Anchovies
The anchovy is a small, oily fish. There are over 140 species around the world.
Anchovies are near the bottom of the food chain in the ocean and support a multitude of animal species, including humans. Here in the Pacific Northwest, we have the northern anchovy.
Species
Anchovies
Northern anchovies (Engraulis mordax)
Northern anchovies
The northern anchovy (Engraulis mordax), also known as the Californian anchovy, is abundant in our waters. Currently, they can be considered a sustainable seafood for our region. They are abundant and stocks are believed to be healthy.
However, anchovy populations can fluctuate greatly from one year to another. The reasons why are not fully understood. These small forage fish only live about 4 to 7 years and reach reproductive age at about 2 years. They spawn year-round, with peak spawning occurring in winter and spring.
Anchovy populations undergo boom and bust cycles. Their numbers fluctuate often. For example, we had a surge in numbers around 2016 at the mouth of the Columbia River. On the other hand, the Peruvian anchovy population collapsed in the 1970s. The fishery took nearly two decades to recover. So although anchovy fisheries are very sustainable overall, they still need careful management to ensure that populations can weather these fluctuations, which seem to have a lot to do with climatic and seasonal changes.
The northern anchovy supports two fisheries, with one ranging from Oregon to Washington and British Columbia and a second one in California. The West Coast has had anchovy fisheries since at least the early 1900s. Today, however, the northern anchovy is one of the least-fished anchovy species in the world. It is mainly fished for bait and to process into fish meal. Most of the anchovies we find in stores locally are European or Japanese imports.
Cooking with anchovies
Fresh anchovies are commonly grilled, battered and fried, or stewed.
However, anchovies are an oily fish and like other oily fish, are highly perishable. Due to this fact, they are often processed: made into fish sauce, pickled, salted, or dried. When working with fresh anchovies, avoid those with belly burn (damage or signs of decomposition caused by digestive enzymes in the fish’s gut).
Preserved anchovy products
Salted anchovies are the strongly-flavored anchovies most commonly eaten in the US and Europe. They are produced throughout the Mediterranean, especially in Spain, Italy, and Morocco. They can be found either packed in olive oil or in salt, and are often canned.
Also in the Mediterranean, anchovies may be cleaned, pickled in vinegar, then stored in oil with herbs and garlic. In Spain, these are known as “boquerones” and often eaten as a bar snack (“tapas”) with potato chips. Pickled marinated anchovies can also be found in Greece, where they are called “gavros marinatos”.
Dried anchovies are an ingredient commonly used in Korea to make broths and small side dishes. Dried anchovies are available in different sizes.
Another Korean ingredient is “myeolchi-jeot”, salted and fermented anchovies commonly used as an ingredient in kimchi and sauces.
A fermented anchovy paste known as “pissalat” is traditionally produced in the Nice region of France. “Pissaladière”, a flatbread with anchovy, olives, and onions, derives its name from it. A similar paste called “allec’’ was made in Roman antiquity from the sediment left from fish sauce production.
Fish sauce is a savory seasoning liquid produced by fermenting seafood and collecting the resulting liquid. There is a version of fish sauce in every cuisine in Asia, but the type of fish used varies. Anchovies are the most popular choice, especially in southeast Asia.
Fish sauce has been documented in both ancient China and ancient Mediterranean cultures. It is not known if these sauces developed independently in Asia and Europe. Within Asia, fish sauce originated in China around 300 BCE. Its use in China was eventually supplanted by fermented soybean products. However, it became a key component of southeast Asian cuisines, where it remains popular today.
The fish sauce consumed in Rome was known as “garum” or “liquamen”. Its earliest production was recorded in about 300-400 BCE, although it is known to have been produced earlier in ancient Greece and Phoenicia. The use of fish sauce in Europe fell out of favor after the fall of Rome, but can still be found in the form of “colatura di alici”, a fish sauce produced in Italy. Worcestershire sauce can be considered a fish sauce as well; it is made with a fermented anchovy base, vinegar, molasses, and a blend of spices.
