lavráki

Mediterranean sea bass (or branzino, as it’s called in North America). It’s one of the most prized fish on the menu, with a delicious delicate flavour. Usually grilled. Also spelled λαβράκι.

It’s also one of the two most farmed fish in Greece, along with sea bream.

In ancient Greece it was known as the smartest fish because it was so hard to catch. Which reminds me of the riddle that the fishermen reportedly told Homer: ‘What we catch we throw away; what we don’t catch, we keep.’