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The differences between white carp and silver carp are even reflected in these aspects
Silver carp and white carp are a kind of fish, but there are great differences between them. Firstly, their living environments are different. White carp likes to live in the upper layer of the water body, while silver carp likes to live in the middle and upper layers of the water body. Secondly, the size of their heads is different, with the head of silver carp being significantly larger. In addition, their scales also have different colors, and so on.
Difference between silver carp and white carp
From the living environment, white carp lives in the upper layer of the water body, feeding on plankton such as diatoms and green algae. Silver carp lives in the middle and upper layers of the water body, feeding on plankton such as copepods.
From the size of the fish head, both the heads of silver carp and white carp are large, but the head of silver carp is even larger, accounting for 1/2 or even more of the body, so silver carp is also known as ‘bighead fish’ or ‘fathead fish’.
From the color of the fish scales on the fish body, silver carp has light black spots on its body, while white carp has all white scales and no black spots, which is relatively easy to distinguish.
From the texture of the meat, the meat of silver carp is delicate, and the fish head is rich in gelatin protein, which is most suitable for dishes such as chopped pepper fish head, garlic fish head, curry fish lip, and fish head tofu soup. The meat of white carp is slightly loose, and the freshness is not as good as that of silver carp. White carp has more small bones, which is not convenient to eat, and silver carp is better.
From the way of fishing, white carp is fished at a depth of 40 centimeters, and silver carp at a depth of 60 centimeters. For white carp, use sour bait, and for silver carp, use stinky bait. Because they both live in the upper water layer, the fishing methods for white carp and silver carp are all float fishing. The difference between them is the distance from the hook to the water surface.
Which one tastes better, silver carp or white carp?
Most people think that silver carp tastes better than white carp. The meat of silver carp is delicate, and the head is rich in collagen. The meat of white carp is slightly loose, and the taste is bland and tasteless, and sometimes it has a muddy smell, and the freshness is not as good as that of silver carp. Therefore, more people like to eat silver carp, and the price of silver carp is often higher than that of white carp. So the price is higher.
Silver carp, also known as ‘fathead fish’ or ‘bighead fish’, is a male fish. Some people also call it ‘bighead fish’. Its head is much larger than that of the white carp, and it has more jelly-like substances in the head, which are delicious and delicious. Famous fish head dishes such as fish head soup, braised fish head, steamed fish head, and sour and spicy fish head all use silver carp, and the larger the head of the silver carp, the better it tastes. Generally, the head of the white carp is not as large as that of the silver carp, and the texture is not as good, so many famous fish head dishes will choose silver carp instead of white carp. Although the taste of silver carp is not as good as that of grass carp or crucian carp, it is better than white carp, especially its head, which is particularly fresh. Therefore, there is the praise of ‘the tail of the crucian carp and the head of the silver carp’.
It is common to see silver carp being dissected into multiple parts for sale in the market, with different prices for the fish meat, fish head, and fish tail, among which the fish head is the most expensive. Many people buy silver carp heads to make fish head soup, chopped pepper fish head, and fish head hotpot, which also shows the excellent taste of silver carp.