Alaska pollock (Gadus chalcogrammus), a species of cod (Gadus) found in the North Pacific ocean, is used as food globally. Compared with common pollock, Alaska pollock is milder in taste, whiter in color, and lower in oil content. Alaska pollock fillets are commonly packaged into block molds that are deep frozen and used throughout Europe and North America as raw material for high quality breaded and battered fish products. Portions cut from frozen Alaska pollock fillet blocks are the most common choice for fast food restaurant fish sandwiches, for example in the McDonald's Filet-O-Fish. Alaska pollock is also a common raw material used in the manufacture of surimi. Alaska pollock is widely regarded as one of the best proteins for the manufacture of high quality surimi because of the high gel strength of Alaska pollock flesh. History Pollock has been consumed in Korea since the Joseon era (1392–1897). One of its earliest mentions is in the 1652 Diary of the Royal Secretariat, which states that "the management administration should be strictly interrogated for bringing in pollock roe instead of cod roe." In 1940, Alaska pollock was the most commonly caught fish in Korea, with more than 270,000 tonnes brought in from the Sea of Japan. However, the consumption of Alaska pollock in South Korea dropped to an estimated 260,000 tonnes per year by 2016, Much of is imported from Russia due to changes in sea water temperatures. Alaska Pollock is a sizeable resource of fish and makes up 32% of the total US landings and 58% of Alaska's. Pollock is the target of many of the world's fisheries and represents about 5% of the world's harvest. In the United States water's alone over 1.5 million mt have been caught, giving an estimated value of 600- 900 million dollars in profit, between the years 1992–1996. Processing Alaska pollock fillets are layered into a block mold and deep-frozen for distribution. For high-quality products, high-grade fillets are frozen only once between catch and consumer. For lower quality, low-cost breaded and battered fish sticks, double-frozen or minced trim pieces are used instead. Use in fast food Alaska pollock is commonly used in the fast food industry; in products such as McDonald's Filet-O-Fish sandwich Arby's Classic Fish sandwich, Long John Silver's Baja Fish Taco, and Birds Eye's Fish Fingers in Crispy Batter. Trident Seafoods and Chuck Bundrant were instrumental in popularizing the fish in the