Xouba, also known as little sardine or parrocha, is a small

sardine Sardine and pilchard are common names for various species of small, oily forage fish in the herring suborder Clupeoidei. The term "sardine" was first used in English during the early 15th century; a somewhat dubious etymology says it com ...

and a type of

pelagic fish Pelagic fish live in the pelagic zone of ocean or lake waters—being neither close to the bottom nor near the shore—in contrast with demersal fish that live on or near the bottom, and reef fish that are associated with coral reefs. ...

. Xoubas are small sardines from

Galicia, Spain Galicia ( ; or ; ) is an Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Spain and nationalities and regions of Spain, historic nationality under Spanish law. Located in the northwest Iberian Peninsula, it includes the provinces o ...

. They are a

species A species () is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate sexes or mating types can produce fertile offspring, typically by sexual reproduction. It is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), ...

ray-finned fish Actinopterygii (; ), members of which are known as ray-finned fish or actinopterygians, is a class of bony fish that comprise over 50% of living vertebrate species. They are so called because of their lightly built fins made of webbings of sk ...

in the

monotypic In biology, a monotypic taxon is a taxonomic group (taxon) that contains only one immediately subordinate taxon. A monotypic species is one that does not include subspecies or smaller, infraspecific taxa. In the case of genera, the term "unisp ...

genus Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family (taxonomy), family as used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In bino ...

''Sardina''. The juvenile Xouba has the scientific name of ''

Sardina pilchardus The European pilchard (''Sardina pilchardus'') is a species of ray-finned fish in the monotypic genus ''Sardina''. The young of the species are among the many fish that are sometimes called sardines. This common species is found in the northeast ...

'' which is in the family

Clupeidae Clupeidae is a family of clupeiform ray-finned fishes, comprising, for instance, the herrings and sprats. Many members of the family have a body protected with shiny cycloid (very smooth and uniform) scales, a single dorsal fin, and a fusiform ...

Description

The fish is blue-green and has a silver underside. In comparison to the other sardines, the xouba, is diminutive. Xouba means little fish; the fish lives is shallow areas of water between and . The fish is harvested between the months of May and July when it reaches in length. Xoubas, are small sardines, and a they come from

. The small Xouba is a juvenile version of a

European pilchard The European pilchard (''Sardina pilchardus'') is a species of ray-finned fish in the monotypic genus ''Sardina''. The young of the species are among the many fish that are sometimes called sardines. This common species is found in the northeast ...

. In some areas the Xouba is called Parrocha. Xouba are from the family

. Xoubas have a tender distinct flavor and they are small sardines, nutrient-dense. They have a high

omega-3 fatty acid Omega−3 fatty acids, also called omega−3 oils, ω−3 fatty acids or ''n''−3 fatty acids, are polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) characterized by the presence of a double bond three atoms away from the terminal methyl group in their ...

content and they are high in healthy fats. Xouba has more fat than other sardines.

History

Guiso de xoubas en el showcooking -ViveAzul

Since the 15th century, Xouba is caught with a technique called Xeito. The technique employs a net stretched between boats; a type of

drift netting Drift netting is a fishing technique where nets, called drift nets, hang vertically in the water column without being anchored to the bottom. The nets are kept vertical in the water by floats attached to a rope along the top of the net and weig ...

. In Spain there are several annual events to celebrate the Xouba. One such event is the Burial of the xoubiña. It is celebrated on

Ash Wednesday Ash Wednesday is a holy day of prayer and fasting in many Western Christian denominations. It is preceded by Shrove Tuesday and marks the first day of Lent: the seven weeks of Christian prayer, prayer, Religious fasting#Christianity, fasting and ...

and it includes funeral procession that is satirical. The procession ends with the burning of the effigy of a sardine. Galicia, Spain is the home of a festival ( Festa da Xouba} celebrating the Xouba. The event takes place about the same time as the "

Feast of Saint James The Feast of Saint James, also known as Saint James' Day, is a commemoration of the apostle James the Great celebrated on July 25 of the liturgical calendars of the Catholic Church and the Church of England. The Eastern Orthodox liturgical ...

" which happens in July.

Preparation

Prepared as a dish, it can be used in

empanadas An empanada is a type of baked or fried turnover consisting of pastry and filling, common in Spain, other Southern European countries, North African countries, South Asian countries, Latin American countries, and the Philippines. The name com ...

, or pickled, or made in a casserole with potatoes. Xouba is also grilled and served on bread, or breaded with

chickpea The chickpea or chick pea (''Cicer arietinum'') is an annual plant, annual legume of the family (biology), family Fabaceae, subfamily Faboideae, cultivated for its edible seeds. Its different types are variously known as gram," Bengal gram, ga ...

flour and fried.

Gallery

File:Xouba.jpg, Xouba File:Pepe Santos preparando guiso de xoubas no showcooking -ViveAzul.jpg, Guiso de xoubas File:Prepared Xouba.jpg, Prepared Xouba with bread

References

{{Sardines Spanish cuisine National dishes Fish of Europe Clupeidae Commercial fish Oily fish Economy of Galicia (Spain) Fish common names Sardinella