The fish, found close to the coast, is thumb-sized with an average length of 13-18 centimetres and looks similar to goby.
Due to its firm, white sweet meat and availability almost through the year, smelt-whiting fish is a favorite with fishermen for making salads and grilled dishes.
To make a salad, prepare the fish by scaling and decapitating them, then slice their body vertically. Marinate the meat in lemon juice for 15 to 30 minutes before squeezing the meat to remove the liquid, and let it dry. Remember to keep the water for dipping sauce.
To make the dipping sauce, boil the squeezed water with lemon juice, chopped garlic, tomato, onion, peanut, and chilly until it thickens into a sweet-sour mixture.
When you eat, wrap the fish in rice paper with herbs, perilla leaves, lettuce, and sliced cucumbers.
