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We Are Getting Ready for Saint Patrick's Day!
February 28, 2011 March 17 is just around the corner... Shad is Coming! February 28, 2012 Spring is almost here and you know what that means...Shad and Shad Roe. Martin's Tavern Gift Cards December 1, 2011 Give the gift of great food and friends with a Martin's Tavern gift card! Vote for Us! February 1, 2012 Click here to vote us "Best Neighborhood Bar" in Washington City Paper's Best of DC 2012 poll. Aniko's Bass Special May 30, 2011 Bass is Only $5 on Thursdays while Aniko is behind the bar! |
Shad is Coming!
February 28, 2012
A Shad StoryFor more than 50 years, Martin’s Tavern has served shad and shad roe every spring. They are available from February to May as this saltwater fish swims inland to fresh water to spawn. Fresh shad roe is only available in spring. Our shad comes from the waters of Florida and Georgia. Local fresh shad and roe will be here “when the dogwoods bloom” – mid April. Although bony, the sweet, white meat of Shad is delicate in taste and texture. Roe has a more distinctive flavor, though not strong. Best when fresh, it is considered a seasonal delicacy.In the 17th century, the first European settlers on the East Coast learned about Shad as a harbinger of spring from local Native Americans. Dried shad has been credited with saving George Washington’s troops from starvation as they camped along the Schuylkill River at Valley Forge. Shad’s predictability during a veryhopeful time of year has made its name synonymous with springtime, and there is a strain of bushes, berries, flies – even frogs – named in its honor.The FishAmerican Shad (some people may call it Herring or White Shad) swim in large schools and are found along the Atlantic seaboard from Labrador to Florida and were introduced to the West Coast in 1871. Every spring, they migrate from their saltwater habitat to spawn in fresh water. Shad averages 3 to 5 pounds and is prized for its eggs – the delicacy know as Shad Roe.Rising spring temperatures prompt Shad to leave the ocean and return to the waters in which they were born. Biologists believe the fish find their natal streams through their uncanny sense of smell. Shad like water temperatures of 55 to 61 degrees Fahrenheit so Shad in the southern states migrate earlier and Shad in the northern states migrate to fresh water latter. Males arrive on the spawning grounds first, followed by egg-laden females. A female releases 100,000 to 600,000 eggs (roe) into the water.The RoeMost fish roe is edible but others (including great barracuda and some members of the puffer and trunkfish families) are toxic. The choicest roe comes from carp, herring, mackerel and shad. Salting roe transforms it into Caviar.
