Taranka

While riding the bus in Ukraine, it is a common site to see a guy gnawing on a whole dried/salted fish. At first the sight was a little shocking, but my curiosity got the best of me and I began asking some of my Ukrainian friends which kinds are the best. A little while back, my friend Dima and I bought several 25cm long “Taranka” (I don’t know the English translation) and my education began.

We spread out several sheets of newspaper on the coffee table and got started. Extracting edible from inedible is quite an involved process, requiring several steps. I will spare you the details. The meat is rather tasty; Dima says especially if it is “somewhat fresh.” Enjoying a couple fish together is a social activity… sort of like fondue back home. For those of you who are interested, I have posted a before and after picture, taken at the demonstration I did for Laura. The next level in my learning will be to replicate the process on a bus.

Dave