noun
Dialectal term (Kantō region) for the Japanese anchovy (Engraulis japonica); an abbreviation of ひしこいわし. Usually written in kana.
See also: 鯷 (ひしこいわし)
この辺りでは、ひしこを干して食べる習慣がある。
In this area, there is a custom of drying and eating Japanese anchovies.
ひしこは小さいけど、だしを取ると美味しい。
Hishiko are small, but they make a delicious broth.
Abbreviation of ひしこいわし, itself a dialectal name for the Japanese anchovy. The exact origin of ひしこ is uncertain, but it may be related to the fish's small, slender shape.