Whitefish refers to several types of fish with pale, mild-flavored meat. The term usually describes freshwater fish like lake whitefish, which live in cold northern lakes, or ocean fish like cod, haddock, and halibut. These fish have white or very light-colored flesh instead of the pink or red meat you see in salmon or tuna.

Whitefish earned their name from the color of their meat, and they're popular in cooking because their mild flavor works well with many different seasonings and cooking methods. If you've ever eaten fish and chips or a fish sandwich, you probably ate whitefish. Lake whitefish are especially important in the Great Lakes region, where they've been caught for food for thousands of years.

In restaurants, when a menu lists “whitefish,” it might mean any of several species, depending on what's fresh and available. Chefs often choose whitefish because the delicate flavor doesn't overpower other ingredients in a dish. The term helps distinguish these fish from oilier, stronger-tasting fish like mackerel or anchovies.