Tench or Tinca tinca is a freshwater game fish that grows to a fairly impressive size. Its powerful body can reach a length of 70 cm (28 inches) and a weight of almost 7 kilograms (15 pounds). This hardy species is distinguished by its mottled green coloration, light belly, and distinctly red eyes. With scales that are set deeply into their skin, tench protect their bodies with a thick layer of slime.
Anyone who has held a tench will note that it is remarkably soft and slippery for a game fish. In fact, the slime of tench was once believed to have healing properties. For this reason, ‘Doctor Tench’ has become an acceptable common name. Just as the slime would be extracted from the fish and boiled, the meat would sometimes be prepared for consumption as well!
That being said, tench from clean water sources is indeed safe to eat. With the many options of farmed and wild-caught quality meat in modern groceries, however, tench meat can hardly stand out. It definitely isn’t a popular choice for protein, and even sporting fishers will rarely partake in its meat when other fish are available. Nonetheless, in a few lake communities in Europe, the humble tench is happily eaten.
Historical & Modern-Day Consumption of Tench
Native to Europe and Northern Asia, this member of the Cyprinidae family was introduced to North America and Australia in the late 1800s. It was brought to these continents as a sporting fish and, yes, as a food source. Tench were intentionally stocked in many ponds and lakes. They are omnivorous fish that can eat almost anything. As a result, their populations remain persistent and potentially threatening in freshwater systems where native species are unable to compete with them.
Hundreds of thousands of tench were briefly cultured in hatchery ponds across North America, after which their potential as a food source was notably superseded by bass. In the 1940s, tench populations became fully naturalized in several western states. Fortunately, their impact on the environment is not as severe as that of common carp (Cyprinus carpio). Outside of their native and naturalized range, tench is now seldom praised for its meat.
Today, you may be hard-pressed to find tench recipes that are used outside of Europe and are specifically devised for tench meat. Those that are still in circulation appear to spring from Italian and Hungarian communities that are associated with lakes. Tench is also frequently suggested as a substitute for carp.
Tench Fish Recipes
Tench may be challenging to prepare and eat as it is a bony fish. Some people regard its meat as “dirty” because it is a bottom feeder or scavenger. If obtained from turbid waters, tench may have a “muddy” taste and smell. These can supposedly be neutralized with the addition of a little vinegar or lemon. Nonetheless, those that are freshly caught from clear water do have soft, delicious meat and should work perfectly well in a main course. Below are a few tench recipes and suggestions for preparation.
- Steamed tench – This recipe makes use of peppercorns, lemon wedges, and bay leaves to infuse tench meat with flavor. It is served alongside horseradish cream, finely chopped herbs, and seasoned vegetables.
- Baked tench – Lemon must be used to mask all traces of a muddy or fishy taste. After scales are removed and the fish is thoroughly cleaned, it is seasoned and baked in butter alongside shallots. The traditional Italian style calls for stuffing the fish with a mixture of parsley, cheese, bread, and salt.
- Taglioni pasta with tench – The fish, along with a few vegetables and herbs, must first be boiled in salted water to produce a tasty stock. It is then sauteed in oil and white wine. The accompanying taglioni pasta is brought to a boil in the same broth used to boil the fish!
- Tench can also be breaded, smoked, fried, and added to stews and salads. The trick, again, is to mask the possibly muddy taste with acidic components and herbs.
Nutritional Benefits of Tench
Tench must be acquired from a clean freshwater environment, devoid of pollutants, man-made toxins, and heavy metals. A “clean” fish must be cooked as raw meat can contain harmful microbes. Don’t forget that tench is situated fairly low on the food chain as it feeds on bottom-dwelling invertebrates. When cooked or smoked properly, tench is safe to eat and is nutritionally rich.
Tench meat is easily digestible and has a low caloric profile. It is jampacked with vitamins, minerals, and healthy fatty acids. Notable components include potassium, iron, folic acid, choline, niacin, and antioxidants. Consumption of tench is associated with improved eyesight and metabolism, along with support for the circulatory, nervous, and endocrine systems in humans.
How to Catch Tench
In terms of recreational fishing, tench is an exciting game fish but may be less sought-after compared to the large fish of North America’s Great Lakes. Categorized by IUCN as a species of ‘Least Concern’, tench are generally fished through all seasons. There are even fishing rods that are designed just for snagging them.
Tench are most frequently caught during summer and in close proximity to lake margins or weed beds. They produce many tiny white bubbles as they forage for food by sifting through bottom silt, debris, and weeds. You may need binoculars to locate these bubbles, which tend to create wavy lines on the water’s surface. Once you’ve spotted the fish, try to lure them to an area that is generally free of potential snags. A pre-baiting mix, composed of chopped worms, breadcrumbs, and sweetcorn can be used for this purpose.
A variety of bait types can effectively draw in tench. Try to mimic their natural prey types and make use of a fine groundbait. Your chosen hook strength, hooklinks, and mainline would depend on the size of the tench and on the presence of weeds in the water column.
Can You Raise Tench in a Garden Pond?
Some pond owners rear tench for ornamental purposes. The best variety for pond cultivation is the golden tench. This is a rare variety that may be beneficial when grown alongside koi carp because they have the tendency to consume fish waste! It is believed that the mucus layer of this fish can even contain antibiotics that may transfer to other fish through contact, protecting them from possible diseases. Tench can be your pond’s very own doctors (just as their common name implies)!
Golden tench are cold-hardy and can grow quite large, up to 4.5 kg (10 pounds), in a fish pond with a depth of at least 2.3 feet (71 cm). When cared for properly, they can live for up to 20 years. As shoaling fish, tench will have to be reared in groups of at least 5 fish to ensure that they are comfortable. They can be fed with a well-balanced fish feed that sinks to the pond bottom.
Seasonal Production of Tench in Fish Farms
Tench are seasonally cultivated in a few European fish farms. Currently, the mode of production is fairly extensive. All steps in the production phase, from the generation of fry to the production of highly nutritious adult fish, are the focus of several research projects looking into intensive tench aquaculture. These aim to aid in the low-cost, relatively sustainable production of this freshwater species.
Tench are also increasingly produced in polyculture systems with carp. The monoculture method has been shown to produce low yields and is arguably uneconomic. The good news is that interest in the cultivation of this humble species is steadily increasing once more, though much scientific work is still needed to obtain significant progress. Several issues, such as slow growth, large pond size requirements of broodstock, and climate-dependent spawning need to be addressed. If all goes well, tench may soon become a staple fish meat in your own home!
