Pescado frito facts for kids
Pescado frito is a traditional Spanish dish that means "fried fish." It's also called Pescaíto frito, especially in the southern part of Spain, which means "fried little fish." This tasty meal comes from the southern coast of Spain, mainly in a region called Andalusia. You can also find it in other Spanish areas like Catalonia, Valencia, the Canary Islands, and the Balearic Islands.
Even though it's a coastal dish, pescado frito is also very popular in inland cities of Andalusia, such as Seville and Cordoba. It's a common food all around the Mediterranean Sea, appearing in places like Provence in France and coastal parts of Italy and Greece. People in ancient Rome also enjoyed eating fried fish a long, long time ago!
To make pescado frito, people usually take a white fish, coat it in flour, and then deep-fry it in hot olive oil. After it's cooked, they sprinkle it with just a little salt. It's best served hot and fresh. You can eat it as a small snack before a meal, or as the main dish. Often, it comes with fresh lemon slices. You squeeze the lemon juice over the fish to give it a zesty flavor.
A Special Dish for Shabbat
For many years, pescado frito has been a special dish for Sephardic Jews (Jews from Spain and Portugal). In the 1500s, Jewish families in Andalusia and Portugal would often eat fried fish, usually cod, for their Shabbat meal. Shabbat is a day of rest, from Friday evening to Saturday evening.
Deep-frying the fish in vegetable oil makes it crispy and light. It stays delicious even when it gets cold. This made it a perfect meal for a late breakfast or lunch after going to synagogue services on Saturday morning.
Some people believe that pescado frito might have inspired the famous English dish, fish and chips. When Spanish Jews started moving to England in the 1650s, they brought their cooking traditions with them. This could be how the idea of fried fish came to England, eventually leading to the popular fish and chips we know today!
