The first thing I thought about was something strange.

The second is unconventional.

Well, where do oranges come from on the banks of the Danube?

And thirdly, I didn't imagine Dunayka with a citrus aroma.

I imagined it with onions, I imagined it with vinegar and loved it, but with oranges - I couldn't imagine how it would be.

But stereotypes, as you know, hinder thinking.

Where do oranges come from in Vilkovo, on the banks of the Danube?

For a long time, southern Bessarabia was either a part of the Ottoman Empire, or had very close ties, primarily trade.

Therefore, the delivery of oranges turned out to be not so fantastic.

Moreover, orange trees grow on the territory of modern Bulgaria, and from Izmail to the port of Varna - less than 350 km, which is much less than to the Bessarabian market in Kyiv, where the best products of our region are still delivered.

Therefore, there was clearly no question of delivering oranges to Vylkovo or Kiliya.

Photo: Andrii Velichka's Facebook

How to salt Dunayka with oranges?

Mix salt with sugar in a ratio of 70/30.

Pour boiling water over the oranges, then rinse well.

They should be cut 5-7 mm thick.

Clean the Dunaika, remove the entrails, gills, make an incision from the inside along the spine up to the tail.

We lay out a layer of oranges - a layer of salt - Dunayka - a layer of salt - a layer of oranges and so on several times.

Leave for a day or two in a cool place.

Then rinse and you can taste!

Photo: Andrii Velichka's Facebook

What is it, a combination of the aroma of Danube herring and oranges?

I'll answer right away - it's interesting!

Of course, it was difficult for a person who was used to eating Dunayka with vinegar and onions from childhood to resist.

But discovering new facets of the taste of local products, learning new interesting facts about how these products were eaten by our ancestors, revealing the cultural prerequisites of certain recipes and dishes, we better understand ourselves and our identity.

Therefore, I give advice, as an ardent supporter of Danube fish with onions - salt a couple of fish with oranges.

Expand your gastronomic intelligence!

The chef also mentioned a few more popular recipes from this fish:

1. "Danube five minutes"

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I managed to try yi from the hands of fishermen in Vylkovo, prepared according to the simplest and, as I was explained, the most traditional recipe.

Fish from the boat, salt, vinegar, onion.

The Danube fish is cleaned "by hand", washed in Danube water, sliced ​​as thin as possible and marinated in salt, vinegar and chopped onions.

5 minutes is enough.

This food can be cooked in a boat on the water, that makes sense.

Danube ceviche.

You know, a dish prepared in such conditions has a special charm.

A special taste.

They say that this is one of the first dishes of fishermen who catch Dunaika.

2. Boiled Dunayka

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If you can be treated to "five minutes" on the water, in a boat, then a whole feast awaits you on the shore!

Here the fish is boiled, cooked on fire, can be fried in a pan in corn flour or smoked.

You will definitely not forget the taste of boiled Dunayka, which is traditionally eaten with your hands and washed down with wine from the local Novak grape variety.

(Grapes of this variety just grow in the water on the islands in Vilkovo).

Salt water with a minimum of spices - just a bay leaf and allspice - that's all you need for boiled Dunayka.

Oh, and the fish that was caught early in the morning of the same day.

3. Fried Danube herring

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The fish is breaded in a large amount of cornmeal of coarse grinding, rather even groats.

Fry in hot oil until golden, even brown-golden.

An important nuance - the fish must first be "cut" - make many deep cuts on the back - so the bones will be fried and you will not be distracted.

4. Dunayka on the grill or on an open fire

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Fatty fish is ideal for cooking over an open fire.

I recommend to prepare, having previously wrapped dunaika in grape leaves, what the locals use for cabbage rolls.

These dishes can be tasted on the Danube and only during the short season of the Danube herring catch.

But smoked or salted Dunaika is sent all over Ukraine and even abroad.

The temperature in spring allows the fish to reach safely even with new mail.

Do not forget that the consumption of Dunayka should be conscious.

There are periods of fishing ban.

Once upon a time, sturgeon was caught at the mouth of the Danube, and caught practically on an industrial scale.

These days of uncontrolled fishing have passed, as have no more sturgeons left in these waters.

If we catch Danube herring thoughtlessly, first in the sea, and then from the first day of this fish entering the Danube for spawning, if we cover the Danube with nets, we may face the disappearance of the Danube herring population in 10-20-50 years.

So buy fish from real, "correct" fishermen!

Andrii Velychko

 is one of the few chefs in Ukraine who received a culinary education at the Institute of Paul Bocuse, the creator of "new French cuisine".

On his Facebook page,

 he shares interesting recipes and cooking secrets with his followers.

Read also:

• Cakes in sour milk: a recipe from Andriy Velichka

• Baked fish with vegetables: a recipe for a healthy and tasty dish

• How to prepare a tasty and aromatic broth: three recipes from Andriy Velichka