A quarter of a century later, the legendary herring of Iwashi returned to the shelves of Russian stores. According to Rosrybolovstvo, fishing for sea fish resumed in the waters of the Far East.
What is ivashi?
Iwashi, or Far Eastern sardine, belongs to the herring family. The length of the fish reaches 30 cm. Approximate weight - 140 grams. Ivashi is found in coastal East Asian waters. She is the subject of fishing, and therefore its quantity is constantly fluctuating. It is believed that the sardine population is increasing in numbers every 25 years.
Fishing
According to the head of the Federal Agency for Fisheries of Russia, Ilya Shestakov, the departmental research vessel conducted special scientific research. The results obtained allow fishermen to provide information on the industrial accumulation of Iwashi and mackerel.
Herring was previously banned due to depletion of the population, but the situation has now improved. According to the Federal Fisheries Agency, large schools of Iwashi are observed everywhere, including in the Kuril Islands.
Appearance
The name "Iwashi" the fish received with a light hand of the Japanese. In the language of the Land of the Rising Sun, "ma-ivashi" is translated as "sardine."
Iwashi is distinguished by a narrow body. The dorsal fin has from 17 to 21 soft rays. On the basis of the caudal fin, you can see the pterygoid scales, which is a characteristic feature of all herring.
The back of the Iwashi, the photo of which is presented here, is painted in a greenish-olive color, the sides are silver-white. The end of the snout as well as the back of the caudal fin are black. On the sides of the body the fish has numerous dark spots, under them there are light spots. The maximum lifespan of fish is 8 years. Now you know what is ivashi.
Habitat
Iwashi is found in the seas of the Far East. Its habitats are considered the shores of Korea, China, Japan. Also, fish often goes to the Kuril Islands and Kamchatka.
Taste qualities
Cooked fish meat has a white color of a grayish tint. It tastes rather dry. Fried herring is juicy and tender. Light sour taste gives the fish piquancy. Sardine broth is transparent, but incredibly rich.
What is ivashi and why is it used by housewives? This fish is ideal for salting. It goes well with boiled and baked potatoes.
The nutritional value
100 grams of Iwashi contains:
- Zhirov - 20.0 g.
- Protein - 20.0 g.
- Omega-3 - 4.0 mg.
- Water - 58.5 g.
- Energy value - 260 kcal.
Herring spicy salting
To cook Iwashi herring at home, we need the following ingredients (based on 2-3 large fish):
- Water - 1 liter.
- Salt - 2 tbsp. spoons.
- Sugar - 2 tbsp. spoons.
- A mixture of spices (among other seasonings it contains coriander and cloves) - 1 tbsp. spoon
- Bay leaf - 2 pcs.
- Allspice - 6 peas.
- Black pepper - 1 teaspoon.
- Carnation - 2 branches.
To prepare the marinade, you need to combine all the ingredients and bring them to a boil over low heat. Leave the resulting mixture on the stove to cool.
In the meantime, you need to carefully gut the Iwashi, cut off the tails and heads, and clean it. Prepared herring should be placed in a container and pour cold brine. Cover the dish.
Iwashi should be in the refrigerator for a day. Now she is ready.
Next, the fish should be cut into pieces, sprinkled with finely chopped onions, folded tightly in a glass jar and pour refined sunflower oil. You can keep the herring in the same brine in which it was prepared. Enjoy your meal!
How to salt iwashi: a classic recipe
Clean the fish and place in a deep glass bowl. In 600 ml of boiling water, dissolve 1 tbsp. teaspoon of salt and 1 teaspoon of sugar. With cooled brine, fill the fish so that it is completely immersed in the liquid.
Ideal for salting fish, the temperature is 1-10 ° C. In the cold season, it can be taken out to the balcony. In two or three days you will receive a delicious Iwashi of a strong ambassador.
Useful Tips
Small tricks will help prepare a delicious salted fish even for a novice cook:
- We choose the right ivashi for salting. The taste of the finished snack largely depends on the freshness of the fish, so you should carefully approach the choice of herring. The best option would be fresh Iwashi. However, most housewives cannot afford just-caught fish, therefore we choose from frozen. Before buying, carefully inspect Iwashi. What is iwashi fresh? The surface of the fish should have a natural color, gill wings and fins tightly pressed to the carcass. You do not need to take a very battered, yellowed fish that lacks scales. Also, do not buy Iwashi without a head. There is a big risk that an unscrupulous seller has frozen fish of not the first freshness. Remember that the main indicator of herring freshness is whole gills and bulging bright eyes.
- The best tastes are salted herring, which was prepared from fish caught in the winter. She is quite oily, so her fillet is tender and soft. When choosing, pay attention to large-sized fish, which boasts rounded barrels and a thick back with a uniform color. She will be very tasty. Many want ivashi with caviar. It should be noted that the carcass of such a herring may not be juicy enough, since it spent its fat reserve on the production of eggs.
- So that the herring does not lose its taste, it is necessary to defrost it correctly. Thaw herring at a temperature not exceeding 5 ° C, leaving it for a while in the refrigerator. Never use hot water or a microwave to defrost.
- The most delicious herring is the one that is salted whole, without gutting. It turns out lightly salted and incredibly tender. But if you need to cook a snack quickly, gut the fish, remove the head and gills with a sharp knife.
- You can keep herring in brine for about a week. If after this time you did not eat it, then you need to get the fish from the brine. Clean it, cut it and place it in a glass jar, fill it with odorless vegetable oil. The shelf life of the prepared Iwashi in this way will be several weeks.