Wholesale GROUNDFISH

Groundfish, or whitefish, has been a mainstay product for us throughout the history of our company. At Boston Sword & Tuna, the two species of wholesale groundfish we focus on most are cod and haddock. Although the flesh of haddock tends to be slightly softer than that of cod, it’s nearly impossible to differentiate the two species when cooked. In fact, the only truly distinguishing features between the them are the thumbprint mark on the skin of haddock and the black lateral line running down the body of the fish. Haddock is typically more expensive than cod due to its “superior flavor” reputation and shorter supply stocks.

Cod is a large deep-water fish yielding fresh, hearty fillets. When cooked, cod flakes easily and is mild to taste, while also remaining low in fat content. Haddock, likewise, has mild though slightly sweet flavor, is also firm in texture, and possesses a delicate flake when cooked. There are two types of cod fish: Atlantic cod and Pacific cod. Of the two, Atlantic cod is considered to have a leg up on Pacific cod due to it being slightly firmer in texture by result of less moisture content. In addition, Atlantic cod is typically larger than Pacific cod. Aside from that, the differences between the two are virtually nonexistent. Cod fishing is done both in the North Atlantic and the North Pacific, and is enjoyed by many around the world as a staple “whitefish.”

Building off that note, our wholesale groundfish price list also includes various size increments, as well as product origin options, for both haddock and cod. We source the majority of our groundfish from Canada, but also maintain products of origin from places like Iceland. On most any ordinary summer day, let’s say, our haddock section of the price list will include (weight in ounces): fresh large Icelandic haddock (12+ and 16+), fresh scrod haddock (8-10), fresh snapper haddock (4-6), and last but not least, PF haddock (generally 8-10 range). In order to differentiate itself from cod, haddock is often sold skin-on, but is also available as skin-off. Cod, on the other hand, is sold purely as skin-off, and with the following options: fresh Icelandic market cod (12+), local/Canadian market cod (12+), and local USA scrod cod (8-10).