Mini Multilingual Fish Guide For Menu Reading

 

Written By: Margaux Cintrano - Margcata.

 

At the junction between The Mediterranean and The Atlantic, The Iberian Peninsula enjoys its exquisite variety of fish, shellfish and seafood products. Additionally, The Western Atlantic, The Eastern Atlantic and Southern Atlantic have a diversity of species and uncountable names in English, Spanish, Portuguese, German, Italian, Catalan and French. Here is a Mini Guide to assist in Menu Reading.

 

1) Herring ( This variety is absent in Iberian waters. )

 

Spanish: arenque

Portuguese: arenque

German: hering

Catalan: arengada

Italian: arringa

French: hareng

 

2) Sardine

 

Spanish: sardina

Portuguese: sardinha

Italian: sardina

German: sardine

Catalan: patoya / sardina

French: sardine

 

3) Shad ( extremely rare in The Mediterranean )

 

Spanish: sábalo

Portuguese: sável

German: alse / maifisch

Catalan: alatija

French: alose

 

4) Anchovy

 

Italian: acciuga

Spanish: anchoa

Portuguese: anchova

German: sardelle

Catalan: anxova

French: anchois

 

5) Salmon

 

Italian: salmone

Spanish: salmón

German: lachs

Catalan: salmó

French: saumon

 

6)  Whiting ( rare in Spain )

 

Spanish: merlán / plegonero

Portuguese: badejo

German: wittling

Catalan: peix rei

French: merlan

 

7) Cod fish

 

Italian: merluzzo

Spanish: bacalao

Portuguese: bacalhau

German: dorsch / kabelijau

French: cabillaud

 

8) Haddock ( rare in Spain )

 

Italian: tipo di merluzzo

Spanish: edlefino

Portuguese: arinca / burro

French: églefin

 

9) Pollack ( east Atlantic and southern Spain )

 

Spanish: abadejo

Portugese: juliana

German: pollack

French: lieu jaune

 

10)  Hake ( common in Spain )

 

Spanish: merluza

Portuguese: pescada

German: seehechte

Catalan: lluc

French: merlu / merluche

 

11) John Dory ( prized in Barcelona and Costa Brava )

 

Catalan: gallo / gal

Spanish: pez de San Pedro

Portuguese: peixe Sao Paulo

German: heringskönig

French: saint pierre

 

12) Alfonsino ( Hawaii and Japan )

 

Spanish: palometa

Portuguese: imperador

French: dorade rouge / béryx

German: kaiserbarsch

 

13) Sea Bass

 

Spanish: lubina

Catalan: llobarro

Portuguese: robalo

German: seebarsch

French: Bar

 

14) Grouper ( Caribbean and southern Spain )

 

Spanish: mero

Cuban Spanish ( Miami ): cherne

Portuguese: mero

German: brauner zachenbarsch

French: mérou

Catalan: anfós

 

15)  Rudderfish ( USA - Chesapeke Bay ) and in U.K. English: Amberjack ( common catch - Sicily )

and Mallorca, Spain.

 

Portuguese: charuteiro

Spanish: pez limon

French: sênole

German: seriolafisch

Catalan: verderol

 

16) Pompano ( Western Atlantic, The Caribbean Zone )

 

Spanish: palometa blanca / pampano blanco

Portuguese: sereia

French: palomine

German: Bläuel

 

17) Bluefish ( North America and The USA ) 

 

Spanish :  anjova

French: tassergal

Catalan: tallahams / trencahams

 

18) Mahi Mahi - Dolphin Fish ( Not the Mammal ! ) ( Hawaii )

 

English: dolphin fish

Spanish: lampuga

German: goldmakrele

French: corìphène

 

19) Rubber Lip Grunt ( Cádiz and Portugal )

 

Spanish: borriquete

Portuguese: pombo

French: dorade gris

 

20) Sea Bream ( Western Atlantic / Mediterranean and Eastern Atlantic )

 

Spanish: pargo

Miami Spanish: pargo

Portuguese: pargo

German: rotbrassen

 

21) Red Banded Bream ( Andalusian waters )

 

Spanish: hurta ( pronounced Ur ta )

French: sar royal /  pagre rayé

 

22) Dentex ( Greece / Adriatic )

 

Spanish: Dentón

French: denté

Catalan: déntol

German:  zahnbrassen

Portuguese: dentao

 

23) Red Mullet ( Eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean )

 

Spanish: salmonete

French: rouget de roche

Portuguese: salmonete   

Catalan: moll roquer

German: gesteifle

 

24) Scorpion Fish ( Mediterranean, Senegal, Normandy and Brittany, France )

 

Spanish: cabracho

Portuguese: rainúculo

French: rascasse rouge

Catalan: cap roig

 

25) Mackeral ( Spain´s canning industry for exporting canned Caballa in olive oil )

NW Galicia, Spain  

 

Spanish: caballa

Portuguese: sarda

Galicia: xarda

German: makrele

French: maquereau

 

26) Plaice ( Southern Ireland )

 

Italian: passera di mare

Spanish: solla

Portuguese: solha

French: plie

 

27) Turbot ( NW Galician Waters, Spain and Brittany, France )

 

Italian: rombo

Spanish: rodaballo

French: turbot

German: steinbutt

 

28) Dover, Sole

 

Italian: sogliola

Spanish: lenguado

Portuguese: linguado

German: seezunge

French: sole

Catalan: llenguado

 

29) Monkfish or Angler Fish ( Mediterranean and Atlantic )

 

Often called Goosefish in the USA and / or The Poor Man´s Lobster ...

 

Italian: squadro

Spanish: rape

Galician: rape

Portuguese: tamoril

French: baudroie

German: seeteufel

Catalan: granota de mar

 

The next article on this subject shall cover Crystaceans, Cephalopods and Mollusks.