Spring Riverbank Fry · Smelt
Koryushka
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Fresh koryushka smells distinctly of cucumber the moment it's caught — a quirk so beloved that locals judge the fish's freshness by its scent, not its look.
Koryushka is a small silvery smelt that's lightly floured and fried whole until the skin turns crackling-crisp, bones and all, then eaten hot by the handful straight out of a paper cone. Each spring, temporary stalls appear along the Neva embankments selling it fresh off the boats.
Why it's made this way: The smelt run up the Neva every April and May to spawn, and St. Petersburg has marked the event with a dedicated koryushka festival, turning a seasonal catch into one of the city's most anticipated street-food rituals.
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Part of World of Street Food — 3248 dishes from 118 countries.
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