Anchovies as food

[1] They are small, green fish with blue reflections due to a silver longitudinal stripe that runs from the base of the caudal fin.

Anchovies pickled in vinegar, as with Spanish boquerones en vinagre, are milder, and the flesh retains a white color.

[7] The rare alici (anchovies - in the local dialect: "Sardoni barcolani") from the Gulf of Trieste near Barcola, which are only caught at Sirocco, are particularly sought after because of their white meat and special taste and fetch high prices for fishermen.

Hence, the product "anchovies" is normally made of sprats,[9] while fish such as herring can be sold as "anchovy-spiced", leading to confusion when translating recipes.

[10] In English-speaking countries, alici are sometimes called "white anchovies", and are often served in a weak vinegar marinade, a preservation method associated with the coastal town of Collioure in southwest France.

The white fillets (a little like marinated herrings) are sold in heavy salt, or the more popular garlic or tomato oil and vinegar marinade packs.

In Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Singapore anchovies are commonly used to make fish stock or are deep fried.

In other parts of Asia, such as Korea and Japan, sun-dried anchovies are used to produce a rich soup similar to setipinna taty.

Fresh and dried anchovies are a popular part of the cuisine in Kerala and other south Indian states, where they are referred to as netholi/chooda (and nethili in Tamil Nadu) and provide a cheap source of protein[12] in the diet.