Bass Fishing Newport News
Virginia Seafood Markets
Virginia seafood includes blue crabs, oysters, clams, striped bass, flounder, sea bass, spot, croakers and more.
Virginia markets usually have Chesapeake Bay blue crabs which are sold live, steamed, as soft shelled crabs or cooked crabmeat. Most buyers seek crabs, steamed whole and seasoned with a spicy crab seasoning. In addition to steaming, blue crab meat is popular for use in dishes such as crab cakes.
Another Virginia delicacy found in local markets is soft crabs. These crabs are cleaned and cooked whole while still soft. Soft crabs have a unique taste and are highly sought after by seafood enthusiasts. They can be served in a number of ways but the most popular meal is simply breaded and fried soft crabs served on a sandwich bun.
Virginia seafood markets offer oysters during the cooler months. Virginia sales of wild and farmed oysters totaled close to 5 million oysters in 2007. The James River is among the top Chesapeake Bay estuaries for wild caught oysters, known for yielding especially high quality shellfish. A thriving oyster aquaculture industry has been successfully introduced and demand is strong for high quality live oysters.
The coastal bays of Virginia also produce some of the highest quality oysters sold in the USA. Chincoteague Island is nationally recognized for it’s excellent salty oysters and other seafood. Chincoteague seafood retailers sell the famous shellfish which are consumed as oyster fritters, single fried, raw on the half shell or steamed.
Both wild caught and farmed hard clams are available year round in Virginia seafood markets and specialty shops. Both wild caught hard clams and farmed clams are harvested from waters of the Chesapeake Bay or coastal bays. Virginia aquaculture-grown hard clams are sought after for steaming or other uses.
Virginia is one of the leading U.S. states for landings of sea scallops. These open ocean shellfish are arguably among the best tasting of all seafood. Boats catch scallops and shuck the product at sea. The scallops are then rushed to market, providing a fresh, tender, all white product. Most Virginia scallops are landed in Newport News which provides Tidewater Virginia seafood markets with a plentiful supply of extremely fresh, high quality scallops.
Flounder are among the most popular saltwater fish served in Virginia. They are served as boneless fillets, and are prized for their mild taste. Flounder are served in a variety of ways, the most common being fried or broiled. Virginia flounder are sometimes stuffed with local crab meat and then baked.
Striped bass, known in Virginia as rockfish have a distinctive flavor and firm flaky meat. Rockfish are available wild caught or farm raised. They are delicious fried, grilled or broiled. Rockfish are sold in sizes from 2-3 lbs up to monster fish of 50 lbs or more.
Black sea bass are another favorite Virginia saltwater fish. These fish are caught in the ocean and reach weights of 5-6 lbs, although most fish are smaller. The cooked meat is snow white, flaky and very mild tasting. Sea bass are available year round in Virginia.
Spot occur along the Atlantic coast from Maine to Florida, although they are most abundant from the Chesapeake Bay to South Carolina. They are small fish but have a distinctive flavor. Spot are highly sought after in Virginia seafood shops, appearing mostly in late summer and fall.
Atlantic Croaker or “hardhead” are popular saltwater fish common in Virginia. The fish are named because of the “croaking” noise the make when removed from the water. Like spot, these small to mid-sized fish are popular in fish markets. They are available locally from spring thru late fall.
About the Author
The author writes for several outdoor websites including Chincoteague Island Virginia, Virginia Beach VA and Hampton Roads Virginia.
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