. These vitamins are very important for the human reproductive and nervous system.

In omul, the mass fraction of bones does not exceed 7%, and this makes it possible to prepare high-quality canned food from it and use it for dietary nutrition.

Lightly salted omul is considered the most healthy and tasty; smoked omul meat is valued for its delicate texture and low salt content. Residents of the places where omul lives dry it, fry it, make pies from this fish and simply bake it without spices with a little salt.

Contraindications to the use of omul

Fatty fish, such as omul, is contraindicated if the body is hypersensitive to fish and fish products, as in this case it can cause an allergic reaction in the body.

Fish oil is not recommended if there is a large amount of vitamin D and calcium in the blood. This fish is also contraindicated for stones in the biliary and urinary tracts. You should not eat omul if your thyroid function is elevated.

The important commercial importance of omul is difficult to overestimate. It is possible to use omul as an object for reproduction in lakes and reservoirs. And, despite the fact that restrictions have been introduced on catching, for example, Baikal omul, its number in the lake has decreased in recent years and is falling catastrophically, which means that the omul population needs care and protection.

Romanchukevich Tatyana for women's magazine website

When using or reprinting material, an active link to the women's online magazine is required

How much does omul fish cost (average price per 1 kg)?

Moscow and Moscow region.

About a century ago, the omul fish was so popular that its fishing in Baikal even gave rise to legends, traditions and songwriting... Despite the fact that today the population of this fish has decreased significantly, nevertheless, the omul still plays a very important role role in the diet of the population of Siberia.

Omul fish is a semi-anadromous commercial fish that belongs to the Salmon family. Its elongated body is densely covered with dense silvery scales. This rather large fish (weighs about 3 kilograms with a length of about half a meter in adulthood) has a small mouth and jaws of equal length.

Arctic omul is mainly found near the shores of the Arctic Ocean. The diet of this fish contains small benthic crustaceans, fish fry, along with zoological plankton. The omul fish spawns in the rivers of Alaska, Russia and Canada.

Omul fish is a source of surprisingly tender and tasty meat. Moreover, despite the low calorie content of omul, the meat of this fish is so fatty that there is absolutely no need to add oil during its preparation. Similar to other types of fish, omul can be smoked, fried, boiled, baked, and also salted.

Nevertheless, there are some completely exclusive dishes for which, it seems, any other fish is not suitable at all. One of these dishes is the famous Sagudai. It is prepared as follows: the omul fish meat is carefully separated from the bones and skin, cut into small slices, and then the fillet is poured with a pre-prepared mixture of lemon juice, vegetable oil, pepper and salt.

This dish is enjoyed immediately upon completion of the cooking process, while traditionally drinking a glass of vodka - this helps protect against possible helminth infection. Another surprisingly tasty dish that is respected by both residents of Siberia and overseas guests is lightly salted omul fish.

It is surprising that despite the fairly high percentage of polyunsaturated fatty acids in this fish, the calorie content of omul is only 88 kcal per 100 grams. That is why dishes based on it are recommended to be consumed regularly in the presence of various diseases of the cardiovascular system. In addition, omul meat is absolutely harmless and safe even for severe obesity.

Omul fish is rightfully classified as a quickly digestible food product - it is absorbed by 95 percent within an hour after its consumption. Meanwhile, animal meat, at a minimum, takes about 5-6 hours to digest. Due to this property, omul fish meat should definitely be included in the menu of people with pathologies of the digestive system.

Cold smoked omul in a smokehouse

Cold smoked omul is traditionally prepared in a smokehouse. Before the process begins, the fish is cleaned, gutted and washed. Then the gills are removed and unfolded so that it is flat. Place in a wide container, the bottom of which is covered with salt, belly up. Then comes a layer of salt and again a layer of fish, belly up, and so on until the end of the fish. The top layer is salt. Place the load and leave it for two days.

Drying omul

When the allotted time has passed, the carcasses are washed from salt and hung out to dry for two days. To prepare cold-smoked Baikal omul, all that remains is to put it in the smokehouse for 2-3 days. Temperature range – 25-30 degrees. A smoke generator loaded with wood chips is used, which directs smoke into the chamber with the fish, or a homemade smokehouse. To do this, the smoke enters the smoking cabinet through a pipe 8-10 meters long and at this time is cooled to 30 degrees.

Cold smoked omul

After the process is completed, the fish is ventilated. The shelf life is pleasant: the product is stored in a cold place for up to 4 months, the taste does not deteriorate.

The calorie content of cold smoked omul is 183 kcal per 100 g, so it is included in the menu of people following a low-calorie diet.

Read now: Smoked shark: recipe

Calorie content of omul fish 88 kcal

Energy value of omul fish (Ratio of proteins, fats, carbohydrates - bzhu):

: 17.5 g (~70 kcal) : 2 g (~18 kcal) : 0 g (~0 kcal)

Omul is a fish of the salmon family that lives in the cold Arctic waters of the Arctic Ocean river basin. It reaches a length of up to half a meter, with a weight of 2.5 - 3 kg. Can live in water with low salinity. The color of this fish is silver, with a slight greenish tint. The head is small, the jaws are of the same length. The omul lives from 15 to 18 years.

Useful qualities of omul

This fish has tender and fatty meat, suitable for any culinary delight. Omul meat is so fatty that it can be fried in a frying pan or baked without adding vegetable oil.

Fish oil, found in the meat of this fish, contains a large number of beneficial microelements, among which Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids are of greatest importance. They have an anti-inflammatory effect, have a restorative effect on the kidneys and cardiovascular system, and are involved in the regulation of metabolic processes.

Omul meat is very quickly digestible and has great nutritional value. It contains a lot of protein, which is the main building element of the muscular system and body tissues. In addition, this fish contains vitamins B and E, which take an active part in the formation of the reproductive function of the body and in the functioning of the nervous system.

Application

Many delicious dishes are prepared from omul, not only at home, but also in cafes, restaurants and other catering organizations. This fish is very tasty in any form: fried, baked, steamed, boiled, etc. It is often used to prepare fish salads, sauces, casseroles, etc. Fishermen prepare rich and tasty fish soup from it right at the catch site.

A specific dish that is prepared only from omul is zaghutai. Raw meat is separated from the bones, cut into thin slices and filled with a special brine consisting of spices, salt, vinegar and vegetable oil. The dish is ready to eat in just a couple of hours.

Omul meat is also used in the production of various canned foods, with tomato sauce, olive and other vegetable oils, etc. Recently, products made without heat treatment (preserves) have been gaining popularity. They can be either standard or spicy salted.