116 FISH-CULTURAL ASSOCIATION; 
commercial fishes, or as food for the masses. The inherent or 
innate excellence of flavor is alone considered; that is, the fish is 
supposed to be simply boiled, fried, broiled or baked, without 
the addition of extraneous substances, as sauces, condiments, etc., 
except the indispensable salt and perhaps a little black pepper. 
Moreover, I speak in the light of the ample personal experience 
of having eaten of all the fishes mentioned, from Montauk Point 
to Key West, and from Lake Superior to the Gulf of Mexico, 
and, with the sole exception of the salmon, of having eaten of 
them all perfectly fresh, or literally out of the water into the 
kettle, broiler or frying pan, which is the only true test of the 
peculiar flavor of each fish. Of course one is necessarily guided 
in such a matter by his own individual tastes and idiosyncracies, 
and due allowance must be made for this ‘‘personal equation,” 
though I believe that most persons will agree with the conclu- 
sions drawn. But there is no accounting for gastronomic tastes. 
likes and dislikes, which proverbially disagree, as evidenced by 
the old saying, ‘‘What is one man’s meat is another man’s poi- 
son,” or to express it more appropriately in this connection, and 
to perpetrate an old Anglo-Gallic-ichthyc pun: What is one 
man’s fotsson is another man’s poison. For the sake of conven- 
ience I will separate the different fishes into several groups: (1) 
fresh water, (2) anadromous, (3) estuary, and (4) marine. The 
various fishes in the several groups are arranged in their se- 
quence according to their degree of merit. 
FRESH-WATER FISHES. 
The white-fish (Coregonus clupetformis) is far ahead of all other 
fresh-water fishes in its exquisite delicacy and richness of flavor. 
Its flesh is pure white, firm, flaky and free from small bones; 
and while a “fat” fish, does not cloy the palate like the salmon, 
mackerel, and other “oily” fishes.” ‘But to realize the delicraus 
savor and flavor of the white-fish, it is imperative that it be in 
its best condition, and that it be cooked as soon as possible after 
being taken from the water; for when in poor condition, or long 
out of the water, it loses entirely its characteristic excellence. 
The white-fish is essentially a broiler, being excessively fat in 
the fall before spawning, when it is in its best condition. Those 
