Vobla

Vobla (also spelled wobla, Russian: Вобла) is a Russian word for a fish called the Caspian roach (Rutilus caspicus, formerly recognized as subspecies of the Common Roach). Salt-dried vobla is a common Russian meal or snack that goes well with beer. It is popular in many Russian households and beer restaurants.

The vobla has a typical size of 30-35 cm (max. published 45 cm) and a weight of 800 g (max. published 2000 g). It can be distinguished from its congeners in the Caspian Sea by the following characteristics:

• usually 42-44 scales along the lateral line
• dorsal fin usually with 9½ branched rays
• anal fin usually with 10½ branched rays
• rounded snout and subterminal mouth
• anal fins and pectoral pelvic are grey with dark margins

The vobla is found in brackish coastal waters of the northern and northwestern Caspian Sea and enters Volga, Ural, Emba, Terek and Kura drainages for spawning.

Salt-dried vobla is generally eaten without sauces or side dishes. Many people like to eat their Vobla with a glass of beer, which lessens the salty taste of the fish.

Vobla could be considered a raw fish, but, in fact, it is neither raw nor cooked, but rather salt-cured. It is soaked in brine for some days and then is thoroughly air-dried for another two, which in the end acts as a form of chemical cooking.

Local people prefer the vobla as pan-fried.

External links

• Rutilus caspicus (Yakovlev, 1870) on fishbase.org
• Rutilus rutilus caspicus