Whitebait - Try it!

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A New Zealand delicacy, whitebait are a small (about 5 cm in length), thin, transparent fish. They have a moderate fishy taste and are eaten whole usually with egg. You can sometimes find stalls at markets selling whitebait fritters, a basic omellette made with the fish, and whitebait pattie sandwiches are quite commonly sold in fish and chips shops all over the country.

Whitebait fish swim in from the sea and up the rivers once a year to spawn. They are caught under strict fishing laws and sold for over NZ$100 per pound! They are also available frozen for quite a lot cheaper but the Kiwi's swear the fresh stuff is worth it! I had a whitebait omellete at the Wanganui Market and thought it was good, but not extrordinary to be honest. I do think it might lend itself well to a pizza or a pasta dish though. Give it a try and decide for yourself!
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And this is what the fritter looks like. All the tiny eyeballs do throw me off a little...