Fish-loving
Filipinos that we are, we tend to think that we know a lot about anything and
everything related to fish in reality of course, we don't. However, it
wouldn't hurt if we add on to our knowledge of our most favored fare. Here are a
few fishy questions and the correspondingly fishy answers:
Are
anchovies locally known as dilis?
Not exactly although they both belong to
the herring family. Anchovies grow to about 5 inches long and have actually been
used since the time of the Romans. They are prepared either salted, pickled or
preserved in oil. A lot of people profess to not linking the taste of this fish,
without realizing that anchovies are actually used in a host of dishes without
them knowing it.
Is
caviar fish eggs?
Yes, they are. It is actually the roe
(eggs) of the sturgeon fish (believe it or not, a close relative of the local
labahita), that is imported from Russia and Iran. It comes in varying grains (or
size), the largest being that of the Beluga and the smallest called Sevruga.
Interestingly, not all caviar comes from the aforementioned countries as
Canada also has its very own. Anyway, caviar is very expensive and is considered
a luxury foodstuff.
A little known
fact about caviar is that it comes in a number of colors. Thus, aside from black
(the most well-known and expensive), there are also red (from salmon, good but
not comparable), dark gray, charcoal, green and even blond!
Incidentally,
how is caviar eaten? Caviar is chilled and served on toast and bread. Sometimes,
caviar is garnished with eggs - a pretty sight and which is meant to stretch
this very expensive foodstuff.
Are
frog legs considered fish or meat?
Technically, it is neither. Frogs are considered amphibians, which is another
way of saying neither here nor there. However, since they are not considered
meat by the Roman Catholic Church, and is allowed by it to be eaten during Lent,
some people tend to consider it as fish.
Turtle meat,
like frog legs, is also considered by some people as fish. Nonetheless, this
might change in time, as sea turtles in particular are becoming endangered.
Mexicans are said to eat the most turtles during Lent.
What
is seviche or ceviche?
This is very similar to the Filipino kinilaw
(at least in principle), the only difference is that for the souring (and
cooking) agent, the seviche uses lime juice instead of vinegar. Anyway, seviche
is raw thinly-sliced fish (snapper), with hot peppers, onions and lime juice. It
is allowed to stand overnight and is usually served with toast. In the
Philippines, however, trust the Pinoy to eat this dish with rice.
Is
lox a brand of soap or a fish?
Humor aside, it isn't a brand of soap but fish. It's actually the Russian word
for salmon. Specifically, it is salmon that has been cured heavily for quite
some time in salt brine; soaked (to remove too much salt) and then smoked.
Believe it or not, lox is actually very much a part of the cuisine of most
central European countries and Scandinavia. However, since the Jews of Europe
took a very great liking to it, lox has since been associated with Jewish
cuisine. Lox is usually serve along with cheeses and an assortment of bread for
Sunday breakfast or as a first entrée.