Skate is the common name for several flat, cartilaginous fish in the ray family, found in oceans worldwide. Only the large pectoral fins, sold as skate wings, are commonly eaten; the rest of the fish is not used in cooking. The flesh is delicate and mildly sweet, with a texture that firms up when cooked, most often by poaching, pan-frying, grilling, or baking. Skate is a fixture of French cooking (skate à la meunière, and as a component of bouillabaisse) and also appears in Belgian, British, Chinese, and Japanese cuisines. Because a strip of cartilage runs through the wing, it needs to be trimmed away before or after cooking, and skate is highly perishable, so it should be cooked soon after purchase.