Fish in our country has always been considered a delicacy,especially its rare varieties. And if you think that the most expensive and rare fish is necessarily red and large, then you are mistaken. Sosvinskaya herring can successfully compete for the title of the most legendary fish delicacy. What kind of fish is it and why did it get such a name?
Fish features
In fact, the Sosva herring is not at allherring. It belongs to the sig family, the salmonid subfamily, and its closest relatives are omul, nelma, and whitefish. The real name of this fish is tugun, and it became Sosvinskaya thanks to its habitat. The fact is that a slug is an endemic, that is, a species that lives in one, limited place and does not float far from the place of its birth. In this case, these are the rivers of Siberia. But in the small tributary of the Ob, in Severnaya Sosva, not far from the village of Berezovoe in the Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous Okrug, the most numerous and most delicious Sosva herring lives.
Her photo shows something unremarkable, small - up to 20 cm in length - a rounded fish, a little resembling the appearance of sprat, but exceeding its taste many times over.
They catch a tuguna in the spring, during a flood, whenflocks going on fattening. Therefore, it is convenient to catch him not by spinning and not even by a net, but by a net. In the middle of summer, the overcrowded ottoman returns from shallow water, estuaries and tributaries to the river to spawn. At this time, it is also easy to catch. However, for some time the catch of this fish by the population has been prohibited, since its number in the region is rapidly falling. Despite all the bans and huge fines, poachers catch tuguna practically all day and night during its turn.
The history of the royal fish
In Russia, the Sosvinskaya herring was loved for a long time, and earlier they even called it the royal herring, since they supplied it directly to the royal table. Peter the Great appreciated her taste.
В Советское время ее добывали всего 10 тонн в year, and only due to this lived the village and the local fish factory. Once a year, after catching and salting, a refrigerated aircraft was sent from Moscow, which carried valuable canned goods to the tables of the very first people of the state.
Also known is the fact that at Yaltaat the conference, Stalin treated Churchill's delicacy, and he ate brandy with a fish. Sosvinsky herring liked Mr. Churchill so much that afterwards he was sent a barrel of this delicacy by direct flight.
What makes Sosva herring a delicacy?
First, of course, the taste of this fish.It is very thin with a light aroma of freshness, reminiscent of a cucumber. The meat itself is fat and tender so that, after lying for a couple of months in brine, it simply melts in it without a trace. Therefore, the fish do salted and try to sell right there. However, it is not difficult - for a poacher a kilogram can cost up to a thousand rubles. Fresh Sosvinskaya herring is stored for a very short time: even if it lays a little bit, its taste deteriorates - its meat has a lot of fat, which is rapidly oxidized in air, and the fish almost immediately becomes stuffed. Therefore, they officially sell it not fresh, but saline. Also, it should not be frozen, as it completely kills the unique taste of the product.
Secondly, fame and scarcity created her fame. Buy it - even in the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug, great luck, what can we say about central Russia.
Where to try
Since this fish is left a little, and storedit is very small, you cannot bring it fresh to the capital or even to the neighboring region. Therefore, salt it on the spot - at the Berezovsky fish factory. There are similar productions in neighboring Surgut and Tyumen. Preparing it in the factories in one way only - this is a spicy, keeled ambassador, which reveals the taste of fish in the best way possible.
The easiest way to buy this fish onlineBerezovsky fish factory "Siberian fish", where there are several options for sale Sosva herring. The company has a representative office in the capital, so if you don’t know where to try Sosva’s herring in Moscow, look for this official online store. There is also a company department in the capital in the shopping center “FOOD CITY” on the Kaluga highway. By the way, a 200-gram pot costs about 500 rubles.
How to pickle sosvinskuyu herring at home
If you managed to get fresh Sosvinskayaherring, do not hesitate or wisely. Such fish should be cooked as quickly and as easily as possible - this is what will best reveal the taste of its meat. Fishermen usually ate it raw, laid out in a bucket and covered with coarse salt. Then everything is simple - they took the fish by the tail, tore off the fin, pulled out the insides, tore off the head (with delicate fish, all this can be done in one motion) and sent to the mouth.
But you can make a more attractive option.salting - gutted fish is good to sprinkle with salt, pepper and leave for a day, after which you can eat right with the bones, so soft and soft they are. You can cook and spicy marinade. To do this, put the whole untreated fish in non-oxidized dishes, pour salt at the rate of a tablespoon per kilogram of fish. Next, prepare the marinade itself - in 50 ml of water, add a couple of bay leaves, a teaspoon of pepper, cumin, coriander and nutmeg and boil the liquid. Then cool it and pour the fish, press down with oppression and leave it in the cold for a couple of days.
All those who have tried this delicacy at least once, in one voice assure that you will never forget its taste, so if you have found it on sale, feel free to take it and taste it.
