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Snoek - by its Australian name


TeeTMI

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We visited a Fish and Chip shop the other night and tried the Couta (partly because the young sales assistant said that they didn't like it or recommend it as it tasted too fishy).

We thought it tasted very like Snoek. I did a bit of searching on the internet and see that Couta and Snoek are the same species Thyrsites atun.

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Now that is good to know! Man I miss Simba's snoek flavoured crisps. Will look for it and give it try!

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Any ideas on another "lekker" fish to try and that`s available fresh in Sydney?

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I always thought that couta referred to a Barracuda?


It is also known in Australasia as barracouta though it is not related to the barracuda.

Found this - thanks Wikipedia. So a couta in RSA is not the same as a couta in Aus but a snoek in RSA is the same as a couta in Aus. The technicalities of moving country

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The question is where to buy it in Sydney? Would give my left arm for some braai'ed snoek :)

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The "official" Australian word for snoek is pike. You sometimes get it from fresh fish markets.

More info here:

http://www.sea-ex.com/fishphotos/pike.htm

http://www.sea-ex.com/fishphotos/pike_snook-catching-fishing.htm

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  • 2 weeks later...

I always say, "I haven't had a bad wine in Aussie or bad fish. But I have never had a good beer anywhere in the world!"

As you can tell, I am not a beer drinker..

Any ideas on another "lekker" fish to try and that`s available fresh in Sydney?

Just go to the Fish Market and ask. Just don't go on the days before a public holiday. It gets busy down there and the roads around Pyrmont can't really cope. Edited by monsta
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Hmmm, snoek...not the most appealing name I must say ;)

Agreed, and it tastes funny see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thyrsites wherein it is stated

"Though very popular in regions like South Africa, it was not so popular to certain generations of British residents during the Second World War due to it being considered a food item of deprivation. Canned Snoek was imported in large quantities into Great Britain and government marketing of the product was not successful and may have had a negative effect."

Looking at the distribution map it appears way more common on the Atlantic coast of South America.

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