Pacific Whiting also known as Alaska Pollock, is one of the most widely eaten fish in North America, but despite its popularity, it’s not a well-known species. If you’ve ever eaten crab cakes or imitation crab meat from China or had fish sticks or frozen surimi products that claimed to contain “whitefish,” chances are you’ve eaten Pacific Whiting without realizing it. Whiting is soft-fleshed and mild-flavored, which is why they’re so popular for use in surimi products (such as imitation crab meat), fake crab meat, and frozen fish sticks.
Unless you’re a commercial fisherman, the Pacific whiting is probably the fish you’ve eaten most frequently without knowing it.
You’ve probably eaten Pacific whiting without knowing it. Fish—also known as whiting—is the most popular seafood in the world and a common ingredient in imitation crab meat, fish sticks, and similar foods.
A whitefish that lives in the Pacific Ocean and is often caught off the coast of California, Pacific whiting is easy to prepare with its mild flavor and flaky texture. It’s versatile enough for many different recipes, including ceviche or served raw on sushi rolls.
The species’ popularity makes it an important commercial fishery: In 2015 alone, over 4 million pounds of Pacific whiting were harvested; by 2020 (the next year for which data are available), that number should increase to 5 million pounds annually.
The “whiting” in Pacific whiting refers to cod, haddock, and Pollock, a family of fish that includes Pacific whiting.
If you’ve ever heard of Pacific whiting, there’s a good chance it was in the context of “fish we should eat more of,” or maybe even as part of a list that included other types of fish—like Atlantic cod, haddock, and Pollock—that are also known as whiting. The term “whiting” refers to a family of fish that includes Pacific whiting.
Pacific whiting is also known as Pacific hake (which might sound like an ingredient in your favorite seafood dish). But don’t let this confuse you; it just means that this species belongs to the same genus as Atlantic hake (Merluccius), another type of white-flesh fish popular in restaurants.
