Which Fish To Eat In Which Month? A Month-By-Month Fish Calendar From Türkiye
Both the flavour and the price of fish change with the season. In Türkiye, anchovy fattens up in November, bonito grows large in October, turbot comes into season in February and swordfish suits the skewer all summer long. Here is a month-by-month look at which fish take pride of place on the market stalls.
From January to March, anchovy and horse mackerel give way to turbot, sea bass and gilthead bream.
January
The winter cold brings anchovy (hamsi) to its best. Horse mackerel (istavrit) also keeps its fat and flavour in January; it has not earned the nickname 'the dried beans of the sea' for nothing.
Bluefish, bonito and grey mullet are fatty this month. Small and large bluefish (çinekop and kofana), whiting, striped red mullet and gurnard are plentiful on the stalls. Red sea bream and dentex are scarce, but gilthead bream loses none of its flavour. The mussel season also opens in January.
February
The turbot season, which runs until the end of May, begins in February. Torik, a large bonito, tops the list of fish to eat this month if you can find it. Anchovy and horse mackerel remain stall staples thanks to their low prices and abundance.
The striped red mullet season continues. Grey mullet, flounder, shi drum (minakop), mussels and sand smelt, when available, are at their tasty best. Bluefish and bonito, on the other hand, start to lose their fat.
March
Gilthead bream is at one of its finest for grilling in March. Sea bass, grey mullet and turbot are also enjoying their most flavourful period. Sand smelt becomes more plentiful and tastes good, and large bluefish can still be grilled. Bluefish and bonito have lost their fat completely, so they are best left to the bottom of the list this month.
April and May are for gurnard, red mullet and swordfish, while June is the quietest month for fish.
April
Red sea bream, sea bass and gurnard become plentiful in April, and red sea bream is a good choice for the table this month. Sand smelt, whiting, grey mullet, hake, striped red mullet and red mullet are tasty, and garfish is still to be seen on the stalls.
Mussels keep their flavour until the end of the month. The fishing ban that begins in mid-April will affect the stalls in the months ahead.
May
Swordfish is extremely tasty in May, and the best way to cook it is on a skewer. Red mullet, striped red mullet and sole are very good choices this month. Sea bass and gurnard are among the flavourful ones too, and enthusiasts can add scorpionfish to the list.
Lobster, crab and shrimp should not be missed when available. Bonito, torik, anchovy and horse mackerel are now lean, so they can be left on the stall this month.
June
Because of the fishing ban, the stalls are thin in June. Choice is limited and prices are generally high. Rock and bottom-dwelling fish spawn in this period; they live scattered and their flesh loses flavour. Red sea bream, dentex and the red mullets can be found in small quantities, while lobster and crab keep their flavour.
In summer, horse mackerel goes into the pan and swordfish onto the skewer, and the fishing ban ends on September 1.
July
Horse mackerel is eaten in every season, but it does especially well in July. You can fry it in a pan or bake it in a tray with summer vegetables. The chub mackerel (kolyoz) season begins this month, and picarel (izmarit) becomes good for frying. Striped red mullet and red mullet keep their flavour, and lobster and crab appear on the stalls. Grey mullet, however, now loses its taste.
August
Swordfish reaches its peak in August; its full flesh makes it ideal for the skewer. Sardines are very tasty and gurnard continues. Chub mackerel and picarel have gained flavour, and horse mackerel is ready for the pan. From the second half of the month, bluefish and small bonito also begin to show up on the stalls.
September
The fishing ban ends on September 1. Bonito becomes both more plentiful and larger, while bluefish keeps increasing and is very tasty. Chub mackerel, picarel and horse mackerel are at their best. Gurnard is abundant and swordfish keeps its flavour.
October belongs to bonito, and from November onwards anchovy takes the lead.
October
October is one of the best times of the year for bonito. It is the star of the table until bluefish reaches the stalls towards the end of the month, and then gives way to it day by day. Horse mackerel is very tasty this month as well. Striped red mullet, red mullet, picarel, sardine, sea bass, red sea bream, torik and dentex are both plentiful and flavourful.
November
In November, all other fish are one thing and anchovy is another. The air and the water have cooled and the anchovy has put on enough fat. Some fry it, others cook it as buğulama, a steamed dish. Like October, November is a productive month with plenty of fish, and torik has become more common on the stalls.
December
Anchovy is still abundant in December. Bluefish, large bluefish, bonito, torik, horse mackerel and picarel are also widely available. Rock and bottom-dwelling fish are tasty at this time of year, and there is still time to try sea bass and red sea bream before the year is out.
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