Lingcod Flavor Profile

Lingcod Flavor Scale
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The name “Lingcod” causes some confusion in the culinary world because it is neither a “Cod” nor a “Ling”!  It is actually a Pacific Greenling.  Popular lore suggests that early settlers chose this name due to its similarity to European Ling coupled with its cod-like flaky white flesh. They are indigenous only to the Pacific West Coast and are nicknamed “buckethead” because of their enormous head.

Lingcod is a lean white fleshed fish with a mild flavor profile, medium-firm texture and large flakes.  The raw flesh may have a blue-green shimmer which reminds you of a sort of gasoline slick.  But don’t worry, this is natural for this fish and it disappears with cooking, leaving beautiful white flesh.

Typical Cooking Methods

  • Bake
  • Broil
  • Deep-Fry
  • Grill
  • Poach
  • Saute
  • Smoke
  • Steam
  • Sushi

Alternate Names

Green Cod, Greenling, Cultus Cod, Blue Cod, Buffalo Cod, Buckethead, White Cod

Description (Ophiodon elongatus)

Lingcod is actually neither a Cod or a Ling, but is a Pacific Greenling.  But the name has stuck.  Lingcod average about 10 Lbs but can reach up to 130 Lb.  They are found in various colors, typically with clusters of dark brown or copper. They can live up to about 25 years.

Fresh Lingcod Availability

Fresh lingcod availability chart: green areas show peak availability, light green show limited availability, gray indicates not available fresh.  Frozen available all year long.

Jan Feb Mar Apr May June July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec

Lingcod Butchering Yield %

Item To Skin/On Fillets To Skin/Off Fillets Notes
Whole Head/On gutted 39%
Whole Head/Off gutted 49% If you have additional yield info on this fish please leave a comment below.
For detailed butchering yield % and recovery see Lingcod Yield Percentage
Yield % varies according to a number of factors including: size of fish, season, sex, and the skill of your fishmonger.

Lingcod Range & LocationAquaMaps     Data sources: GBIF

Range & Habitat

Lingcod are found along the Pacific Coast from Baja California to Alaska and the Aleutian Peninsula.  They dwell in rocky areas near the bottom at depths of 30 – 300 feet.

Typical Wholesale Products

H&G, Fillets, Steaks

Lingcod Sustainability Info

Name Alternate Names Catch Method Catch
Region
Seafood
Watch
Ocean
Wise
Sea
Choice
Mercury
Concerns
Ling Cod Green Cod, Bluefish, Cultus Cod, Blue Cod, Buffalo Cod, White Cod, Greenling Wild, Bottom Longline, Handline Alaska, Norther British Columbia Yellow-icon_20.png Green-icon_20.png Yellow-icon_20.png Elevated
Ling Cod Green Cod, Bluefish, Cultus Cod, Blue Cod, Buffalo Cod, White Cod, Greenling Wild, Bottom Longline, Handline, Bottom Trawl US West Coast Yellow-icon_20.png Red-Dot_20.png Yellow-icon_20.png Elevated
Disclaimer: The sustainability info above is accurate to the best of our knowledge. However, each program randomly updates their information without our knowledge. We therefore recommend that you verify the current accuracy of this information.

Green-icon_20.png = Best Choice/Recommended     Yellow-icon_20.png = Good Alternative     Red-Dot_20.png = Avoid/Not Recommended
 
       
Updated
August 2013

 

Nutritional Information

based upon a 6 oz (171 grams) raw edible serving.

* Calories/Calories from fat 146
* Protein grams  30
* Fat grams  1.8
* Saturated fat grams  .33
* Sodium milligrams  101
* Cholesterol milligrams  89
* Omega-3 grams  0
more Lingcod nutrition 

 

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