Karp Zatorski

Karp zatorski is a fish hybrid of the Cyprinus carpio species, cultivated by cross-breeding the Karp Zatorski pure line with the Hungarian, Yugoslav, Golysz and Israeli pure lines of fish. The carp is raised in winter ponds feeding on natural food with the addition of cereals, in the Malopolskie Province in Poland.

The fish grow up to 2 kilograms in weight. Their unique features are a curved back, compact shape and an olive green to blue color. Due to their pond-raising, the meat doesn't have any hints of a muddy taste, but is instead delicately fresh and flavorful, with a lower fat content than in standardly marketed fish.

Its taste is so good that the Polish kings praised it in the Middle Ages, which is the reason why local carp is sometimes called 'the king's carp'. The carps are sold fresh and alive, but once they are cooked, they should be eaten right away, paired with olive oil, crushed garlic or oven-baked and paired with potatoes or a sour cream sauce.