Sardinella salted, smoked and dried, flaked into rice and bean dishes. It is made from the abundant sardinella catch by women processors along the coast at Joal and Mbour, and traded inland across West Africa.
It is a processing-yard trade with banks of smoking ovens running continuously, and the drying is what preserves the fish; a partial version is perishable and quite different.
What goes into it
- sardinella
- coarse salt
- wood and coconut husk for smoke
How it is made
The fish are salted, briefly cooked or blanched, then laid on racks over smouldering wood fires and smoked hot until cooked through. They are then dried in the sun for a day or more until stiff. The combination of salt, smoke and drying together is what lets them travel inland without refrigeration.
How long it takes: two to four days across salting, smoking and drying
How it is eaten
Flaked into thiebou niebe, rice and bean dishes, and stews.
History
Made from the abundant sardinella catch by women processors along the coast at Joal and Mbour, and traded inland across West Africa.
Frequently asked questions
What is Kéthiakh?
Kéthiakh is a charcuterie & cured from Senegal: sardinella salted, smoked and dried, flaked into rice and bean dishes. Made from the abundant sardinella catch by women processors along the coast at Joal and Mbour, and traded inland across West Africa.
How is Kéthiakh made?
The fish are salted, briefly cooked or blanched, then laid on racks over smouldering wood fires and smoked hot until cooked through. They are then dried in the sun for a day or more until stiff. The combination of salt, smoke and drying together is what lets them travel inland without refrigeration. It takes two to four days across salting, smoking and drying.
Can I make Kéthiakh at home?
No, and the atlas gives no method for it. It is a processing-yard trade with banks of smoking ovens running continuously, and the drying is what preserves the fish; a partial version is perishable and quite different.
What goes into Kéthiakh?
Sardinella, coarse salt, wood and coconut husk for smoke.
How is Kéthiakh eaten?
Flaked into thiebou niebe, rice and bean dishes, and stews.
