Fish and chips has considerable popularity in parts of North America (New England, the Pacific Northwest and Canada generally), the Republic of Ireland and South Africa. Canadians use a wide variety of fish, including cod, halibut, haddock, pollock and bluefish. Fresh-water species such as yellow perch, walleye and smelt have also become quite popular in Ontario. In Vancouver, wild Pacific salmon has become a popular choice of fish.
The haddock or offshore hake is a marine fish distributed on both sides of the North Atlantic. Haddock is a very popular food fish, sold fresh, smoked, frozen, dried, or to a small extent canned. Haddock, along with cod and plaice, is one of the most popular fish used in British fish and chips.
Batter is a liquid mixture, usually based on one or more flours combined with liquids such as water, milk or beer. Egg is also a common component. Often a leavening agent is included in the mixture to aerate and fluff up the batter as it cooks.