Alacha

/əˈlɑː.tʃə/ noun

Definition

A type of fish, particularly a shad or herring-like species found in the Black Sea and Mediterranean regions.

Etymology

From Turkish and Russian alacha (alach), related to various Turkic and Balkan names for fish species. The word traveled through trade language routes around the Black Sea.

Kelly Says

The alacha is a crucial food fish in Mediterranean and Black Sea cuisines, and the word itself traveled the same trade routes as the actual fish did—it appears in fishermen's records from the 1500s!

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