While some of the torik caught by fishermen during the season in the city is converted into lakerda and sold, the remaining part is stored in jars to be sold in the summer months when fish are scarce.
After being cut into slices, the toriks are separated from their marrow and bones and kept in salt for 10 days, then they are placed in jars and then stored in cold storage.
Lakerdas are offered for sale in Sinop and other cities upon request.
Fisherman İbrahim Gündoğdu, who has been fishing in the city for 30 years, said that fishing with purse seine and trawl nets has been banned in the sea as of April 15.
“Anchovy was abundant this season, bonito was scarce”
Pointing out that fishing with small boats continues, Gündoğdu said, “Anchovy was abundant this season, but bonito was scarce. It was toric, the largest of the bonito, but we could not see the bonito, there was no bonito.” said.
Gündoğdu explained that they kept the torik caught before April 15 in cold storage in order to make it into laker. “We are currently slicing the fish we take out of the refrigerators. We remove the marrow and blood. We rest them in clean water, salt them for three or four days, and then put them in our jars. In this way, we prepare them for our customers.” he said.
“There is a lot of interest in Lakerda”
Gündoğdu stated that citizens’ interest in lakerda increased during periods when there was a shortage of fish due to the ban, and continued as follows:
“There is a lot of interest in lakerda. Especially this festival of ours has made quite an impact throughout Turkey. Our customers call us from abroad, but we prepare and send it to our customers who want one or two jars, although not many. Since there is little toric, the prices are high. We sell two-kilogram jars for 1200 liras. But the fish itself is already 700 liras.” “It’s around 800 lira. We put our small profit on it and send it to our customers. We also win their hearts because we do it every year.”
Lack of acorns affected the production of lakerda
Gündoğdu emphasized that the low catch of bonito during the season affects both lakerda production and prices. “I work alone. After I finish my job, I do it on my own. It’s not like a factory. I sold around 300 jars of fish this year. I make it in the form of twenty jars, 30 jars. I don’t do it in bulk. Of course, the scarcity of acorns affected it. Otherwise, my other friends also did it.” “Everyone makes it at home or sells it in their shops, but since fish is scarce, we make this much as a fish house.” said.
