The NW Native tribes also eat them whole. When they enter the river to spawn, they don't eat, so the insides are clean. In SW Alaska the Alaska Native Coastal people eat the relative Eulachon fish whole also. I have eaten these at cultural feasts, also head and all. Delicious. The Columbia Rivers tribes harvest and eat lamprey eel whole. They harvest these as well during the spawn. They cook theirs right in the coals and it has a singed flavor that reminds me of traditional foods from my home reservation in the Four Corners. There are foods that we savor the singed flavor from the hot fire or coals. So, it's not something new that Europeans & Asians introduced. It's been a way of life for thousands of years. Good to see you enjoying the smelt harvest and wish you and your children a long and happy life in our homelands.
Remember eating these in greece 60 years ago ..never forgot the experience..been searching how to make them without cutting off head and inards…as most videos tell you too!, knew that was not the way..so glad i came accross your video thank you !,,,cant wait to make them and bring back pleasant memories
We used to eat smelt as kids, but it was the tiny sand smelt. Heads off, but ate the rest whole. Sand smelt are so small that you can eat them bones and all. Delicious.
I have eaten those cooked almost the same way only with a very loose batter. Just bite them whole no pulling off the head, no pulling out the milkers. Just bite them and crunch them, so good with cabbage cole slaw and rice or potatoes. Made myself hungry.
I missed out as a kid...my mom never cooked them...she used them for fertilizer around the shrubs. I remember we went at night on the Cowlitz and it was a fun time to dip them...tons of other people doing it at same time.
Curious the (scientific) names of these fish…we call the small ones “night fish” and the larger ones “surf fish,” but what am I really eating? Thanks for video…exactly how we eat them…but I’m going to try to clean some of the tiny things (night fish) and then leave some whole.
nice simple coating and that is all they need if not just flour and salt but i would deep fry them ,this also dries up the innerds better and just more crispy less soggy ,where did you get those one from niagara? those look big
@@bebe0928 nice, are they still safe enough to eat because i keep hearing about advisory reports on eating smelt or other fish depending what body of water they came from and recommendation for how many meals per ,month etc etc wonder if in the state you guys have similar fishing regulation or summary to follow? also when does the run start and end what months from march till may? are they still being caught in may?
@@ARCSTREAMS it's safe to eat if the fish & wild life dept open the season, which they did this February for only 1 day to preserve the fishery. In WA the smelt only runs in February, so nothing will be available in May.
@@bebe0928 you are only allowed to fish smelt for 1 day? well here in ontario canada i dont think there is any regulation on smelt and its open all year, i think the best runs found are in spring from march to may possibly
If a fish looks at an American, while he is trying to eat them, he feels sorry for him, he will no longer want to eat it, he buys an aquarium for the fish and tries to liven it up? 😂😂
Yeah like you eat beef steaks with the picture of the cow infant of you with it's eyes look at you, that way of life we eat chicken,ham . Fish lamc. etc....
Both can be fried and eaten with the fish. Sperm is very minimal not like the eggs, also can be easily pulled away with other inners after the fish is cooked if you want to eat it
