A fishmonger's stall:
In THE BATTLE OF THE COLD BEVERAGE, surprisingly (at least for me) iced tea won, with water, cola, Dr Pepper, Mountain Dew and fruit juice coming next in the poll.
Now it's the turn of fish to do battle. This poll is about different types of fish. It's not about different kinds of fish dishes (eg fish pie, fish salad, fish soup, fish stew) nor about different ways of cooking fish (eg baked fish, fried fish, grilled fish, poached fish)
There are a few dishes, such as McDonald's Filet-O-Fish, fish cakes, fish fingers/goujons, fish fritters, sushi and whitebait, in which any type or a mix of fish can be used in their making. These are also excluded from this poll.
Though this poll was slightly easier to compile than I first envisaged, it was still difficult because there's a lot of fish in the sea (and the lake and river). Also the same fish often have different names.
Moreover, people tend to eat fish that's locally caught. It isn't easy deciding what are likely to be the most popular fish in the poll but, because of the audience here, I've largely selected fish that are hopefully popular to eat in North America and, to a lesser extent, in Western Europe.
Furthermore, many types of fish are very much inter-related. It isn't easy deciding whether a fish is a bass, bream, carp, cod, hake, herring, perch, pike, salmon or sole!
I like most fish provided they're served up filleted and headless on my plate - I don't want a fish's beady eye looking at me while I'm eating its body!
But my favourite fish to eat are anchovy (especially as a pizza topping or in a salad), brisling (who doesn't like skippers on toast?), captain fish, cod, Dover sole, halibut, mackerel, plaice, salmon, tuna and turbot, with haddock being the fish I most want to eat. At fish and chip shops here, my go-to order is haddock, chips and mushy peas. I particularly like smoked haddock, in fact I like any fish smoked. Arbroath smokies, smoked haddock, are divine. There's a Scottish soup, called cullen skink, usually made from smoked haddock, potatoes and onions (often with cream added). It's a delicious breakfast treat and can be found on the menus of most reputable hotels here.
Arbroath smokies:
My least favourite fish are herring (especially rollmops, rolled-up pickled herring fillets), sardines/pilchards, skate and sturgeon's caviar, with Bombay duck being the fish I most don't want to eat. Bombay duck isn't a type of duck; it's a type of lizardfish. It was once a popular dish on the menus of many Indian restaurants here. A slang term for Bombay duck is bummalo and I attest, despite looking harmless on a plate, that it probably tastes very much like what is excreted from the word comprising the first three letters of that slang term! At best, Bombay duck is definitely an acquired taste.
Though there are few fish I've eaten that I don't like, there's no way I'd eat blowfish or eels. Blowfish, also called pufferfish, is potentially a fatally poisonous fish if eaten. But it's a delicacy in Japan, though its chefs have to be trained and licensed to serve up fugu, the Japanese term for blowfish. A handful of Japanese people die each year from eating fugu!
Also I'm not at all tempted to eat eels. I used to live in the East End of London where jellied eels were and still are a delicacy. There's no way I'm going to eat cold boiled eels set in a jellied spicy stock. I'll leave that for the Cockneys to eat!
What are your most and least favourite fish to eat?
How regularly do you eat fish?
How accomplished are you at preparing and cooking a fish?
Have you ever eaten a fish that you've caught?
Generally I eat fish once a week or at least once a fortnight. I love eating fish; it's healthy and tasty food. I can cook fish but I'm not particularly accomplished at preparing fish to be cooked if it needs filleting. However, I regard myself as an expert in cooking fish fingers!
I've never eaten fish I've caught. The fish I caught were always thrown back into the water. But after catching one fish and having difficulties removing a hook's barb from the fish's mouth I decide to quit fishing. I liked fishing until I caught a fish!
Below is a poll where you can anonymously select your most favourite fish. Unfortunately only one pick is allowed in the poll.
A poll on this site can only have a maximum of 20 answer options. There was unfortunately no room as poll options for: arapaima (aka pirarucu), Arctic char, barracouta (aka snoek), barracuda, barramundi (aka Asian sea bass or giant sea perch), basa, blowfish (aka balloonfish, fugu or pufferfish), blue marlin, blue warehou (aka common warehou), bowfin, bream, brill, brisling (aka skippers), butterfish, captain fish, carp (aka koi), chub (aka common/European chub ), cobia, coley (aka saithe), crappie, crevalle jack (aka black cavalli, black-tailed trevally or common jack), doctor fish (aka garra rufa), dogfish (aka dog shark), drum (aka croaker), eel, escolar (aka oilfish or snake mackerel), flathead, galjoen (aka black bream or blackfish), grayling, grouper, hake, halibut, hoki (aka blue grenadier or New Zealand whiptail), John Dory (aka Peter's fish or St Pierre), lamprey, lemon sole, ling (aka common ling or white ling), lingcod, lizardfish (eg Bombay duck), milkfish, moi (aka six-fingered threadfin or yellowthread threadfin), monkfish, muskellunge (aka lunge, muskie or ski), opah (aka cowfish, kingfish, moonfish or sunfish), orange roughy (aka deep sea perch, red roughy or slimehead), parrotfish, pike, plaice, pompano, rock cod, round scad (aka cigar minnow), sablefish (aka butterfish or black/blue/coal cod), scup, sea bream, shad, shark, sheepshead (aka convict fish), silver redhorse, skate, smelt, snapper, sole (eg Dover sole), sturgeon (eg caviar), swordfish (aka broadbill), tilefish, wahoo (aka hoo or ono), whitefish, whiting, wolffish (aka sea wolf or wolf eel) and yellowtail (aka Japanese amberjack).
I think salmon will just edge out tuna to win the poll. But bass, catfish and cod may fare well in the poll.
Please see the first comment below to see what has won each battle of the food and drinks so far.
Bombay duck:
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40 comments
thats a post i didnt expect to see today! sea bream. mediterranean gilt head sea bream (Sparus aurata). grilled or fried, wild or from fish culture, its a great fish. id say the best fish is fried red mullets (Mullus barbatus), but its hard to get good ones and they instantly jump to second place if they arent fresh and of exceptional quality. so im accounting for both best and for consistency
I've never eaten sea bream nor red mullet. Thanks for stopping by.
Walleye is popular in Minnesota so I voted for that. I also enjoy salmon but it has to be good salmon.
We don't get walleye here.
Bluegill
I've not heard of that fish until I did this poll. Thanks for stopping by.
Salmon is my fav. Swordfish is pretty good, especially pan-fried in butter.
I've had fugu before. It's pretty bland by itself. Pretty good deep-fried.
I'm glad you lived to tell the tale of your fugu experience!
Swordfish
I've never eaten swordfish. Thanks for stopping by.
i detest fish. but i love blue crabs, lobster and shrimp
I'm the opposite. I love fish but not shellfish (except prawns/shrimps).
What are your most and least favourite fish to eat? Cod from Long John Silvers, but it closed so no more fish for me.
How regularly do you eat fish? Not often
How accomplished are you at preparing and cooking a fish? No
Have you ever eaten a fish that you've caught? No!!
I used to go fishing with my parents and there friends and when I would always catch more fish than anyone else they would tease me. I hated it and still do to this day!!
I hope your Monday is a marvelous start to your week..
I only enjoyed fishing if I didn't catch any fish!
Crappie
I've not eaten crappie but, despite its name, I'd give it a go.
@spunkycumfun close match to blue gill, but usually larger in size
@cpl2play4fn Thanks. I'm guessing it's a freshwater fish.
@spunkycumfun yes it is
@cpl2play4fn Thanks for letting me know.
Salmon is my favorite. Anything with a head on it is a no go for me. The only time I was served one in Germany, I ended up picking at it. It was too much work picking out the bones so I gave up. As a teen, I probably ate flounder that I caught.
If a fish is served with its head on and it isn't filleted in a restaurant, I send it back to the kitchen to get it all done.
I'm right with you on that
Salmon is my favorite. In past years I helped restore salmon to some creeks and rivers. 😎
I love a salmon salad.
halibut
A few people here like halibut. I should have room for the fish on my poll.
Thanks for stopping by.
I love to go fishing. My preference is catch and release. An incredible day is any day I spend standing in the river fishing for trout.
I'm surprised you don't grill and eat the trout you catch.
I'm a dab hand at making fish fingers!
Halibut for sure!
I just couldn't find room for halibut in my poll. If i re-did my poll, halibut would have been in and mahi-mahi out!
@spunkycumfun Mahi Mahi is my 2nd favorite.
@DanielZwat1950 I've never eaten mahi-mahi.
Halubut
Unfortunately I couldn't find room for halibut in the poll. I'm only allowed 20 poll options. If allowed 21 options, then halibut would have made my list.
Thanks for stopping by.
Favourite Shad ( aka elf, tailor or bluefish ) comes around in spring and eaten freshly caught ( does not taste the same if frozen then fried ) , least anchovy. Eat at least once a week , if not fresh , tinned. Lol , can fry or saute anything more then am lost
. Never caught a fish in my life, my first fishing trip as a kid with dad, lets say waking up before sunup , and spending hours and catching fresh air, was the end of my fishing career. I now looks after the beer during fishing trips 
I've not eaten shad. It's not a common fish to be eaten here.
@spunkycumfun As a kid loved haddock, but since imported ,in the 80's they just dyed hake , lol..which has no taste . Shad is mostly local , not a commercial fish.
@taurean62dbn Hake is becoming popular here as cod stocks are dwindling.
@spunkycumfun That could explain the cost of imported haddock.
@taurean62dbn Haddock is the main fish now served up in fish and chip shops here. Cod is expensive. So I'm guessing haddock exports have been now squeezed.
For me, cod comes first… and I wonder: it's not bad, ok, but what is it about it that made my ancestors: my grandfather included, risk their lives to fish it all the way up in the icy waters of Newfoundland? And then, in summer, a nice grilled "sea bream" shared with good friends and icy white wine… well, even better if there are two sea breams 😄
Britain nearly went to war with Iceland over cod fishing rights, which were only resolved in the mid-1970s!
@spunkycumfun Yes!!!!! I remember!!! So absurd!
@AuraAviatik6 Britain blinked first!
Halibut isn't on the list
I couldn't find room for halibut as I could only have 20 poll options. My apologies.
For the record, Brussels sprouts won THE BATTLE OF THE VEGETABLES, bananas won THE BATTLE OF THE FRUITS, basil won THE BATTLE OF THE HERBS, garlic won THE BATTLE OF THE SPICES, cashew nuts won THE BATTLE OF THE NUTS, sunflower seeds won THE BATTLE OF THE SEEDS, roast beef won THE BATTLE OF THE ROAST DINNERS, cheesecake won THE BATTLE OF THE PUDDINGS, pepperoni won THE BATTLE OF THE PIZZA TOPPINGS, Caesar salad won THE BATTLE OF THE SALADS, green beans won THE BATTLE OF THE BEANS, watermelon won THE BATTLE OF THE MELONS, tomato-based pasta sauce won THE BATTLE OF THE HOT SAUCY DIPS, barbecue sauce won THE BATTLE OF THE COOL SAUCY DIPS, vanilla ice cream won THE BATTLE OF THE ICE CREAMS, capellini (aka angel hair) won THE BATTLE OF THE PASTAS, steak won THE BATTLE OF THE BARBECUE, romaine lettuce won THE BATTLE OF THE LETTUCES, honeycrisp apples won THE BATTLE OF THE APPLES, stout won THE BATTLE OF THE BEERS, whisky won THE BATTLE OF THE SPIRITS, clam chowder won THE BATTLE OF THE SOUPS, sourdough bread won THE BATTLE OF THE BREADS, liver won THE BATTLE OF THE OFFAL, roast turkey wonTHE BATTLE OF CHRISTMAS FOODS, Old Fashioned won THE BATTLE OF THE COCKTAILS, Americano coffee won THE BATTLE OF THE COFFEES, English breakfast tea won THE BATTLE OF THE TEAS, maple syrup won THE BATTLE OF THE PANCAKES, barbecue sauce won THE BATTLE OF THE CONDIMENTS, ribeye steak won THE BATTLE OF THE STEAKS, portobello mushrooms won THE BATTLE OF THE MUSHROOMS, beefsteak tomatoes won THE BATTLE OF THE TOMATOES, barbecue crisps won THE BATTLE OF THE CRISPS, strawberries won THE BATTLE OF THE BERRIES, crab won THE BATTLE OF THE SHELLFISH, vanilla yogurt won THE BATTLE OF THE YOGURTS, jasmine rice won THE BATTLE OF THE RICE, chicken wings won THE BATTLE OF HOT FINGER FOODS, cheeses won THE BATTLE OF COLD FINGER FOODS, dry red wine won THE BATTLE OF THE WINES, tap water won THE BATTLE OF WATER, blueberry muffins won THE BATTLE OF THE MUFFINS, cheese won THE BATTLE OF THE CHARCUTERIE, cow milk hard cheese won THE BATTLE OF THE CHEESE, burgers won THE BATTLE OF FAST FOOD, olive oil won THE BATTLE OF THE OILS, beef stew won THE BATTLE OF THE STEW, cow milk won THE BATTLE OF THE MILK, butter won THE BATTLE OF THE BAKED POTATO, salad won THE BATTLE OF THE SIDE DISH, pizza won THE BATTLE OF THE SAVOURY PIE, apple pie won THE BATTLE OF THE SWEET PIE, coffee won THE BATTLE OF THE HOT BEVERAGE, and iced tea won THE BATTLE OF THE COLD BEVERAGE.