What is conger?
The conger eel (Conger conger) is a saltwater fish belonging to the family Congridae. It lives in the waters of the eastern Atlantic, from Norway to Iceland to Senegal. It is also present in parts of the Black Sea and the Mediterranean Sea, including the Italian waters. It loves muddy or sandy bottoms and can live at a depth of over 400 meters. During the day it hides, in a similar way as the eels do, preferring the rocky ravines, or alternatively, covering up, and spends the night hunting.
What are its nutritional properties?
100g of conger provides about 74 calories.
In particular, 100 g of conger contains:
- 18.6 g protein
- 4.6 g fat
The exact caloric intake can vary depending on factors like the freshness of the fish and the type of preparation.
When should you not eat eel?
It does not appear that the consumption of conger eel can interfere with the intake of drugs or other substances. In case of doubt it is good to seek advice from your doctor.
Seasonality of the conger
The conger eel is fished throughout the year using various methods. It is also often the prey of fishing for sport. The period of spawning is the month of August.
The market offers it both fresh and canned.
Possible benefits and drawbacks of conger
Eel consumption helps to meet protein needs by providing animal protein of high quality. It is also not a particularly high fat food, and those present are of better quality than that of other animal fats.
