Anchovy in Thai

[Kanga Japan]

Can someone confirm if these are the correct Thai words for ANCHOVY?

PLA KATAK (ปลากะตัก)

PLA SAI TAN (ปลาไส้ตัน)

PLA KATAK YAI (ปลากะตักใหญ่) Indian Anchovy

Thank you for your help.

[AyG]

A bit short of time, so just relying on Thai Wikipedia, the first two are anchovy. The third one is Indian Anchovy.

What I'm unclear about is how this relates to Thai food. There's nothing in Thai cuisine that I know of that relates to the salty little fillets or grilled whole fish that we enjoy on our Mediterranean holidays. Any attempt at using the Mediterranean delicacies in Thai cuisine will probably end up a disaster. The anchovies are a big family, so more precision is required.

Perhaps you have the scientific names for each of the species?

[TVeronica]

ปลากะตัก and ปลาไส้ตัน is the same thing, refer to Thai dictionary and i'm Thai

The dictionary says ปลากะตัก or ปลาไส้ตัน. which mean you can call them both Pla katak or Pla sia tan.

and also, Anchovy = ปลากะตัก (ปลาไส้ตัน ) refer to the dictionary and Google images

Edited August 19, 2014 by TVeronica

[Jip99]

Probably no help but my missus will refer to anchovies as "Farang Bplah Rah"

[Pla shado]

Bpla Katak (ปลากะตัก) and Bpla Sai Tan (ปลาไส้ตัน) are commonly used to make Nam Bpla.

Edited August 19, 2014 by Pla shado

[Kanga Japan]

Dear AyG,

Thanks for your reply. My reason for including them is not actually to be used in Thai cooking, although they are used to make NAM PLA.

I had them on my list and just thought that I would include them, just for any foreigners in Thailand who may want to buy them, but don't know the Thai. I only have the scientific name for the Indian Anchovy (Stolephorus indicus). The other 2 I am not sure of, but they would be in the same Stolephorus group.

In any case, now that I have the confirmation, everything is OK.

Thanks for your help.

[Kanga Japan]

Dear TVeronica, Jip99 and Pla shado,

Thank you all the the information you have given me.

I really appreciate it.

[the donger]

For anyone who finds this ( it's the top result when you Google "what's anchovy in Thai"), the correct translation is : ปลาแอนโชวี่ .  

the other translations above are all scientific names for Indian anchovies. Not our delicious European breeds.