Hamsi — the small anchovy of the Black Sea (Engraulis encrasicolus ponticus) — is to Black Sea Turkish cooking what sakura salmon is to BC: the defining ingredient of a region, available for a short season, prepared in dozens of ways, and eaten with a fervour that borders on cultural identity. In Trabzon and the Black Sea coast, hamsi season (November–February) is an event — the fish are eaten pan-fried, grilled, baked in cornmeal (hamsili pilav), and raw-marinated in lemon juice and vinegar.
**Pan-fried hamsi (the most common):** - Cleaned, heads removed, butterflied flat. - Rolled in fine cornmeal (not flour) — the cornmeal provides a crispier crust than flour. - Fried in hot olive oil — 1–2 minutes per side. The small size requires brief cooking. **Hamsili pilav (anchovy rice):** - Raw rice wrapped in a layer of hamsi — the fish overlapping to form a crust around the rice. Baked in the oven until the anchovy layer is golden and crispy on the exterior while the rice cooks in the fish's released moisture and fat. [VERIFY] Dağdeviren's hamsili pilav technique. **Raw marinated (hamsi turşusu):** - Fresh hamsi in lemon juice and vinegar for 4–6 hours — the acid denatures surface proteins (ceviche principle). Dressed with olive oil, parsley, red onion.
The Turkish Cookbook