Dried Whitebait

These small dried fish, also sold as dried Chinese anchovies or ikan bilis, are not the same as the salty anchovies used in Italian cooking. Whitebait are boiled in saltwater at sea and then dried in the sun. Many countries make them, and their salt content varies according to which country they come from. In Southeast Asia they’re heavily salted. In Japan and Korea the fish are only lightly salted, and the anchovies are then mostly used for broths. They come in various sizes and quality levels. In the U.S., the Japanese company JFC distributes a good-quality product that can be used in most Asian cuisines. See for preparation techniques.