Lakerda is a pickled bonito dish eaten as a mezze in the cuisines of the former Ottoman Empire. Lakerda made from one-year-old bonito migrating through the Bosphorus is especially prized.
Lakerda (λακέρδα) comes from Byzantine Greek lakerta (λακέρτα) 'mackerel', which in turn comes from Latin lacerta 'mackerel' or 'horse mackerel'.[1]
Steaks of bonito are boned, soaked in brine, then salted and weighted for about a week.[2] They are then ready to eat, or may be stored in olive oil.
Sometimes large mackerel or small tuna are used instead of bonito.
Lakerda is usually served as a mezze, with sliced onion. Lemon juice and olive oil are common but criticized accompaniments.[3]
and lemon.
Lakerda is very similar to a prized ancient Greek dish, tarikhos horaion 'ripe salted fish' or simply horaion. Other ancient salt bonito preparations were called omotarikhos and kybion.[4]