whitebait; young sardines
Refers to the juvenile stage of sardines, anchovies, or similar small fish, often eaten whole. In Japanese cuisine, シラス is typically boiled and served over rice or used in various dishes.
I had whitebait over rice for breakfast.
elver; young eel
Less common usage; specifically refers to young eels. In contexts where the type of fish is clear, シラス can mean elvers, but usually it implies whitebait.
In this region, 'shirasu' can sometimes refer to young eels.
Usually written in katakana; usually written in kana.
Hiragana spelling, also common.
Kanji spelling is rare and may be confused with 白子 (しろこ, milt).
The origin is uncertain. The word しらす likely derives from 白 (しら, white) + す (a suffix or particle), referring to the pale, translucent appearance of the young fish.