I have never eaten Chanquetes. Nor am I likely to. It has been illegal to fish them since 1988. Chanquetes are transparent Gobies (aphia minuta). If you are served them in restaurants they will more likely be immature sardines or boquerones or other fry (alevines) instead. Even more likely they will be the Chinese alternative – farmed fresh water noodlefish.
The season for Chanquetes was typically between January or March.
In the 1980s they were very popular and illegally caught Chanquetes are really expensive.
We saw these “Chinese Chanquetes”for sale in the Ataranzanas Market in Malaga
The Ataranzanas Market is a fabulous food market divided into different zones selling fish, meat and vegetables. The building is a mixture of 14th century Moorish architecture with 19th century industrial design. The main entrance is a marble archway, the only remaining part of a seven-arched shipyard.
Sonsos
A less controversial alternative to Chanquetes are Sonsos. (Mediterranean Sand Eel)
I first tried Sonsos (Catalan) in 1974 in when I was living in Calella de La Costa. They are very popular in Catalunya and the Balearics where they are also known as barrinaire or enfú. In Andalucía around Huelva they are called Saltón because they are so lively when they are taken from the water. In Málaga they are also known as Agujilla or Agujeta.
