noun
Refers specifically to Engraulis japonica, a small fish used in Japanese cuisine (e.g., niboshi, chirimen-jako).
しこは煮干しの原料としてよく使われる。
Japanese anchovies are often used as an ingredient for niboshi (dried sardines).
Another common name for the Japanese anchovy; しこ is a shorter, more colloquial term.
The origin is uncertain; possibly from a dialectal or old Japanese word for small fish.