Lakerda

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Lakerda is a pickled bonito dish eaten as a mezze in the cuisines of the former Ottoman Empire.[1][2][3] Lakerda made from one-year-old bonito migrating through the Bosphorus is especially prized.

Name

Lakerda (λακέρδα) comes from Byzantine Greek lakerta (λακέρτα) 'mackerel', which in turn comes from Latin lacerta 'mackerel' or 'horse mackerel'.[4]

Preparation

Steaks of bonito are boned, soaked in brine, then salted and weighted for about a week.[5] They are then ready to eat, or may be stored in olive oil.

Sometimes large mackerel or small tuna are used instead of bonito.

Serving

In Greece, lakerda is usually served as a mezze, with sliced onion. Lemon juice and olive oil are common but criticized accompaniments.[3] In Turkey it is usually served as mezze, with sliced red onion, olive oil and black pepper. It is generally accompanied with rakı.

History

Lakerda is very similar to a prized ancient Greek dish, tarikhos horaion 'ripe salted fish' or simply horaion. Other ancient salt bonito preparations were called omotarikhos and kybion.[6]

See also

Notes

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  3. 3.0 3.1 Diane Kochilas, The Glorious Foods of Greece, 2001, ISBN 0-688-15457-3, p. 209 excerpt
  4. Andriotis et al., Λεξικό της κοινής νεοελληνικής
  5. Alan Davidson, Mediterranean Seafood, Penguin, 1972. ISBN 0-14-046174-4, p. 123
  6. Andrew Dalby, Food in the ancient world from A to Z, 2003, ISBN 0-415-23259-7, p. 336 snippet