The moray eel is a common Mediterranean fish and can be seen locally around the shores of the Rodopou Peninsula. Its name in Greek is smerna. The moray has a fearsome reputation, chiefly because of its appearance and its capacity to inflict a nasty bite. This is due to its unique anatomy which gives it two sets of jaws. Its normal jaw with incurved teeth is used to catch its prey, while a second, pharyngeal jaw is launched forward into the mouth cavity and grabs the prey, preventing it from escaping and forcing it down the creature’s throat. This means that if it catches hold of a human hand or a similar member the latter cannot be freed without losing a chunk of flesh in the process. As a result fishermen will treat morays with a great deal of caution when they are caught.

Morays generally stay close to the bottom and seek to evade humans, but swimmers need to be wary when exploring rocky inlets where they might be concealed in crevices. The moray is not often seen in fishmongers but when caught it is sold, and sells quickly, despite its unappealing appearance, for reasons which the following extract from an article in the Haniotika Nea makes clear.

Moray eel caviar – a rare fishy meze
You could call it the “poor man’s caviar”, as it does not have the same value as caviar from the sturgeon. However, it has its own special flavour and is preferred by some gourmets. For quite a few Haniots the eggs of the moray eel make a particularly tasty snack, although its numbers have declined in recent years, like those of many other fish.

“In the past we caught a lot, almost every day. But now the mοrays have diminished, like all the fish,” professional fisherman Dimitris Kolletis told Haniotika Nea. For years, moray eels were not sold commercially, but today they are sought after by consumers. “They are cheap to buy, 7 euros [per kg] cleaned and so they are hot sellers, ” the fisherman said.

For fishing, a psarodoli [a lure made of fresh fish] is used, baited with gopa (bogue) on a thick hook and a longline, though morays are often also taken in nets. “You don’t handle a moray, don’t put your finger near it because its teeth are curved inwards and if it bites you it will take off a piece. We have a barrel and we put it in there to die,” he said.

Regarding the moray’s eggs, Mr Kolettis noted that the fishermen make them into fritters and fry them. “You mix the eggs with flour or breadcrumbs – breadcrumbs are better – spring onions, mint, parsley and you form them into patties and fry them, they make a delicious meze.” Another fisherman, Michalis Tzanakis from Kolymbari, is also an enthusiast: “It’s one of the best mezes for those who know. You throw out the tail which has a lot of bones and the rest is ready for frying,” he said.

A gourmet’s view
“The moray is a fish which lives in rocky areas near beaches. Its favourite food is octopus, cuttlefish, squid and small fish,” according to Giannis Apostolakis, who is a chef and president of the Cretan Gastronomy Network. “Its skin is brown with yellow spots, with strong teeth which are curved inwards. The head, and the lower part are not eaten, but the rest of the fish has a superb white flesh, unbelievably tasty, which reminds one of octopus.” Usually, he says, “fishermen don’t want to hear about something with such a fearsome appearance, albeit tasty and good to eat. It creates tremendous problems in their nets and longlines, because it tangles up the gear when it is caught. But they are very fond of it fried at their ouzo drinking sessions.”

As regards the moray’s eggs, “they are enclosed in a membrane, they are spherical and fairly large. Around 80 to 90 eggs weigh a gram. If we process them properly they give us something akin to caviar, since when the little round balls burst in our mouth they provide a gastronomic effusion on our palate with this full, sweet and sour, iodised taste. The dish is always served cold, with a special spoon to provide small mouthfuls, so that we can appreciate the aromatic bouquet and analyse the complexity of taste before it is covered by its saltiness.
“It goes very well with toasted sourdough bread with extra virgin olive oil – fruity and peppery, slightly bitter, of the tsunati or koroneiki varieties – and with local yogurt. It can be accompanied by chilled tsikoudia, ouzo or a sparkling wine. The fish can be cooked in many different ways.”
(Haniotika Nea)