By: Nercya Kalino, Staff Writer
Growing up in Malawi, East Africa, dried fish wasn’t my favourite. Now, as an adult, I have grown a nostalgic longing for it — I even miss the smell of it. There is something about dried, fried, roasted, and stewed fish that takes me back to my childhood days. I remember sitting by the burning charcoal with my mom constantly calling out from the kitchen if I was watching the pot. It took a while for me to distinguish between different types of fish, methods of cooking, and the variety of flavour profiles. Whether it is small, long, and curled fish or darkened fish from the sun, they all have a traditional way to cook them to amplify the taste preserved from the drying process.
I love small dried fish made from usipa, which resemble sardines. Its pungency reminds me of my childhood when I would squirm at the lifeless creature on the plate. The fish would be piled on one side of the plate with other traditional foods such as nsima and bean stew. Reflecting on my childhood dishes, it is curiously not the fancier meals my mother cooked, but rather the food I neglected eating as a child that I miss the most.
I trust my mother’s hands when it comes to preparing dried fish as its handling requires a higher level of experience. Historically, we have used trays to lay fish in the sun with the number of days depending on the fish type. These methods have since evolved to fish farmers using solar power in greenhouses to make the drying process healthier and more efficient. I also appreciate dried fish because of the fish farmers who rely on the process of dried fish and marketing for profit. In Malawi, fish farmers will dry fish to prolong the selling period.
Dried fish varies in price due to its size and rarity depending on the season, but for the most part, dried fish is affordable. Dried fish is more of a traditional dish rather than a snack, depending on the type. The smell of these fish (kampango, kapenta, and usipa) is distinct to lovers of fish and is the heart of Malawian food culture. In Malawi, chambo is quite popular with tourists as this type of fish is tender, tastes great fried, stewed, and roasted — it never disappoints.
Dried fish is also present in other cultures of African descent. The simultaneous intersection and diversity of ingredients and preparation methods across cultures is something I have come to appreciate. In Malawian culture and among other south eastern countries, they normally cook dried fish such as kapenta by soaking and gutting the tiny fish that you fry with little oil. In western African cultures, they use dried fish as part of a larger stew consisting of meat and vegetables such as banga.
Dried fish is a distant memory now, as I only get to eat it when I visit home. Back at home, buying fish is also a culturally immersive experience. Some of the fish used is accessible here as well, but to prepare and cook it in the same way is a challenge. Regardless, I would definitely like to learn how to cook it from my mother someday.
Dried fish falls on the side of food experiences that I believe tourists are not super keen on exploring, but I think there is so much to appreciate in the taste, cultural importance and labour behind dried fish. If given the opportunity, would you give it a try?
