Anchovy is a typical fish, with sardine, mackerel, swordfish, tunny, also called "blue fish" because some varieties have bluish scales, but also because they constitute the migratory pelagic fauna: in fact, in certain periods of the year, they live in shallower waters close to the coasts. Some varieties, such as anchovies, sardines, mackerels, are unfairly considered "poor fish"; in fact their cost is low for their abundance, but their alimentary value is very high for the content of proteins, vitamins A, B, D and niacin; and even unsaturated fatty acids. These are used by the organism to reduce the presence of cholesterol in excess. Maybe for these unconscious reasons, Sicilians love the anchovy, the sardine, the tunny: compared to any other specie, these fishes are cooked in the highest number of recipes.
Anchovy is the most valuable blue fish; has a slim, tapered and silvery body; Romans ate lots of anchovies, but especially as salted sauce called “garum” obtained through the decomposition and fermentation of the fishes. They were considered a definitely aphrodisiac food.
