Anchovies, also known as "anchovies", Chongming called "seed fish", Shanghai called "grilled seed fish". Named because it is shaped like the tail of a phoenix, it is one of Chongming's specialties.
Anchovies and knifefish are "relatives", so the body size and appearance are also similar, the difference is only that the anchovies are slightly yellowish in color, and the other is that the mouth of the knifefish is almost transparent, while the anchovies are slightly black. Of course, the biggest difference is the price.
Anchovies and knifefish are both family of mackerel, and there are also anchovies, knife mackerels, seven-silk mackerel, short-jawed mackerels and so on.
Anchovies are estuarine migratory fish that usually inhabit shallow seas, and from late April to early July, anchovies swim in groups to spawn near Chongming Island, where the brackish water confluence of the Yangtze River estuary, forming a fish flood.
Not only in China, the fish flood scene formed by the anchovies every year is very spectacular, and the coast of the United States has been "blackened" due to the gathering of anchovies.
On July 8, 2014, California, the Daily Mail reported that a spectacle appeared off the coast of California. At la Jolla, the color of the water suddenly darkens, surprising the people on the beach. It is reported that this is due to the spectacle of thousands of anchovies gathered together. Scientists say they haven't found such a spectacle in the region in the past 30 years.
Although anchovies and knifefish look alike, once they are caught and put into the back kitchen, their fate is completely different. Knife fish will be steamed or braised, and ceremonially served, while the swollen caviar will be marinated in soy sauce and rock sugar, fried in oil into grilled roe fish, fragrant and crispy, casually plated, children can eat as a snack.
Anchovies are a delicious gift for the Chongming people who "eat the river by the river", and anchovies have also become a common banquet dish and side dishes with wine, which are delicious and endless.
Anchovies are delicate and nutritious. Chongming people eat anchovies, the most common are pickle roasted seed fish, gherkin roasted seed fish, seed fish eggs, fried oiled fish and grilled seed fish.
In addition to frying, anchovies are also used to make hot sauce, or canned, and are easily available in supermarkets. Anchovies seem simple and small in size, but they are also sparkling in the food world!