What are Swedish ansjovis?
Ansjovis is normally translated to English as anchovies, but they are rather different to Mediterranean anchovies. Really they are little sprats and they are normally cured in a spiced brine and sold as fillets in tins, but you can also get whole sprats in glass jars.
What is pickled sprat?
It doesn’t taste like fish – the sprats are just seasoning – a Temptation tastes smooth and creamy with just a tiny hint of the ocean. The Swedish word ansjovis is often translated (and understandably so) into the English anchovies, but the fact of the matter is that ansjovis in Swedish actually means pickled sprats.
What are sprat fillets?
Swedish anchovies are actually not anchovies at all but are sprat fillets. Salty and spicy, they are a must at a Swedish smörgåsbord and the main ingredient for the popular Swedish dish, Janssons Frestelse (Janssons Temptation).
Can I substitute sprats for anchovies?
In these dishes, Swedish canned sprats cannot be replaced with regular Italian, French or Spanish type canned anchovies without completely altering the flavour of the dish. Picture above: whole Danish canned anchovies (sprats).
What is sprat fish?
bristling, also spelled Brisling, also called Sprat, (Sprattus sprattus), edible fish of the herring family Clupeidae (order Clupeiformes). Bristlings are silver-coloured marine fishes that form enormous schools in western European waters. They contribute to the worldwide fishing industry.
Is a sprat a white fish?
The European sprat (Sprattus sprattus), also known as bristling, brisling, garvie, garvock, Russian sardine, russlet, skipper or whitebait, is a species of small marine fish in the herring family Clupeidae. Found in European waters, it has silver grey scales and white-grey flesh.
What is the difference between a sardine and a sprat?
A generalisation is that if the fish is under 4″ long (10 cm) it is classed as a sardine, and if larger than 4 inches it is classed as a pilchard. Canned “sardines” in supermarkets may actually be sprats (such as the “brisling sardine”) or round herrings.
Where does the saying a sprat to catch a mackerel come from?
The phrase a sprat to catch a mackerel, and its variants, denote a small outlay or risk ventured in the hope or expectation of a significant return. This is a metaphor from fishing, in which sprats are used as bait to catch larger fish.
What are Swedish sprats?
What are Swedish anchovies?
Swedish anchovies are not anchovies at all, they are sprats, or what we most commonly eat as whitebait when they are fried. These, too, are small, silver-bellied and blueish-green on the sides, not unlike their Italian equivalent.
Is a sprat the same as a sardine?
“Sprat” is the name applied to several species of small, oily fishes belonging to the herring family. They look like miniature sardines and are recognized by the sharp scales along the belly. Products sold as having been prepared from anchovies and sardines are sometimes actually prepared from sprats.