Common names: German carp, European carp, scaled carp, leather carp, mirror carp, bulgemouth bass, king carp, Israeli carp.

Scientific name: Cyprinus carpio

Size: Varies - 9 inches to 3 foot long and weights of 2 to 30 pounds(1 to 14 kgs).

Features and benefits: The fish has a heritage in native Europe and Asia as the menu for royalty as a delicacy food. As the cost of protein based foods escalates, utilization of over-abundant and inexpensive fishes as substitutes will be found. Carp are relatively easy to acquire and are inexpensive. Carp has the preeminent advantage over such fish as the black bass, trout, grayling, and others in that it is a vegetable feeder. Carp when processed, can taste a good deal better than some so-called game species. Carp can be baked, pickled, smoked, steamed, fried, prepared as gefilte fish, or put into chowders or soups. It can be ground and stuffed into sausages or made into appetizing fish spreads, patties, or pies

Gefilte fish (Yiddish: געפֿילטע פֿיש) are poached fish patties or balls made from a mixture of ground deboned fish, most commonly carp. They are popular in the Ashkenazi Jewish community. Use to serve Passover, shabbat, Parve. Gefilte fish kosher can be purchase in the Jewish Shul here in Singapore kosher shop at waterloo street.

In traditional recipes for gefilte fish, the fish is first deboned, often while still at the market. Next, the fish is ground into a paste along with eggs, onions and bread or matzoh meal and then stuffed back into the skin of the deboned fish, giving it the name gefilte (filled or stuffed, compare the German gefüllte). The whole stuffed fish is then poached with carrots and onions. When prepared this way, it is usually served in slices. In this way, not only could the work of picking fish bones at the table be avoided, but the quantity of fish could be extended by the added ingredients, so that each member of a family could receive a portion even if the family could not afford a large quantity of fish.

In much modern preparation, including commercial preparation, gefilte is not stuffed inside of a fish skin. Nowadays, the ground fish mixture is shaped into balls or thick patties and poached in a fish stock made from the head and bones of the deboned fish. The poached balls are usually chilled and often served with a horseradish-vinegar sauce known as chrain (of which there are two varieties— "red" chrain and "white" chrain, that is, mixed with or without red beet) or with plain, ground horseradish.

Gefilte fish being served with sliced carrots.

Gefilte Fish

3 pounds ground fish ( 2 lbs. whit and 1 lb. pike) 4 medium onions, ground 1/2 cup matzo meal 4 eggs beaten 1 teaspoon pepper 5 teaspoons salt 3-5 teaspoons sugar (add more if you like a sweeter fish) 3 carrot stalks 2 celery stalks 1 parsnip, peeled (optional) 1 onion, scored 1 teaspoon salt 3 garlic cloves 1/4 teaspoon pepper 2 tablespoons sugar Combine the first seven ingredients in your mixing bowl and mix on medium speed. Fill 1/2 a Dutch Oven with water. Add the vegetables and spices into the pot and bring to a boil. Wet the palms of your hands and form oval shaped balls and gently drop them into the boiling water. Allow to simmer covered for 1 1/2 hours. For Rolls: Wet a sheet of parchment paper. Crumple it and wring out the excess water. Shake it out and place flat on a smooth surface. Pour the gefilte fish mixture in the middle of the sheet. Wrap the paper around the mixture and twist the ends tightly. Cook as you would the fish balls. More Gefilte Fish recipes : http://www.kosherquest.org/html/Gafilta_Fish.htm