Wild Alaskan Cod
- Sushi-grade
- Professionally fileted & flash frozen
- Individually vacuum-packaged
- Boneless, skinless
- Each portion generally weighs 8-12 oz
Pacific Cod, True Cod, Alaskan Cod, Atlantic Cod - What's the difference??
Pacific Cod is also referred to as Alaskan Cod or True Cod - it's all the same species of fish. Pacific Cod is similar in species to Atlantic Cod, but very different from Black Cod. There are some key things to know about this very popular whitefish. In terms of where fish is caught, it can have a significant impact on mercury/heavy metals/toxins content. Generally speaking, areas with higher population and traffic will have more of those issues present in the local waters. An advantage to Alaskan seafood is that the surrounding waters are vast and experience less traffic than west coast or eastern seaboard counterparts in the lower 48. Overall healthiness of the seafood you are eating tends to improve when sourced from Alaskan waters.
Our cod is line caught, which helps maintain premium quality in terms of bruising, freshness, and hands-on contact with each one of the fish being caught. One of the most common ways cod (and many other species of seafood) is caught is through a fishing style called trawling. We do not work with any trawlers or sell trawl caught fish since the quality is lower, and by the very nature of how trawling works, there can be a tremendous amount of bycatch, waste, and damage to the ocean floor habitat.
Our cod is also all caught and processed in Alaska. There is a substantial amount of Pacific seafood that comes from Asia, Russia, etc., or is caught in the US and then sent to foreign processors for the inexpensive labor. Quality tends to suffer as seafood is often thawed and refrozen to process it. Additionally, the chain of custody about what it actually is, where it was caught, how it was caught, and what kind of quality you're getting can get murky.
Alaskan cod populations are also well monitored (consistent with how Alaska manages all of its fisheries) and abundant so we don't have concerns about over-fishing. We see this being a good long-term, healthy food source. Atlantic cod and some areas in the Pacific have seen over fishing create obstacles to overcome in sustaining a lasting cod population for the future.
Last few points - our cod is has been frozen once when you receive it. Many fishing/processing operations thaw and process the fish further into filets or whatever form they want them in as there is often limitations on what can be done with the fish at the time it was caught. Our fish is all immediately chilled and taken into a shore based processor where it is put into it's filet form, flash-frozen once, vacuum-sealed, and sent out from Kodiak in the state that you receive it in. The cod is processed in the same facility that we have been working with for our halibut, and we are pleased to see that the quality & freshness of the cod has been of the same caliber as the halibut.
A note for our histamine sensitive customers:
Our fishing practices are structured to prioritize chilling our seafood immediately after it is caught. By using refrigerated sea water systems, slush ice, and flash freezing techniques, and maintaining our seafood frozen until the time it reaches you, we are able to drastically reduce the levels of histamines in our cod when compared to "fresh" fish that you may find in local stores or seafood markets. While we can't guarantee results for each individual, we have many histamine sensitive customers who experience great success with our cod.