Products | Fresh and Frozen | Pacific Cod

Pacific Cod

(Gadus macrocephalus)

Physical characteristics: The pacific cod is a soft-finned fish with a brownish-gray mottled back, white sides and belly. Unlike many fish, the cod has three distinct back (dorsal) fins and two distinct bottom (ventral) fins. Cods also have the distinctive barbell, or "whisker" on the end of their lower jaw. Cod usually range in size form 2-10, dressed. The pacific cod is very closely related to the atlantic cod, but is slightly smaller than it's east coast cousin.

Seasonality: In Alaska, product is typically fished from January through March. There is occasionally a second fishery in September/October. Coastal cod (Canada, Washington and Oregon) have more steady production through the year, but produce far less tonnage than Alaska.

Major catch areas: Alaska, Canada, Washington, Oregon, Russia, Korea, Japan.

Harvest method: Most cod is trawl (net) caught, but some production is caught using long-lines or pots.

Product forms:

• Fresh: Most commonly sold product forms are fresh fillets, either skin-on or skin-off, and either bone-in or boneless. Fresh fillets are "candled" or scrutinized on a light table before packing to detect any worms that need to be removed. Other fresh product forms include dressed headless and round (not dressed). Further, fresh roe and milt, cheeks and tongues are sold in some export and specialty markets.
• Frozen: Most common product forms are fillets, either boneless or bone-in, grade 4-8 ounce, 8-16 ounce, 16-32 ounce and 32/+ ounce. Fillets can be packed either IQF, shatter-pack or layer pack. Other product forms include frozen round or frozen dressed cod, size grade -/2#, 2/3#, 3/4#, 4/5#, 5/7# and 7#/+ sizes. Cod blocks (frozen blocks of fillets and fillet pieces) are also sold for further processing, as is cod mince (fine pieces or flakes of flesh removed from the carcasses after filleting). Both block and mince are re-processed into breaded products.
• Value-added: IQF boneless loins and tail portions, packed in 2 ounce through 8 ounce increments, breaded cod portions, fish sticks, and salted products, lutefisk.

Flavor/texture profile: Cod has a mild delicate flavor and firm texture. It is lean with a low fat content, and a good flake. Meat is white to pinkish-white in the fresh state, and pure white when cooked.

Notes: Cod is one of the most universally used and versatile fish species, as it is caught in so many parts of the world's oceans and used by so many world markets in a variety of product forms. While atlantic and pacific cod are two distinct species, there is very little, if any, difference between the two as product forms. Atlantic cod occupies some eastern United States and European market niches as it has been fished commercially for much longer. As atlantic cod stocks dwindle, however, pacific cod products have made their way into these niches. Pacific cod is also known as true cod, Alaskan cod and "P"-cod. Black cod, ling cod and rock cod are not related to "true" cods.