Lamprey
Petromyzontidae
Not Kosher
Description
Lamprey is a prized delicacy in southwestern Europe, Finland, and Latvia, in dishes like arroz de lampreia and lampreia a Bordalesa. A lamprey pie was even made for Queen Elizabeth II's 1953 coronation. In Finland it's grilled, smoked, or pickled.
Lampreys live mostly in coastal and fresh waters across temperate regions. Some travel far across the open ocean, while others stay in land-locked lakes. They're absent from the tropics, likely because the larvae can't handle warm water.
Also known as
- Sea lamprey
- Vampire fish
Lamprey in foreign languages
| Scientific | Petromyzontidae |
| Hebrew | צמדאים |
| Arabic | جلكيات مألوفة |
| Portuguese | Lampreia |
| French | Lamproie |
| Greek | Πετρομυζωντίδες |
| Russian | Миноговые |
| Turkish | Taşemengiller |
| Chinese | 七鳃鳗科 |
| Japanese | ヤツメウナギ科 |
| Korean | 칠성장어과 |
| Thai | ปลาแลมป์เพรย์ |
| Indonesian | Lamprey |
Warnings & Kosher Issues
- A jawless fish with a smooth, scaleless body and no paired fins, so it is not kosher.
- The mucus and serum of several species are toxic, so lampreys need thorough cleaning before cooking.