Whitebait

Whitebait are young fish; in Europe the term applies to young herring, but in other parts of the world it is used for similar fish of other species.

Whitebaiting is the activity of catching whitebait: juvenile ocean fish that mature in inland New Zealand rivers. Whitebait are usually caught in nets set across rivers close to river outlets. Due to the popularity of the activity, restrictions are imposed; and this results in the sale of whitebait as a delicacy .

The most popular way of cooking whitebait there is the whitebait fritter, which is essentially an omelette containing whitebait. In the United Kingdom whitebait are normally deep-fried with a light batter, and served very hot with bread and butter .